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Cheezburger

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uuid0007kc2

Namestring
Cheezburger
Legal namestring
Literally Media Ltd.
Websiteurl
cheezburger.com
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
2007
Descriptiontext

Cheezburger is a private digital media company that operates a vertically-segmented network of humor and entertainment websites under the 'Big Cheezburger Network' brand, owned by parent entity Literally Media Ltd. The network comprises six core channels: I Can Has Cheezburger (cat memes), FAIL Blog (workplace drama, customer service fails, and entitled-people stories), Memebase (general meme compilations across animals, fandom, food, internet trends, and TikTok/Twitter discourse), Animal Comedy (dog and animal humor), Geek Universe (pop culture and fandom memes across Star Wars, Harry Potter, gaming, and D&D), and CheezCake (lifestyle, relationships, and DIY content). The company's underlying technology is a shared digital content management and curation platform serving these multiple vertical properties, with a team of human editors aggregating and curating user-generated content sourced from Reddit, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Instagram into themed article compilations.

The business model is straightforward display advertising on owned-and-operated websites. All content is free to consumers with no subscription tiers, paid products, or premium offerings disclosed, and the company does not operate mobile applications, APIs, or third-party distribution channels. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through cheezburger.com and the six channel subdomains, with traffic generated primarily through organic search, social media referrals, and a weekly newsletter. The target audience is general internet users seeking humor, memes, animal content, and relatable life-situation stories, organized horizontally across verticals rather than by B2B persona.

From a corporate development standpoint, Cheezburger was venture-backed with approximately $39.7M raised across rounds from 2007-2015, led by Foundry Group with participation from Avalon Ventures, Madrona, and SoftBank Group. The company acquired Know Your Meme in 2011 and Fail Dogs in 2009 to consolidate internet-culture IP. The most recent disclosed capital event was a ~$2.7M raise in 2015, and no subsequent funding, M&A, or material product launches appear in the data. Headcount has stabilized at 11-50 employees, with the visible team composed almost entirely of writer/editors and a single CFO (Pearl Chan) on the leadership disclosure, and operations are based in Brooklyn, United States.

Short descriptiontext

Cheezburger operates the Big Cheezburger Network, a private, ad-supported portfolio of six humor and meme websites (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) serving general internet consumers with editorially curated viral content sourced from social platforms.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
11–50
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
HQ citystring
Brooklyn
HQ countrystring
United States
HQ regionstring
North America
Markets served

Serves global market

Keyword5 values
digital humor content, meme websites, entertainment media, animal comedy content, social humor network
SIC code1 code
  • Services-Amusement & Recreation Services7900
Product category
Digital Humor Media
GTM motion1 record

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Digital Advertising
TypeAdvertising
Description

Cheezburger generates revenue through display advertising on its websites. The platform serves advertisements across its multiple content channels including I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, and CheezCake. The ad-supported free content model is the primary monetization approach for the digital media properties.

cheezburger.com
Marketing channels3 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
GTM typeB2C
B2C
Offering typeDigital Commerce or Conte…
Digital Commerce or Content
Core offering1 text field

Cheezburger operates a network of free, ad-supported humor and entertainment websites organized into six vertical channels (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) plus a central Cheezburger.com hub that aggregates trending content. The company employs a team of editors who curate user-generated and social media content from platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter/X into themed article compilations. The product is delivered to general consumers seeking free entertainment and shareable viral content.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Product overview1 text field

Cheezburger operates a network of niche humor and entertainment content sites organized into distinct channels. The main Cheezburger.com platform serves as a central hub that aggregates and surfaces trending content across six primary channels: I Can Has Cheezburger (cat memes), FAIL Blog (workplace drama and fails), Memebase (general memes), Animal Comedy (animal humor), Geek Universe (pop culture/fandom memes), and CheezCake (lifestyle/relationships). The company is owned by Literally Media Ltd. and features a team of editors who curate user-generated content from social platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter/X into themed article compilations.

