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What Companies Does Facebook Own?
If you’ve ever wondered what companies does Facebook own, you’re not alone. Many people don’t realize how many apps and other companies are owned by the social media giant. There are several companies Facebook owns: Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR, LiveRail, and Messenger. But, are all of these companies owned by Facebook? If so, how do you find out? Continue reading to learn more. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the companies it owns.
The social network Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion. The social media platform emphasizes sharing and consuming photos and videos. Users can post and edit their own visual content. Founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the site has a large user base of young people from around the world. The social network’s early days were marked by the FTC’s nonchalant rejection of the Instagram acquisition. At the time, however, Facebook vowed to keep the service independent and stressed its interest in tapping into its expertise in photos.
WhatsApp is a popular messaging app owned by Facebook, which has two billion monthly active users. It’s not known how many users are actually aware that Facebook owns WhatsApp. Almost half of those surveyed by Business Insider didn’t know. This may interest you : What Happens When You Block Someone on Facebook?. A survey of 1,297 adult Americans found that 50.4 percent of people who use WhatsApp had no idea that it was a Facebook subsidiary. Facebook has a history of acquiring other companies, and the company’s acquisition of WhatsApp was no exception.
Oculus VR
It is very unfortunate for Facebook users, but it appears that they have no choice, as the company has decided to retire the Oculus brand and rebrand itself as Meta. In the meantime, the company is making significant changes to its VR and AR businesses. This may interest you : How to Delete an Old Facebook Account. The company is moving away from its branded VR headsets to build their own, which makes it an even better fit for the company’s future. The rebranding process will continue with the same basic design as before, but with some changes.
LiveRail
LiveRail was a platform that connected advertisers and publishers and delivered targeted video advertisements to users. Facebook purchased the company in 2014 for $400 million to $500 million. Facebook is now looking to expand its video advertising offerings and may have decided to close LiveRail down. See the article : How to Pin a Post on Facebook. Customers were migrated to other platforms and the company may go out of business by the end of the year. However, some LiveRail customers are waiting to see how the new acquisition will impact their business.
FriendFeed
It’s no secret that Facebook owns FriendFeed. FriendFeed was a real-time feed aggregator that aggregated updates from social media, blogs, RSS feeds, and Atom feeds. FriendFeed was purchased by Facebook in 2009 for $15 million in cash. Facebook tapped the team’s expertise in aggregation and real-time updates, and it took their ‘Like’ button to market itself to users. The acquisition also gives Facebook access to their talent pool. Most of the FriendFeed employees will join Facebook, so that their skills are put to use in a new way.
Next stop
The FTC has been trying to reign in Facebook and its use of ad targeting, and they’re looking to do so by regulating the social network more. That means a more aggressive stance against Big Tech firms. Facebook’s acquisition of NextStop, a travel recommendation start-up, means it will soon shut down. But a new FTC director, Lina Khan, promises to take on Big Tech companies.
Mapillary
Swedish startup Mapillary has sold itself to Facebook in a deal that values its technology, which allows users to upload photos to street maps. Mapillary has raised $24.5 million in funding from investors including Atomico, Sequia Capital, and BMW iVentures in the last seven years. Street-level mapping is an important technology to help build products like Facebook Marketplace. Mapillary has been working on improving street-level maps for users since 2013, and the deal will help Facebook improve its mapping capabilities.
Ascenta
In a bid to become the World’s Coolest Place to Work, Facebook has bought a small British company that makes unmanned drones. The acquisition of Ascenta, which was formerly known as High Altitude Engineering, marks the company’s latest move toward the future of air travel. The company’s drones can fly for years without recharging, thanks to solar panels strategically placed in their wings. The new acquisition also gives Facebook access to the expertise of a small team.
