Pond5, a New York-based online marketplace for video footage and stock media, raised $61m in equity financing.
Backers included Accel Partners and Stripes Group. In conjunction with the funding, John Locke, Partner at Accel Partners, and Dan Marriott, Managing Partner of Stripes Group, will join Pond5’s board.
The company will use the funds for global growth, hiring, and product development.
Led by CEO and co-founder Tom Bennett, Pond5 allows artists from around the world to upload video clips and other media, including music, photos and special effects. Those creating media projects, like films, mobile applications and video games, can then buy the royalty-free content for their own use. Pond5 has a collection of more than 15 million media clips sourced from 30,000 artists in 127 countries.
Media clients include BBC, NBC, and CBS, advertising agencies like Leo Burnett and Wieden & Kennedy and emerging video artists on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
The company, which has offices in Geneva, Switzerland and Prague, Czech Republic, has been cash-flow positive since its founding in 2006 and is doubling sales annually.
It raised a seed round of $500k from the New York Angels in 2008 and in 2013 acquired Pixmac, an international network of stock photos sites based in Czech Republic.
It currently employs a global team of 70 people.
FinSMEs
17/07/2014