Product and service7 records
1I Can Has Cheezburger?
CategoryAnimal comedy content channel
Description

The flagship cat meme channel of the Cheezburger Network, featuring funny cat photos, videos, and memes; part of the animal comedy vertical and targeted at general internet consumers who enjoy cat humor.

2FAIL Blog
CategoryWorkplace and life-situation humor channel
Description

A channel dedicated to workplace drama, customer service fails, entitled-people stories, and everyday failures, covering topics including employee issues, horrible bosses, neighborhood conflicts, and parenting drama; targeted at general consumers who enjoy relatable life-situation humor.

3Memebase
CategoryGeneral meme content channel
Description

A general meme content channel covering Animals, Cringe, Fandom, Food, Geek, Internet Trends, Parenting, Random Memes, Reddit, TikTok, Twitter Discourse, and Wholesome content; for general internet consumers looking for broadly trending memes.

4Animal Comedy
CategoryAnimal comedy content channel
Description

An animal-focused comedy channel featuring Doggos N' Puppers, Animal Gifs, Daily Squee, I Has A Hotdog, and Pet Passports content; for general consumers seeking broader animal humor beyond cats.

5Geek Universe
CategoryGeek and pop-culture content channel
Description

A geek and pop-culture themed channel covering Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Science, Design, Dungeons and Dragons, Nostalgia, Gaming, and Behind the Scenes content; for fandom and pop-culture audiences.

6CheezCake
CategoryLifestyle and relationships content channel
Description

A lifestyle and relationships content channel featuring Bossy, The Single Society, Mock Diaries, To The Guys I've Dated, and content on hot topics, parenthood, love and relationships, life in style, and DIY; for consumers seeking lifestyle and relationship humor.

7Cheezburger Main Site
CategoryNetwork hub / content aggregation platform
Description

The main Cheezburger.com hub that serves as the central entry point for the Big Cheezburger Network, featuring trending content aggregated from all channels including I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, and CheezCake.

Recent move6 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight3 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Peers10 records
TypeDirect peer
Description

Ad-supported humor and list-style editorial site covering comedy, pop culture, and relatable content - closely comparable GTM and monetization.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Global meme and viral content aggregator operating a similar ad-supported, multi-vertical humor model serving general consumers seeking memes and entertainment.

TypeEmerging player
Description

Digital media outlet focused on internet culture, memes, and online communities - adjacent niche coverage of the same shared audience.

4CollegeHumor
TypeDirect peer
Description

Comedy content brand and platform producing humor videos and editorial content aimed at young online audiences similar to Cheezburger's.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Long-running humor and viral video aggregator covering memes, fails, and internet culture in the same ad-supported model as Cheezburger.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Viral content discovery and aggregator site historically competing with Cheezburger for meme/viral content traffic and shares similarities in topical curation.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Much larger digital publisher covering viral content, quizzes, and culture with overlapping cats/lol/animal vertical - bigger scale, broader monetization.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Ad-supported viral content publisher covering listicles, animal stories, and internet culture - directly competes for similar audience attention with similar monetization.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Established comedy content platform producing and aggregating humor/video content - shares audience and ad-supported model with broader production capabilities.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Cheezburger's own meme encyclopedia property, serving as the canonical reference site for meme origin and context - comparable as an entertainment/reference content property.

Market position
Strengths4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Weaknesses4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Segment1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile1 record

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
Yes
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
Profiles20 records

Each record includes

Name, Designation, Designation category, Overview, Profile commentary, Source

No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds5 records

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors5 records

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

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

M&A2 records

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

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

Cheezburger

Digital Humor Mediacheezburger.com

Cheezburger operates the Big Cheezburger Network, a private, ad-supported portfolio of six humor and meme websites (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) serving general internet consumers with editorially curated viral content sourced from social platforms.

