Understanding BeReal's Funding and Growth

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BeReal's funding has been a key factor in its rapid growth. The company secured $30 million in funding from investors in 2022.

This significant investment helped BeReal expand its user base and improve its features. BeReal now has over 20 million users worldwide.

BeReal's growth has been impressive, with a 300% increase in users within a year. The app's popularity is attributed to its unique approach to social media, focusing on authenticity and real-life moments.

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BeReal's Financial Situation

BeReal has a relatively short runway of 10 months left before it runs out of money, according to a February all-hands meeting.

The app's server costs are significant, despite having a low head count of 60 employees.

BeReal's growth has slowed down since its peak in 2022, when it reached a valuation of $600 million after securing $90 million in funding.

Currently, the app has 40 million monthly active users and 25 million daily active users, up from 20 million in 2022.

Credit: youtube.com, How Does BeReal Make Money? - Be App Savvy

This user growth is considered unimpressive by investors, which is a major concern for the company.

BeReal's leadership is scrambling to make the app appealing to investors, and they're even talking to some of the biggest tech companies in the world about a potential acquisition.

If a solution doesn't present itself soon, BeReal may be doomed to disappear like the photos on the app.

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Company Background

BeReal was launched in December 2019 by Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau in Paris, France.

The company's founders met at the French coding school 42 born2code, which was started by billionaire Xavier Niel.

BeReal started with just a few hundred downloads per month until September 2020, when downloads began to spiral and the company entered its 'hockey stick growth' phase.

The app's growth was largely driven by word-of-mouth and its college ambassador program, which allowed BeReal to expand into the United States.

By mid-July 2021, BeReal had reached the top of Apple's U.S. charts and had over two million installations in just one week.

Credit: youtube.com, A $600 Million App With Unknown Founders - Story of BeReal

The company's rapid growth also led to technical issues, with the app crashing under heavy load and requiring users to close and reboot multiple times.

As of today, BeReal is one of the most popular apps in various countries, with a staff of over 150 full-time employees.

The company's founders, Alexis and Kévin, remain the largest shareholders, having given up 20 percent of the company in exchange for $30 million in funding.

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A Short History

BeReal was launched in December 2019 by Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau in Paris, France.

The two founders met each other at the French coding school 42 born2code, which was started by billionaire Xavier Niel.

For most of 2020, BeReal recorded a few hundred downloads every month until September.

Their patience paid off, as downloads began to spiral by the end of 2020, marking the start of the app's "hockey stick growth" phase.

From early 2021, monthly downloads skyrocketed to tens of thousands a month.

Credit: youtube.com, passive pay company background and short history

The college ambassador program, started around the same time, played a significant role in BeReal's growth, especially in the United States.

BeReal's rising popularity caught the attention of world-class investors, who agreed to pour $30 million into the app in June.

The additional funds enabled the company to rapidly expand its hiring efforts, growing from just two founders to dozens of employees in a matter of weeks.

BeReal rose to the top of various App Store charts in the summer, including Apple's U.S. charts in mid-July.

Over two million people installed the app during the first week of July alone.

The rapid growth, however, came with its drawbacks, including frequent app crashes due to heavy load.

Who Owns BeReal?

Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, the founders of BeReal, remain the largest shareholders of the company.

The company had a valuation of $150 million during its last funding round, which netted them $30 million.

This means the founders gave up 20 percent of the company, selling shares worth $30 million at a valuation of $150 million.

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Credit: youtube.com, Who Created The BeReal App? - Trend Unwrapper

BeReal raised a seed round at a €10 million valuation a month prior to the last funding round.

At this time, the founders were the only ones working on the product, so it's safe to assume they raised no more than €2 million.

As a result, they still earn at least 60 percent of the company.

Business and Finance

BeReal is struggling to stay afloat with only 10 months of runway left before running out of money. The app's significant server costs, despite having a relatively low head count of 60 employees, are a major concern.

BeReal's growth has slowed since its peak in 2022, with 40 million monthly active users and 25 million daily active users, which is considered unimpressive by investors. The company has been trying to diversify its appeal by adding new features, but it's unclear if this will be enough to attract funding.

The app's founders have opted against monetizing BeReal in its early stages, instead focusing on amassing users before introducing ads. This strategy is similar to other social media apps like Clubhouse and Facebook, which also waited to introduce monetization.

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How Money Works

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BeReal's founders have opted against monetizing the app in its early stages, aiming to amass as many users as possible first.

The strategy is to become a staple in users' daily routines, making it easier to introduce monetization later on. This approach is similar to how other social media apps have handled their early stages.

BeReal is considering introducing image- or video-based advertising, which would be displayed between friends' pictures and videos. This type of advertising can be lucrative since users are highly engaged.

Sponsored challenges are another potential monetization option, where brands promote challenges related to their products and services in exchange for a fixed fee. Brands like Logitech and Chipotle have already started running their own accounts on BeReal.

BeReal might also avoid traditional advertising and instead focus on paid features and subscriptions, similar to Telegram's model. However, the platform currently doesn't offer sufficient advertising and tracking options.

Valuation

BeReal, a popular social media app, has received significant funding from top investors. BeReal has raised a total of $30 million across two rounds of venture capital funding.

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Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, and other world-class investors have backed BeReal. These investors are known for their expertise and resources.

BeReal's valuation is not publicly disclosed, as it remains a private company. However, reports suggest that BeReal was valued at $150 million during its last funding round.

The valuation of $150 million is a significant milestone for BeReal, indicating its growth and potential.

What's Behind's Success

BeReal's success can be attributed to its word-of-mouth marketing. People are talking about the app and sharing it with others.

The app's college ambassador program is a key factor in its growth. College ambassadors are paid to promote the app, and they're doing a great job.

Rates per download for the college ambassador program are between $6 to $8. This is a significant incentive for students to share the app with their friends.

Handing out vouchers for slices of pizza is a clever way to encourage downloads. Who wouldn't want a free slice of pizza?

Monetization and Growth

Credit: youtube.com, 115M Downloads, No Business Model - How BeReal Lost Everything

BeReal's growth has been impressive, with monthly active users (MAUs) increasing by a staggering 315% between April 2021 and April 2022.

The app's popularity is largely driven by its simplicity, with users sending prompts to share photos once a day. This approach allows users to connect with each other through images rather than text.

BeReal now has 20 million daily active users (DAUs), a significant increase from its 8 million users as of July 2022.

Tasha Kautzer

Senior Writer

Tasha Kautzer is a versatile and accomplished writer with a diverse portfolio of articles. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she has successfully covered a wide range of topics, from the lives of notable individuals to the achievements of esteemed institutions. Her work spans the globe, delving into the realms of Norwegian billionaires, the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, and the experiences of Norwegian emigrants to the United States.

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