What Marco Polo does

Marco Polo is an asynchronous video messaging application built and operated by Joya Communications Inc., a privately held company founded in 2012 by Vlada Bortnik (CEO) and Michal Bortnik. The app enables users to send and receive video messages — branded as 'Polos' — on their own schedules, eliminating the scheduling friction and time-zone friction of synchronous video calls while preserving the emotional bandwidth that text messaging lacks. The product primarily serves consumer segments seeking to maintain close relationships, including long-distance families, deployed military personnel, mothers seeking maternal mental health support, and friends maintaining cross-timezone connections.

The platform's technology stack centers on cloud-based async video messaging with AI-powered features for automatic transcription, closed captioning, and message summarization that operate as opt-out defaults. The product surface extends beyond the core free app to a paid Plus subscription ($79.99/year individual or $159.99/year for up to 6 family accounts) and an Unlimited Storage Plan, plus feature modules including Sharecast (group video sharing), Groups, Seconds (short clips), and Video Reactions. A Happiness Research program has produced five consecutive years (2020-2025) of published studies demonstrating 87-93% of participants felt closer after trading texts for Marco Polo.

The company operates a freemium subscription business model with revenue generated entirely through in-app purchases on iOS App Store and Google Play. Go-to-market combines product-led growth via app store distribution (with iOS App of the Day and Google Play Editor's Choice designations), community-led expansion through a formal Ambassador Program, and viral referral mechanics via Plus Pass gifting. Operating as a 100% remote company across North America with 51-100 employees, the company has reached 4 billion+ cumulative Polos sent and approximately 2 million App Store ratings averaging 5 stars, supported by approximately $25 million in disclosed venture funding led by Benchmark (Series B, 2016).

Name

Marco Polo

Legal name

Joya Communications Inc.

Website

https://marcopolo.me

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Marco Polo is a consumer asynchronous video messaging app built by Joya Communications Inc. that enables friends, families, and military communities to maintain close relationships through on-demand video messages, monetized via freemium subscriptions distributed through iOS and Google Play.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marco Polo Plus Individual Subscription: Annual subscription providing premium features including speed controls, unlimited storage, HD video, scratchpad, background audio, and advanced Polos. $79.99/year billed annually ($0.22/day).
2. Marco Polo Plus Family Subscription: Annual family subscription for up to 6 accounts at $159.99/year ($0.07/day per person). Includes all Plus Individual features plus account management for family members.
3. Unlimited Storage Plan: Storage-only subscription without Plus features, available as a separate option from Plus plans.
4. Plus Passes: Purchasable premium passes that give recipients 2 free months of Plus experience. Sold as additional items beyond the 6 free passes included with Plus subscriptions.
5. Free Tier: Core video messaging functionality available free, with basic storage (approximately 13 months) and limited feature set. No advertising or third-party data monetization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Marco Polo is a mobile video messaging application that lets users send and receive asynchronous video messages (Polos) on their own schedule, without requiring real-time availability or live coordination. The core app is free with basic storage and group functionality, while a paid Plus subscription unlocks speed controls, unlimited storage, HD video, scratchpad notes, hands-free audio, custom emoji and video reactions, and Plus Pass gifting; AI-driven transcription, closed captions, and message summaries are available in-app.

Product overview

Marco Polo is a video messaging app built by Joya Communications Inc. that offers asynchronous video communication (sending and receiving video messages called Polos) without scheduling conflicts. The core app is free with basic features including unlimited groups, no ad limits on Polo length, no third-party ads, and notification controls. Marco Polo Plus is a premium subscription (Individual at $79.99/year or Family for 6 accounts at $159.99/year) adding speed controls, hands-free audio, unlimited storage, HD video, scratchpad notes, bookmarks/forwarding, emoji and video reactions, and Plus Pass gifting. The platform also includes AI-powered transcription, closed captioning, and message summaries as built-in features. Additional products include Sharecast (group video sharing), Groups, Seconds (short clips), and Video Reactions. The company runs an Ambassador Program for community advocacy and publishes annual Happiness Research studies. Founded by Vlada and Michal Bortnik, the company is remote-first with over 4 billion Polos sent and 1.9 million App Store reviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marco Polo Plus: Premium subscription tier offering unlimited storage, speed controls, background audio, scratchpad for notes, HD video, and 6 free Plus Passes to give away. Available as Individual ($79.99/year) or Family plan (6 accounts, $159.99/year).
• Sharecast
• Marco Polo Pro

Products and services

• Marco Polo (Core App) Free asynchronous video messaging app for individual consumers, enabling users to send and receive video messages (Polos) on their own schedule with groups, basic storage (approximately 13 months), and no third-party advertising.
• Marco Polo Plus

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of participants felt closer using Marco Polo instead of texting (across 5 years of research)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FaceTime (Apple): Apple's built-in video and audio calling service preinstalled across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices. A primary free alternative for personal video communication, especially among iPhone-heavy demographics where Marco Polo also concentrates.
• WhatsApp: Meta-owned global messaging app with billions of users offering free text, voice, and video messaging. While not focused on async video, it is the dominant private messaging platform Marco Polo competes against for personal/family communication use cases.
• Telegram: Cloud-based messaging platform with video messaging, voice, and group features, popular globally for private communication. Comparable as a privacy-conscious alternative messaging app competing for similar consumer mindshare.
• Viber: Rakuten-owned cross-platform messaging and VoIP app offering free video calls and messaging. Comparable as a consumer messaging alternative with video calling capabilities targeting similar personal communication use cases internationally.
• Discord: Voice, video, and text communication platform built around persistent communities and group servers. Comparable as a subscription-supported consumer communication platform with video messaging and community features, though oriented toward interest-based groups rather than close relationships.
• Snapchat: Snap Inc.'s multimedia messaging app with a strong emphasis on short-form video and ephemeral communication. Comparable as a video-first consumer social platform, though oriented toward live/ephemeral content rather than async video messaging.

Emerging players

• BombBomb: Video messaging platform built primarily for sales and customer relationship use cases with async video recording. Comparable async video technology and AI features, though targeting professional/sales verticals rather than personal family connection.
• Marco Polo competitor: Vyng (now defunct): Video caller ID and messaging app that combined video personalization with traditional calling. Comparable as a video-first consumer communication app competing for similar async/video personalization use cases, though now substantially diminished.

Direct peers

• Signal: End-to-end encrypted messaging app focused on privacy-first personal communication, including voice and video notes. Comparable as a privacy-first, ad-free consumer messaging alternative targeting similar values-driven users.
• Loom: Async video messaging platform primarily for workplace communication with AI transcription and summaries. Most direct technological comparable to Marco Polo on the async-video-plus-AI axis, though targeting prosumer/business use cases rather than family/personal connection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joya-communications
• Instagraminstagram.com/marcopoloapp
• TikToktiktok.com/@marcopoloapp?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
• Facebookfacebook.com/onmarcopolo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marco Polo