What Cheezburger does

Cheezburger is a private digital media company that operates a vertically-segmented network of humor and entertainment websites under the 'Big Cheezburger Network' brand, owned by parent entity Literally Media Ltd. The network comprises six core channels: I Can Has Cheezburger (cat memes), FAIL Blog (workplace drama, customer service fails, and entitled-people stories), Memebase (general meme compilations across animals, fandom, food, internet trends, and TikTok/Twitter discourse), Animal Comedy (dog and animal humor), Geek Universe (pop culture and fandom memes across Star Wars, Harry Potter, gaming, and D&D), and CheezCake (lifestyle, relationships, and DIY content). The company's underlying technology is a shared digital content management and curation platform serving these multiple vertical properties, with a team of human editors aggregating and curating user-generated content sourced from Reddit, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Instagram into themed article compilations.

The business model is straightforward display advertising on owned-and-operated websites. All content is free to consumers with no subscription tiers, paid products, or premium offerings disclosed, and the company does not operate mobile applications, APIs, or third-party distribution channels. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through cheezburger.com and the six channel subdomains, with traffic generated primarily through organic search, social media referrals, and a weekly newsletter. The target audience is general internet users seeking humor, memes, animal content, and relatable life-situation stories, organized horizontally across verticals rather than by B2B persona.

From a corporate development standpoint, Cheezburger was venture-backed with approximately $39.7M raised across rounds from 2007-2015, led by Foundry Group with participation from Avalon Ventures, Madrona, and SoftBank Group. The company acquired Know Your Meme in 2011 and Fail Dogs in 2009 to consolidate internet-culture IP. The most recent disclosed capital event was a ~$2.7M raise in 2015, and no subsequent funding, M&A, or material product launches appear in the data. Headcount has stabilized at 11-50 employees, with the visible team composed almost entirely of writer/editors and a single CFO (Pearl Chan) on the leadership disclosure, and operations are based in Brooklyn, United States.

Cheezburger firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Cheezburger
Legal name
Literally Media Ltd.
Website
https://cheezburger.com
Company type
Private
Founded year
2007
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
11–50 employees
Short description
Cheezburger operates the Big Cheezburger Network, a private, ad-supported portfolio of six humor and meme websites (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) serving general internet consumers with editorially curated viral content sourced from social platforms.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Cheezburger is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Brooklyn
HQ country
United States
HQ region
North America

Markets served

Cheezburger business model

Business model
GTM type
B2C
Offering type
Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components
Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

  1. Digital Advertising: Cheezburger generates revenue through display advertising on its websites. The platform serves advertisements across its multiple content channels including I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, and CheezCake. The ad-supported free content model is the primary monetization approach for the digital media properties.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Cheezburger product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Cheezburger operates a network of free, ad-supported humor and entertainment websites organized into six vertical channels (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) plus a central Cheezburger.com hub that aggregates trending content. The company employs a team of editors who curate user-generated and social media content from platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter/X into themed article compilations. The product is delivered to general consumers seeking free entertainment and shareable viral content.

Product overview

Cheezburger operates a network of niche humor and entertainment content sites organized into distinct channels. The main Cheezburger.com platform serves as a central hub that aggregates and surfaces trending content across six primary channels: I Can Has Cheezburger (cat memes), FAIL Blog (workplace drama and fails), Memebase (general memes), Animal Comedy (animal humor), Geek Universe (pop culture/fandom memes), and CheezCake (lifestyle/relationships). The company is owned by Literally Media Ltd. and features a team of editors who curate user-generated content from social platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter/X into themed article compilations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

