funding

Metalenz Raises Another $30M as It Works to Shrink Phone Cameras

Metalenz, which makes flat, “meta-optic” lenses for 3D imaging and sensing – like those used in facial recognition – that are incredibly compact and multifunctional, just closed a $30 million venture funding Series B round and is shipping product to some “household names” in the mobile device game.

Snappr Has Raised $13M to Be the Uber of Photography

Snappr wants to be the go-to service for business to get fast, easy access to photographers at rates as low as $89 per session. The company operates like a mix of Uber and ThumbTack, with on-demand access to creatives in 200 metropolitan areas, and could be coming to a city near you.

The Expanding Universe of Crowdfunded Photo Gear

I confess: I’m a photo gear junkie. I’ve bought dozens of cameras and lenses, way too many tripods, camera bags and backpacks, and many thousands of dollars’ worth of filters, flash units, and other accessories. I’ve tempered my obsession over the last few years, mostly because there's only so much room to store these things, but from the flood of new products hitting the market recently I'd say I slowed down just in time.

Magnum Photos Receives First Outside Investment in Its 70 Year History

Magnum Photos, one of the most prestigious photographic agencies in the world, is celebrating a storied 70-year history this year, but it is a history that has not been without financial trouble. The agency has recently announced that they will be taking outside investment for the first time to help them grow and innovate in the digital age.

Gameface Media to Pay Photographers Soon After Raising Another $2.6M

Since being founded in 2012, Gameface Media has become a dominant force in amateur sports event photography. But in recent times, photographers shooting for Gameface have complained of payments being delayed by many months. Today there's a bit of good news: Gameface has raised another $2.6 million from investors and is now promising to pay photographers very soon.

Light Raises $30M to Bring Its 52MP, 16-Aperture Camera to Market

When Light unveiled its revolutionary L16 multi-aperture computational camera in October 2015, people were so excited by the device that the company blew past its first month sales goal in the first two days. Today the company announced that it has just raised $30 million in funding to change the way people take pictures.

The Lily Throw-and-Shoot Drone Has Seen $34 Million in Pre-Orders

One of the biggest drone stories in 2015 was the unveiling of the Lily drone, a robotic device that makes shooting aerial photos and videos as easy as tossing a drone into the air. There's no complicated piloting: AI, computer vision, and GPS help take care of everything for you.

It's a idea that has attracted a huge amount of interest: after announcing $15 million in private funding last month, Lily is revealing now that it has received a whopping $34 million in pre-orders from 60,000 customers.

XCraft Raises $1.5M from Shark Tank for Its Next Gen Camera Drones

The drone company XCraft has successfully raised $1.5 million at a $6 million valuation after appearing on the ABC reality TV show Shark Tank. The two founders convinced all 5 "sharks" to invest in the company, which builds next generation camera drones that go beyond your standard quadcopter.

Getty Teams Up with Instagram to Offer $30,000 to Mobile Photographers

Smartphone photography is becoming one of the main ways people share visual stories with the world, and Getty Images wants to help bankroll powerful mobile photo projects. The company is teaming up with Instagram to launch a new photography grant that will hand out $30,000 to help Instagram users tell important stories.

DJI Raises $75 Million in Funding and Is Now Valued at $10 Billion

The world's largest drone maker is quickly becoming one of China's most powerful homegrown companies. DJI announced today that it has raised another $75 million in venture capital funding, and recent talks with investors have reportedly pegged the value of the company at a whopping $10 billion.

EyeEm Raises $18M More to Turn Photo Sharers Into Photo Sellers

Photo sharing service EyeEm has raised an additional $18 million in funding after taking $6 million from investors back in 2013. The new war chest will be used to further the company's mission of becoming the top network for photographers looking to make some money with their photos.

VSCO Gets a Massive $40M Investment to Build Out Its Photo Community

Known most for their film emulation presets, mobile app, and creative network, Visual Supply Co. has taken the photography world by storm since their inception in March of 2011. Releasing VSCO Film, VSCO Keys, VSCO Cam, VSCO Grid, and their VSCO Journal, they’ve shown that they aren’t only a company looking to sell products – they’re a company striving to build an entire community by creating and establishing effective resources for photographers.

And as of today, there’s proof in the form of dollars that others believe in their endeavors. $40 million dollars worth of belief to be precise.

NailSnaps Turns Your Smartphone Photos Into Nail Art

Have you ever been sitting around and thought to yourself, "I wish I could put my Instagram photos on my nails, rather than paint them"? Well, even if you haven't, Angel Anderson and Sarah Heering did. Now, with some crowdfunding help, they're working to bring to life a service and product that does just that.

Snapchat Screen

Photo Sharing App Snapchat Now Worth a Whopping $800 Million

Photo sharing is big business. Just ask Snapchat's founders. The service (launched in late 2011) has managed to raise somewhere in the neighborhood of $60 million in venture capital funding, an investment that pegs the value of the company at a staggering $800 million.

Peak Design Unveils Leash, the Optimus Prime of Camera Straps

If you've ever had to take traditional camera straps on and off your camera, you probably know how annoying the task is. Peak Design, makers of the Capture camera clip system, wants to change the way people think about and use straps. The company has unveiled a new strap called the Leash, a versatile accessory that can take on different configurations and be used for multiple purposes.

The FlashPipe: A Lightweight, Easy-To-Use Flash Diffuser

Flash diffusers come in all shapes and sizes, from DIY Home Depot versions to more expensive professional grade equipment. None of these solutions seemed adequate for 30 year photography veteran Les Tirmenstein, however, and that's why he designed the FlashPipe.

Remote Instagram Printer Instaprint Going from Prototype to Product

One year ago we featured a novel new device called Instaprint, a location-based photo booth that lets people create instant prints of Instagram photos by simply tagging them with a specific tag. It constantly scans Instagram for its tag, and when a photo is found the image is immediately printed out as a Zink print. Now Breakfast, the company behind the prototype, is trying to turn it into an actual product. They're trying to raise half a million bucks through Kickstarter and a $400 contribution effectively preorder one.

New Photo Sharing App Color Raises a Whopping $41 Million in Funding

The mobile photo sharing space is hot right now, with services like Instagram, Picplz, and Path growing like weeds. A new contender called Color is causing some buzz after successfully raising a whopping $41 million... before even launching. The company has seven notable founders who have either started successful companies in the past (e.g. Lala and BillShrink) or have held executive positions at them (LinkedIn). Among the investors is Sequoia Capital, one of the most influential and successful firms in Silicon Valley and the firm that funded Google. They gave Color more than they gave Google.