The most popular brand-related hashtags on Instagram don’t belong just to Nike, Disney, Starbucks, and other big-name consumer companies. Try Visual Supply Co.?
If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s well known among photo aficionados who use the company’s VSCO Cam, a mobile app that lets users edit and share their images. It’s been a regular on the list of the 20 most downloaded photo apps ever since its debut almost two years ago, according to App Annie, an analytics company.?
That popularity has drawn interest from venture capital firms, including a fresh $30 million Series B round from Glynn Capital Management and existing investors Accel Partners and Goldcrest Investments, the company told Bloomberg.
VSCO, pronounced VISS-CO, raised $40 million a year ago. The company, based in Oakland, declined to disclose its valuation, but it has more than doubled in the past year, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Founded in 2011, VSCO sells photo editing tools that integrate with Adobe Lightroom. Its VSCO Film product line, which contains a collection of “presets” that emulate different analog film stocks, typically sells for $119 each. The company’s free mobile app has no doubt attracted a bigger audience.
“There’s just a massive flight to quality that’s happening on the Internet and the mobile phone now,” said Ryan Sweeney, a partner at Accel. “The community is awesome, it’s authentic.”
The application has more than 20 million monthly active users, according to a person with knowledge of the company’s metrics. More than 80 percent of VSCO users are international.?
When people post photos to Instagram after editing them in VSCO Cam, the app suggests using its hashtag, which provides an apt metric for the software’s growth. #VSCOCam is a top brand-related hashtag on Instagram, as is #VSCO.?
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