  • I Can Has Cheezburger? The flagship cat meme channel of the Cheezburger Network, featuring funny cat photos, videos, and memes; part of the animal comedy vertical and targeted at general internet consumers who enjoy cat humor.
  • FAIL Blog A channel dedicated to workplace drama, customer service fails, entitled-people stories, and everyday failures, covering topics including employee issues, horrible bosses, neighborhood conflicts, and parenting drama; targeted at general consumers who enjoy relatable life-situation humor.
  • Memebase A general meme content channel covering Animals, Cringe, Fandom, Food, Geek, Internet Trends, Parenting, Random Memes, Reddit, TikTok, Twitter Discourse, and Wholesome content; for general internet consumers looking for broadly trending memes.
  • Animal Comedy An animal-focused comedy channel featuring Doggos N' Puppers, Animal Gifs, Daily Squee, I Has A Hotdog, and Pet Passports content; for general consumers seeking broader animal humor beyond cats.
  • Geek Universe A geek and pop-culture themed channel covering Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Science, Design, Dungeons and Dragons, Nostalgia, Gaming, and Behind the Scenes content; for fandom and pop-culture audiences.
  • CheezCake A lifestyle and relationships content channel featuring Bossy, The Single Society, Mock Diaries, To The Guys I've Dated, and content on hot topics, parenthood, love and relationships, life in style, and DIY; for consumers seeking lifestyle and relationship humor.
  • Cheezburger Main Site The main Cheezburger.com hub that serves as the central entry point for the Big Cheezburger Network, featuring trending content aggregated from all channels including I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, and CheezCake.

Companies that use Cheezburger

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Cheezburger technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Cheezburger partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Cheezburger competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

  • Cracked: Ad-supported humor and list-style editorial site covering comedy, pop culture, and relatable content - closely comparable GTM and monetization.
  • 9GAG: Global meme and viral content aggregator operating a similar ad-supported, multi-vertical humor model serving general consumers seeking memes and entertainment.
  • CollegeHumor: Comedy content brand and platform producing humor videos and editorial content aimed at young online audiences similar to Cheezburger's.
  • eBaum's World: Long-running humor and viral video aggregator covering memes, fails, and internet culture in the same ad-supported model as Cheezburger.
  • Digg: Viral content discovery and aggregator site historically competing with Cheezburger for meme/viral content traffic and shares similarities in topical curation.
  • Bored Panda: Ad-supported viral content publisher covering listicles, animal stories, and internet culture - directly competes for similar audience attention with similar monetization.
  • Know Your Meme: Cheezburger's own meme encyclopedia property, serving as the canonical reference site for meme origin and context - comparable as an entertainment/reference content property.

Emerging players

  • The Daily Dot: Digital media outlet focused on internet culture, memes, and online communities - adjacent niche coverage of the same shared audience.

Broad incumbents

  • BuzzFeed: Much larger digital publisher covering viral content, quizzes, and culture with overlapping cats/lol/animal vertical - bigger scale, broader monetization.
  • Funny or Die: Established comedy content platform producing and aggregating humor/video content - shares audience and ad-supported model with broader production capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Cheezburger social profiles

Digital presence

Cheezburger financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Cheezburger leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Cheezburger funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

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

Cheezburger M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cheezburger

What does Cheezburger do?

Cheezburger operates a network of free, ad-supported humor and entertainment websites organized into six vertical channels (I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Animal Comedy, Geek Universe, CheezCake) plus a central Cheezburger.com hub that aggregates trending content. The company employs a team of editors who curate user-generated and social media content from platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter/X into themed article compilations. The product is delivered to general consumers seeking free entertainment and shareable viral content.

Is Cheezburger a public or private company?

Cheezburger is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.

When was Cheezburger founded?

Cheezburger was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Cheezburger based?

Cheezburger is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.

How does Cheezburger make money?

One revenue line is on record: digital Advertising.

Who are Cheezburger's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Cracked, 9GAG, CollegeHumor, eBaum's World, Digg, Bored Panda and Know Your Meme. The Daily Dot is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BuzzFeed and Funny or Die.

Does Cheezburger have an API?

No public API is recorded for Cheezburger.

