Tenor
Tenor is a Google-owned GIF search and sharing platform offering iOS and Android keyboard apps, a web discovery site, and a developer API, serving consumer messaging users and third-party platforms with indexed animated content.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Tenor does
Tenor is a GIF and short-form visual content platform founded in 2014 in San Francisco, operating a consumer-facing keyboard app on iOS and Android, a web discovery platform at tenor.com, a GIF creation tool, and a developer-facing GIF API that allows third-party applications to embed searchable GIF, sticker, and video clip content. Its core technology is a search and discovery platform backed by an indexed content library and content management system, with native integration into Google's Gboard keyboard following Google's 2018 acquisition.
The company monetizes through two primary streams: content licensing and API services paid by platform partners embedding Tenor's library, and advertising or brand integration revenue tied to its large consumer audience. Pricing to end users is free; enterprise/API pricing is not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is product-led, relying on app store distribution, organic consumer usage, developer adoption via the public API, and (most significantly) native placement inside Google Gboard, which serves as the dominant distribution channel.
Tenor is a private subsidiary of Google LLC with 51-100 employees and no public ticker. The company raised approximately $42 million in venture funding prior to the Google acquisition, from investors including Redpoint, Menlo Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, and Tenaya Capital. According to a June 2026 Business Insider report, Google has announced Tenor will shut down at the end of June 2026, making the company's current trajectory one of orderly wind-down rather than continued expansion.
Tenor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tenor
- Legal name
- Tenor
- Website
- https://tenor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tenor is a Google-owned GIF search and sharing platform offering iOS and Android keyboard apps, a web discovery site, and a developer API, serving consumer messaging users and third-party platforms with indexed animated content.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tenor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- GIF and Visual Content Sharing Platform
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Tenor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Tenor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Content Licensing and API Services: Tenor provides its GIF content library and search functionality through API access to third-party platforms. Revenue is generated through content licensing arrangements with platform partners who integrate Tenor's GIF functionality.
- Advertising and Brand Integration: The platform likely monetizes through sponsored GIF content and brand partnerships, given the free consumer access model and Google ownership structure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free consumer access to GIF Keyboard and website |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Tenor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tenor operates a GIF and short-form visual content platform that lets consumers search, browse, and share animated GIFs, stickers, and video clips inside messaging conversations via mobile keyboard apps (iOS and Android) and a web discovery surface at tenor.com. It also exposes a developer-facing Tenor GIF API that lets third-party messaging and social platforms embed Tenor's content library and search functionality programmatically.
Product overview
Tenor is a unified GIF and short-form visual content platform offering a consumer-facing mobile keyboard app (iOS and Android), a web-based discovery platform (tenor.com), a developer-facing GIF API for third-party integrations, and a GIF creation tool. The platform centers on providing searchable access to an extensive library of animated GIFs, stickers, and video clips that users can share within messaging applications, with Google Gboard serving as a primary distribution channel through native integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tenor GIF Keyboard (iOS) Tenor's flagship iOS application that enables iPhone and iPad users to search, discover, and share GIFs, stickers, and short video clips directly within messaging conversations across apps.
- Tenor for Android Tenor's Android application providing GIF, sticker, and short video clip search and sharing capabilities for users on the Android platform.
- Tenor GIF API Developer API that enables third-party applications, devices, and services to embed and integrate Tenor's library of GIFs, stickers, and short video clips via programmatic access, intended for messaging, social, and communication platforms.
- Tenor.com Web Platform The web-based platform at tenor.com that allows users to browse, search, and share GIFs, stickers, and short video clips, with trending searches, featured content, and category exploration.
- GIF Maker A content creation tool that allows users to create and caption their own GIFs, accessible from the Tenor navigation bar and search pages on tenor.com.
Companies that use Tenor
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tenor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Tenor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GooglecoreTenor was acquired by Google in 2018 and operates as part of Google's product ecosystem. The platform's GIF content and search functionality is integrated into Google's Gboard keyboard application.
- Content PartnersminorTenor maintains a content partner program where creators and artists contribute GIFs to the platform's library, expanding the variety and freshness of content available to users.
- Third-Party DeveloperscoreTenor provides an API that allows developers to integrate GIF search and sharing functionality into their messaging apps, social platforms, and other communication tools.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Tenor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Discord: Discord is a broad incumbent in messaging and community chat that has integrated GIF search and sharing (historically via Tenor and similar APIs). It is comparable as a major downstream consumer of Tenor's developer API and as a platform increasingly investing in native expressive-content features.
- Snap Inc. Snap owns Gfycat and operates Bitmoji and Snap sticker/GIF features integrated into its messaging product. It is comparable as a broader incumbent that vertically integrates GIF and expressive-content capabilities rather than relying on third-party providers like Tenor.
- Pinterest: Pinterest is a broader incumbent in visual-content discovery, sharing, and bookmarking. It overlaps with Tenor in the use case of finding and sharing expressive visual content, though at a much larger scope and different monetization model.
- Shutterstock (GIPHY owner): Shutterstock acquired GIPHY from Meta in 2023 and operates it as part of a broader stock-media and creative-content portfolio. It is comparable to Tenor as a parent/owner of a major GIF distribution platform and competing broadly for licensed visual content revenue.
Direct peers
- GIPHY: GIPHY is the closest direct competitor to Tenor — both operate GIF search, discovery, and sharing platforms with consumer apps, web front-ends, and developer APIs serving the same messaging and social use cases. GIPHY was acquired by Facebook (~$400M reported) and later divested to Shutterstock in 2023.
- Gfycat: Gfycat is a direct peer in GIF and short video clip hosting, conversion, and sharing, with comparable developer tools and APIs for embedding content in third-party apps. The service was acquired by Snap Inc., making it both a peer and a vertically-integrated competitor.
- Imgur: Imgur is a direct peer in image and animated-content hosting/sharing, with a similar horizontal platform model focused on user-uploaded visual content for sharing across the web and messaging apps. Both serve the same consumer-expressive-content use case as Tenor.
- Reaction GIFs: Reaction GIFs is a direct peer in the GIF discovery and curation niche, focused on categorizing and surfacing reaction GIFs for messaging use cases — the same core job-to-be-done as Tenor's reaction and trending search features.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tenor social profiles
Digital presenceTenor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tenor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Tenor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tenor 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 Tenor
What does Tenor do?
Tenor operates a GIF and short-form visual content platform that lets consumers search, browse, and share animated GIFs, stickers, and video clips inside messaging conversations via mobile keyboard apps (iOS and Android) and a web discovery surface at tenor.com. It also exposes a developer-facing Tenor GIF API that lets third-party messaging and social platforms embed Tenor's content library and search functionality programmatically.
Is Tenor a public or private company?
Tenor is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Tenor founded?
Tenor was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Tenor based?
Tenor is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tenor make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Content Licensing and API Services are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Brand Integration.
Who are Tenor's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Discord, Snap Inc., Pinterest and Shutterstock (GIPHY owner). Direct peers are GIPHY, Gfycat, Imgur and Reaction GIFs.
Does Tenor have an API?
Yes. Tenor offers a public API that allows third-party developers to integrate GIF, sticker, and video clip content into their applications. The Tenor API can be integrated with third-party devices or services. Services related to Tenor are provided by Google, and users must accept both Google Terms of Service and Tenor Additional Terms when using the API. Developer documentation is at tenor.com/gifapi.
What industry is Tenor in?
Tenor's product category is GIF and Visual Content Sharing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAJ, Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms. Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7330.