Beme Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryTechnology
Social media
News
Founded2014 (2014) in New York City, New York, U.S.
FounderCasey Neistat
Matt Hackett
DefunctJanuary 25, 2018 (2018-01-25)
FateMerged with CNN Digital Studios
HeadquartersCNN Center,
Atlanta, Georgia
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Casey Neistat
(Executive Producer)
ProductsBeme News
Beme Panels
Beme (app)
Exit Poll Live
ParentCNN (2017–present)
Websitebeme.com ()

Beme Inc. (/ˈbiːm/), stylized as beme, was a multimedia company founded by Matt Hackett and Casey Neistat, a vlogger and short filmmaker on YouTube.[1][2] Beme Inc. was the creator of the mobile app Beme. On November 28, 2016, CNN announced that it would acquire Beme.[3] CNN intended to invest in the company and create a new brand focused on a young audience.[4] The Beme app was officially shut down on January 31, 2017.[5] Beme was merged into CNN Digital Studios on January 25, 2018. Despite this, the Beme News YouTube channel was still active for more than a year after the closure.

History

In 2014, Beme Inc. was founded by Matt Hackett and Casey Neistat. On July 17, 2015, Beme Inc. released a mobile app called Beme on the iOS App Store. The app enables users to produce unedited 2-to-8-second videos, which are immediately uploaded and shared with the user's subscribers, without the ability to preview the video.[6] On May 2, 2016, Beme was released for Android on the Google Play Store. At TechCrunch, in May 2016, Neistat informed that they had raised a total of US$6M and had 11 full-time employees (10 technical, 1 responsible for social media). He also reported that burn rate was around US $180k per month and that his salary was US$0.[7]

On November 28, 2016, CNN announced the acquisition of Beme Inc. for a reported US$25 million and became a subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.[8] In late 2017, cofounders Matt Hackett and Casey Neistat announced that they were leaving Beme and that it would be folded into CNN Digital Studios. A YouTube page titled Beme News made content until August 2019.[9]

Acquisition by CNN

On November 28, 2016, CNN announced the acquisition of Beme Inc. for a reported US$25 million.[8] On November 29, 2016, Matt Hackett, co-founder of Beme Inc., announced via an email to its users that the Beme app would be shutting down on January 31, 2017.[10] Since the shutdown of the app, it was announced that CNN intended to use the current talent behind the Beme app to work on a separate start-up endeavor. Beme's current team will retain full creative control of the new project which is scheduled to release in the summer of 2017.[11] Beme has brought on the host of Vsauce 3, Jake Roper, as Head of Production.[12]

On January 25, 2018, Casey Neistat announced on his YouTube channel that he and Beme co-founder Matt Hackett were leaving Beme Inc. and that Beme would be brought into CNN Digital Studios. Neistat will still be credited as an Executive Producer for the show.[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ "Casey Neistat's Video App Avoids the Artificial Self-Image - artnet News". artnet News. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  2. ↑ "Casey Neistat - Youtube". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  3. ↑ Spangler, Todd (28 November 2016). "CNN Acquires Social-Video Startup Beme, Co-Founded by YouTube Star Casey Neistat". Variety.
  4. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (28 November 2016). "CNN buys Casey Neistat's Beme app, brings the YouTuber in-house". Tech Crunch.
  5. ↑ "beme". beme. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "This New App Filters Out Phoniness and Sends 4-Second Videos You Can't Review First". Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  7. ↑ TechCrunch (2016-05-10), Casey Neistat's YouTube Life, retrieved 2016-10-25
  8. 1 2 Perlberg, Steven (November 28, 2016). "CNN Buys Casey Neistat's Video App Beme". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Beme News". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  10. ↑ Hackett, Matt (November 28, 2016). "Beme is Shutting Down, But Our Work Is Just Starting". Medium. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "i sold my company to CNN". YouTube. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "CNN update". Youtube. Casey Neistat. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  13. ↑ Neistat, Casey (25 January 2018). "Moving on from Beme". YouTube. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  14. ↑ Hackett, Matt. "When Your Startup Stops". Matt Hackett. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
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