In the tech world, there are some special groups that have a big impact on the industry, and the Vimeo Mafia is no exception to that.
Officially launched in 2004, Vimeo emerged as a beacon of artistic expression in the digital realm. Founded by Jake Lodwick and Zach Klein - Vimeo was initially created as an alternative to the YouTube juggernaut. The platform quickly gained acclaim for its commitment to high-quality video content and a supportive, creative community.
As the company thrived, Vimeo's name became synonymous with artistic innovation. Its moniker, "Vimeo," is an amalgamation of "video" and "me," signifying the platform's dedication to empowering individual creators to showcase their work. From short films to animations, from documentaries to music videos, Vimeo nurtured a rich tapestry of visual storytellers.
Fun fact: The platform's name choice was more than just a blend of words. It reflected Vimeo's commitment to putting the "me" back in video, focusing on individual expression and creativity in a world increasingly dominated by corporate giants.
Over the years, Vimeo's influence continued to grow, attracting a diverse array of talented artists, filmmakers, and tech aficionados. This convergence of creative minds would eventually form the cradle of what we now know as the Vimeo Mafia, a network of former Vimeo employees who went off on their entrepreneurial journeys.
Below we highlight the top 14 companies from the Vimeo Mafia, but a total of 46 companies have been founded and the alumni group has collectively raised $166 million as per Crunchbase data.
PS: Are you a Vimeo employee/alum interested in getting your community together to invest in the community (and earn carry/other benefits along the way)? Or are you a member of another community that you think would make for an amazing startup investment community? 😉
Learn more about us and sign up for the waitlist here.
Citizen is a mobile app that sends users location-based safety alerts in real time. The app uses radio antennas in major cities to monitor 911 communications. Employees filter the audio to generate alerts.
Citizen alerts users to:
Adventr is a SaaS platform that allows users to create interactive videos that can be controlled by voice or touch. Adventr was founded in 2015.
Adventr features include:
Founder: Mark Essel
Vimeo Role: Principal Engineer
Capital Raised: $133M
Investors: Greycroft
Stage: Series C
Citizen is a mobile application that notifies its users with safety alerts and real-time incident updates.
Founder: Pierre Drescher
Vimeo Role: Applications Engineer (Payments)
Capital Raised: $52.4M
Investors: Haystack
Stage: Series B
BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits, and relationships, directly through their website.
Founder: Abby Morgan
Vimeo Role: Director of Brand Partnerships
Capital Raised: $29.5M
Investors: Global Founders Capital
Stage: Series A
CUUP is a direct to consumer startup that focuses on providing the essential bra for women.
Founder: Jai Punjabi
Vimeo Role: Sr. Director of Product Management, Creator Tools
Capital Raised: $16.3M
Investors: Reid Hoffman
Stage: Series B
WaitWhat is a media invention company that invents boundary-breaking and profitable media properties that change the cultural landscape.
Founder: Mathias Griffe
Vimeo Role: Mobile & TV DevOps
Capital Raised: €16.7M
Investors: Plug and Play Ventures
Stage: Series A
Bigblue is a computer software company that provides delivery experience solutions for customer-centric brands.
Founder: Jonathan Marcus
Vimeo Role: Vice President w / General Management responsibility
Capital Raised: $9M
Investors: Coinbase Ventures
Stage: Seed
Staked is a startup that provides institutional investors with the technical infrastructure for non-custodial staking services.
Founder: Zach Klein
Vimeo Role: Co-Founder
Capital Raised: $9.5M
Investors: Founder Collective
Stage: Seed
Online Courses And Fun Projects For Kids | Any Kid. Anywhere. Can Learn Any Skill.
Zach Klein, the founder of DIY, is an entrepreneur, Vimeo co-founder, and Dwell Ex-CEO and best-selling author. Some of his notable investments include Venmo, Kickstarter, and Skillshare.
Founder: Devo Harris
Vimeo Role: Sr. Video Player Product Lead
Capital Raised: $6M
Investors: Alumni Ventures
Stage: Series A
Adventr is a SaaS platform for the creation of voice and touch controlled interactive video and its distribution across any network/player.
Founder: Jay Puntham-Baker
Vimeo Role: Senior Software Engineer
Capital Raised: $4.3M
Investors: Avalanche VC
Stage: Seed
GitPOAP is a decentralized reputation platform that displays POAPs for contributions and achievements made off-chain.
Founder: Mark Essel, Peter Gerard, Matthew Rosenberg
Vimeo Role: Principal Engineer, VP Entertainment, VP Cameo
Capital Raised: $3.5M
Investors: Accel
Stage: Seed
Welcome: A Smart City Guide offers personalized city recommendations, combining insights from friends, experts, and AI. It factors in time, weather, and local events for intelligent suggestions on dining, activities, and more.
Founder: Pouya Rad
Vimeo Role: Software Engineer II
Capital Raised: $3M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Pre-Seed
A virtual getaway while you work.
Founder: Ted Roden
Vimeo Role: Senior Developer
Capital Raised: $2.3M
Investors: BoxGroup
Stage: Seed
Fancy Hands develops personal assistant applications used to assist people and manage to-do lists.
Founder: Corey Mahan
Vimeo Role: Director Of Security
Capital Raised: $2.2M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Seed
Vectrix helps IT and security teams detect security issues across their SaaS applications.
Founder: Andrew Pile
Vimeo Role: CTO
Capital Raised: $14.5M
Investors: Union Square Ventures
Stage: Seed
Headgum is a comedy podcast network that produces, curates, and promotes podcast content from around the web.