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Live signals
PR NewswireCheezburger Acquired by Literally Media, Joining eBaum's World as the Destination for Reaching Millennial and Generation Z Audiences and the #5 Entertainment - Humor Destination According to comScoreLiterally Media announced the acquisition of Cheezburger on April 21, 2016, combining it with eBaum's World to form a technology-driven publisher targeting Millennials and Generation Z audiences. The merged entity ranks #5 in the Entertainment-Humor category by comScore with combined reach exceeding 10 million users and a portfolio audience of over 24 million monthly unique visitors. The deal leverages Israel's ad tech expertise through Literally Media's proprietary data optimization technology to improve audience engagement and campaign efficacy for marketers.AdExchangerEven Programmatic Pubs Need Scale To Survive: Cheezburger Pairs With eBaum’s WorldCheezburger and eBaum's World merged under Literally Media after Israeli ad-tech investors bought Cheezburger and took a majority stake in eBaum's World. The deal aims to improve ad yield through multiple programmatic partners, and Cheezburger's January traffic hit 5 million unique visitors.Business InsiderCheezburger used to run a viral publishing empire — now it's been sold to an Israeli media companyCheezburger, the viral media empire, was sold to Israeli company Literally Media. The company's staff fell from 90 in 2011 to 16, and its monthly page views dropped from over 375 million in 2011. The buyer was not named until now.Business InsiderThe CEO of internet meme network Cheezburger is leaving the companyBen Huh, CEO of Cheezburger, announced his departure and will remain on the board. Scott Moore will become CEO, and Huh's wife Emily is also leaving. The company, known for sites like I Can Has Cheezburger, had 375 million monthly page views in 2011.TechCrunchI Can Has New CEO? Cheezburger’s Ben Huh Steps Down After 8 YearsBen Huh, who acquired I Can Has Cheezburger? in 2007 and built it into one of the internet's most recognizable meme brands, has stepped down as CEO after eight years. He is being succeeded by Scott Moore, the company's President and COO, as part of a planned transition the board has been preparing for over the past several months. Huh cited progress toward profitability as the reason for the change and will remain on the board of Cheezburger, Inc., while his wife Emily will also be departing to pursue new ventures.Business InsiderLOLCats Creator Ben Huh Explains How His Company Spiraled Out Of ControlBen Huh, creator of LOLCats and CEO of Cheezburger, described how the company nearly failed due to a hiring spree and a shift to mobile, leading to layoffs. He hired a CEO coach and launched a revamped iPhone app, hoping it will restore relevance.TechCrunchI Can Has Funding: Cheezburger Raises $5M From Foundry, Madrona , Softbank For LOLcats, FAIL Blog And Other MemesCheezburger, the internet publisher behind LOLcats and FAIL Blog, has raised $5 million in funding from existing investors Foundry Group, Madrona Venture Group, Avalon Ventures, and SoftBank Capital, confirmed by an SEC filing. Founded in 2007, the company operates a network of over 50 sites and has been profitable since inception with revenue from advertising, traditional media publishing, and merchandising. This round brings Cheezburger's total funding to $37.5 million, with the new capital designated for continuing development of the company's social humor platform.GeekWireDonuts and Cheezburger among WSJ’s top 50 VC-backed startupsThe Wall Street Journal published its third annual list of 50 VC-backed startups, including Cheezburger, Donuts, and DocuSign. The list required U.S. companies with equity financing in the past three years and valuations under $1 billion. Seattle-area companies Zulily and INRIX were notably absent.TechCrunchCheezburger CEO: “Our Mission Is To Make Everyone In The World Happy For Five Minutes A Day”Ben Huh, CEO of Cheezburger, presented at Disrupt Beijing discussing the company's growth since acquiring ICanHasCheezburger and his views on internet culture. The Cheezburger network now reaches 20 million monthly users with 500 million pageviews, having secured $30 million in investment from a single 15-minute phone call. Huh argued that the internet has democratized fame, enabling 'weird' people to become cultural influencers and the 'rock stars of tomorrow.'Business Insider"Cheezburger" Network Acquires "Know Your Meme" For 7-FiguresKnow Your Meme, an Internet meme database spun off from Rocketboom, was acquired by the Cheezburger network in a low seven-figure deal. The sale included bonuses for both Rocketboom and Know Your Meme staff, while Rocketboom's future remains unknown.