Monkey
Monkey is a Los Angeles-based social technology company operating a free, live video chat platform that connects individual consumers worldwide through random, one-tap video conversations. Founded in 2017, it serves as a safety-focused Omegle alternative across mobile and web.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Monkey does
Monkey is a Los Angeles-based private social technology company founded in 2017 that operates a free live video chat platform connecting individual consumers worldwide through random, one-tap real-time video conversations. The platform functions primarily as an Omegle alternative, targeting users seeking spontaneous social connections without the friction of traditional social network onboarding, account creation, or curated feeds. Its product is delivered through native iOS and Android applications and a web-native browser experience, with onboarding intentionally frictionless — users can begin chatting immediately, no account required — supporting a self-serve, product-led growth motion aimed at the long tail of individual consumers rather than enterprise customers.
Monkey firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Monkey
- Website
- https://monkey.cool
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Monkey is a Los Angeles-based social technology company operating a free, live video chat platform that connects individual consumers worldwide through random, one-tap video conversations. Founded in 2017, it serves as a safety-focused Omegle alternative across mobile and web.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Monkey industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Video Chat
- NAICS
- Information (51), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drop-in Live Audio Social Platforms (Open Rooms/Stages) (MPACAEAA)
Keywords
Where Monkey is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Monkey business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Free Platform with Advertising: Monkey operates as a free-to-use platform for video chat with strangers. The business model appears to be advertising-supported based on the free access model and mention of 'zero-cost access' in comparative analysis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free tier only - no paid tiers mentioned |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Monkey product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Monkey is a free live video chat platform that randomly matches individual users for real-time, face-to-face video conversations with strangers worldwide. Delivered as a web-native site and native iOS/Android apps, it offers one-tap matching, global reach, and built-in safety features including technical age verification and active moderation. The product is positioned as a safer Omegle alternative for spontaneous social connection.
Product overview
Monkey is a single, unified live video chat platform designed for meeting strangers through spontaneous, real-time video conversations. The product operates as a web-native and mobile application (iOS/Android), providing random video chat with features including one-tap matching, global user reach, and safety moderation. No separate modules, add-ons, or sub-products are offered — the entire service is delivered through the core Monkey platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Monkey Monkey is a free live video chat platform that randomly matches individual users for real-time, face-to-face conversations with strangers worldwide. It is delivered via a web-native site and native iOS/Android apps and includes one-tap matching, global cross-cultural matching, built-in technical age verification, and active moderation, positioned as a safer Omegle alternative for casual social connection.
Companies that use Monkey
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Monkey technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Monkey partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Monkey competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Omegle: The original random 1:1 video chat with strangers platform. Monkey explicitly positions itself as the 'premier Omegle alternative,' making it the closest direct functional and conceptual peer (despite Omegle's 2023 shutdown, it remains the category benchmark).
- Chatroulette: Pioneer of random webcam-to-webcam chat with strangers. Operates in the same spontaneous 1:1 video matching category as Monkey with a similar target user and free/ad-supported model.
- Azar: Mass-market random video chat app owned by Hyperconnect, with swipe-based matching and built-in translation. Directly competes with Monkey in the cross-border 1:1 video discovery space and shares a mobile-first, free-with-purchases model.
- Holla: Random video chat and stranger matching app, popular in emerging markets. Competes head-to-head with Monkey for the same consumer use case of spontaneous face-to-face connection via mobile.
- CamSurf: Free random video chat platform available on web and mobile with moderation and filters. Operates in the same category as Monkey with a comparable free, ad-supported go-to-market.
- Ome.tv: Mobile-first random video chat app that rose sharply as an Omegle substitute. Targets the same 'meet strangers via 1:1 video' use case and is frequently mentioned alongside Monkey in the same comparison articles.
Emerging players
- Yubo: Social discovery app focused on Gen Z livestreaming and friend-finding. Overlaps with Monkey in the 'meet new people socially' use case, especially for younger users, though Yubo emphasizes group livestreams over 1:1 video matching.
- AHA Live: Live video chat and group video party app competing in the same spontaneous social video space. Comparable to Monkey in its consumer, free-to-start, real-time video focus, and frequently surfaced in the same 'video chat with strangers' comparisons.
Broad incumbents
- Bumble: Large social networking and dating platform with Bumble BFF for friend-finding. A broader incumbent in the 'meeting new people' category that Monkey also addresses, but with a more curated, profile-based model rather than random video matching.
- Discord: Dominant community and voice/video chat platform. Represents a broader incumbent in social connection that competes for the same end-user time as Monkey, but with persistent servers, identity, and a freemium model — illustrating an adjacent path Monkey could take.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Monkey social profiles
Digital presenceMonkey financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Monkey leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Monkey funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Monkey M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Monkey
What does Monkey do?
Monkey is a free live video chat platform that randomly matches individual users for real-time, face-to-face video conversations with strangers worldwide. Delivered as a web-native site and native iOS/Android apps, it offers one-tap matching, global reach, and built-in safety features including technical age verification and active moderation. The product is positioned as a safer Omegle alternative for spontaneous social connection.
When was Monkey founded?
Monkey was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Monkey based?
Monkey is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Monkey make money?
One revenue line is on record: free Platform with Advertising.
Who are Monkey's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Omegle, Chatroulette, Azar, Holla, CamSurf and Ome.tv. Emerging players are Yubo and AHA Live. Broad incumbents are Bumble and Discord.
Does Monkey have an API?
No public API is recorded for Monkey.
What industry is Monkey in?
Monkey's product category is Social Video Chat. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAEAA, Drop-in Live Audio Social Platforms (Open Rooms/Stages). Its NAICS code is 51.