What GroupMe does

GroupMe is a free, cross-platform group messaging application founded in 2010 in New York City and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation following Microsoft's 2011 acquisition. The product enables users to create persistent group chats of up to thousands of members with messaging, photo/video sharing, emoji reactions, polls, RSVP-enabled events, recurring calendars, shared albums, vanishing groups, and live presence indicators. It is delivered as native apps on iOS, Android, and Windows 11, plus a full-featured web client at web.groupme.com and an SMS fallback for non-smartphone users, which collectively broaden addressable segments including campus communities, youth sports teams, faith communities, alumni networks, and event-based groups. Underlying technology centers on a cloud-based group messaging platform with real-time message synchronization, a public REST API v3 documented at dev.groupme.com, a developer-facing bot framework using HTTP POST callbacks, and an Image Service API for upload, processing, and multi-size thumbnail generation. Video calling is powered natively by Microsoft Teams, and AI features (Group Copilot, chat recaps, Remix Photos, GPT-4o image generation) are integrated via Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI infrastructure.

The business model is freemium consumer-only with no subscription fees, in-app purchases, ad load, or pricing tiers; source material explicitly states no pricing tiers exist and the app is funded by Microsoft as part of its consumer communication ecosystem. As a result, GroupMe is not operated as a revenue-generating P&L but as a strategic consumer surface that reinforces Microsoft's broader productivity and communication portfolio, particularly its Teams and Copilot franchises. Distribution is product-led and self-serve through major app stores, with content marketing via the GroupMe blog and organic social channels (TikTok, X, Instagram) targeting specific use cases. The company was self-funded through an $850K seed round led by SV Angel in 2010 and a $10.6M Series A led by Khosla Ventures in January 2011 prior to the Microsoft acquisition in 2011; it also acquired Sensobi in May 2011 for an undisclosed amount.

Name

GroupMe

Legal name

Microsoft Corporation

Website

https://groupme.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GroupMe is a free, cross-platform group messaging application founded in 2010 and wholly owned by Microsoft, serving campus communities, youth sports teams, friend groups, and event organizers via iOS, Android, web, and SMS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Group Messaging

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Group Chat Platforms (BPAMACAH)

Keywords

• Group messaging
• Mobile chat platform
• Consumer messaging app
• Team coordination chat
• Real-time messaging

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer App (Free): GroupMe is offered as a free consumer application with no subscription or payment required. Revenue is not generated directly from users but rather through Microsoft ownership benefits including ecosystem lock-in, user data value, and integration with Microsoft services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GroupMe is a free group mobile messaging service that lets individuals create private or public groups to chat, share photos/videos/files, run polls, plan events with RSVPs, make video calls, and coordinate activities across iOS, Android, web, and SMS. The platform also exposes a REST API and bot framework so developers can build automated integrations, and it integrates Microsoft Copilot for AI features such as chat recaps and 4o image generation.

Product overview

GroupMe is a free group chat platform acquired by Microsoft, offering a unified messaging product with cross-platform availability (iOS, Android, and web). The core product includes mobile and web apps for group messaging with features like polls, events, reactions, and media sharing. Built on a public REST API (v3), the platform supports a Bots Platform for third-party integrations and automations. An Image Service API handles media processing. The platform includes specialized vertical offerings like GroupMe Campus (for universities) and GroupMe for Youth Sports. In 2025, Microsoft Copilot AI capabilities were integrated through Group Copilot, adding generative AI assistance and 4o image generation to the chat experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GroupMe Mobile App (iOS and Android) Free group chat application for iOS and Android that lets individuals create groups, exchange messages, share photos/videos/files, run polls, plan events with RSVPs, and call via Microsoft Teams. Designed for individual consumers forming friend groups, campus communities, sports teams, and event groups.
• GroupMe Web App Full-featured browser-based version of GroupMe accessible at web.groupme.com (and the marketing site at groupme.com), allowing users to sign up, sign in, and chat without installing a native app.
• GroupMe REST API (v3) Public REST API v3 (authenticated via X-Access-Token header) for developers to enhance apps with group messaging, build new experiences, integrate bots, and post into groups. Documentation, tutorials, and a Google support group are provided at dev.groupme.com.
• GroupMe Image Service API Image Service API that handles image upload, processing, storage, and automatic thumbnail generation at multiple sizes (preview, large, avatar) for use in GroupMe messages.
• GroupMe Campus Specialized GroupMe offering for college and university communities, supporting campus organizations, study groups, class chats, and campus event discovery.
• GroupMe for Youth Sports Specialized GroupMe communication solution for youth sports teams (baseball, soccer, basketball, football), enabling coaches, parents, and players to coordinate practices, share game schedules, and distribute last-minute updates.

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature19 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Slack: Salesforce-owned team messaging platform with group channels. Overlaps with GroupMe's group communication value proposition but primarily serves enterprise rather than consumer use cases.
• Microsoft Teams: Sibling product within Microsoft providing consumer/enterprise messaging and video calling. Powers GroupMe's video calling infrastructure but also competes for the same Microsoft ecosystem users.

Direct peers

• Band: Group messaging app specifically designed for organizing teams, clubs, and communities. Closely comparable to GroupMe's vertical use cases (sports teams, organizations, friend groups) with polls/events features.
• Messenger (Meta): Meta's consumer messaging app with group chat and integrated features. Direct competitor for friend groups, family communication, and event coordination.
• Signal: Privacy-focused consumer messaging app with group chat functionality. Competes with GroupMe on privacy positioning and ad-free model, particularly for security-conscious users.
• WhatsApp: Meta-owned global consumer messaging app with group chat functionality. Directly competes with GroupMe for friend/family group coordination at massive scale.
• Telegram: Consumer messaging platform with strong group chat, bots, and large group support. Competes with GroupMe on privacy positioning, group size limits, and developer ecosystem.
• iMessage: Apple's native consumer messaging platform with group chat built into iOS. Competes directly with GroupMe for friend/family groups within the Apple ecosystem with deep OS-level integration.
• Discord: Group/community chat platform serving consumer communities (gaming, friends, study groups). Most direct competitor to GroupMe with overlapping use cases in campus, friend groups, and community coordination.

Emerging players

• Marco Polo: Video-based group messaging app focused on friend and family groups. Targets similar use cases to GroupMe's social/coordination segments with a distinct video-first approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GroupMe
• Instagraminstagram.com/groupme
• TikToktiktok.com/@groupme
• Facebookfacebook.com/groupme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1149811

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors11 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about GroupMe