Selfie

What Selfie does

Selfie is a consumer mobile photo-sharing application operated by Thinkboks, LLC, a privately-held Illinois LLC headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 2013 and distributed exclusively through the Apple App Store (iOS), the app is positioned as a niche social network built around selfie sharing as a form of self-expression. Core functionality includes a global photo feed where user-submitted selfies are shared with the entire user community, public and private chat rooms, messaging features, location-based services, and phonebook integration for friend discovery. The platform collects device identifiers, location data, usage analytics, and aggregate user behavior to support its services.

The company monetizes through two primary revenue streams. First, it operates a B2B advertising platform that enables global brands and content vendors to place digital ads, sponsored content, and promotional materials within the app. Second, it licenses user-generated selfie content to advertisers for use in external campaigns, creating an authentic, peer-driven marketing channel. The advertising platform offers tiered subscription services including Advanced Analytics, VIP Support, and a Premium+ tier for organizations and affiliates, though pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Brand partnerships are sourced through a direct inquiry form rather than a self-serve marketplace.

Selfie serves two distinct customer segments: (1) general consumer mobile users seeking selfie sharing and social discovery, and (2) global brands and content vendors seeking authentic, user-generated-content-driven advertising channels. The company holds a registered trademark on the "Selfie" brand, maintains an active privacy policy (last updated May 2025), and has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or publicly traded equity. Its go-to-market is a hybrid model combining product-led consumer growth via the App Store with direct enterprise sales for advertising partnerships.

Name

Selfie

Legal name

Thinkboks, LLC

Website

https://joinselfie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Selfie is a niche mobile photo-sharing app by Thinkboks, LLC, enabling consumers to share selfies globally while offering brands an advertising platform that leverages user-generated content for peer-driven marketing campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Photo Sharing

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

General-Purpose Social Networks (BPAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Photo sharing app
• Social networking
• Selfie platform
• In-app advertising
• User-generated content

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-App Advertising: Selfie generates revenue by enabling global brands and content vendors to place digital advertisements and sponsored content within the mobile application. The platform supports in-app media advertising, promotional content placement, and consultation services to enhance reach and engagement.
2. User-Generated Content Licensing: Vendors can utilize user-generated selfies in their advertising, offering authentic peer-driven promotion. This creates a unique marketing experience and generates revenue through content licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Selfie operates a mobile photo-sharing application that creates a global community around sharing and discovering selfies as a form of self-expression. Users can share photos, connect with friends, discover content globally, and participate in public and private chat rooms with messaging. Complementing the consumer app, Selfie offers an advertising platform that enables global brands and content vendors to place digital ads, sponsored content, and promotional materials within the app, with access to advanced analytics and user-generated content licensing.

Product overview

Selfie operates as a unified two-component platform: the core Selfie App provides the mobile photo-sharing community experience with social features (chat, messaging, content discovery), while the Selfie Advertising Platform offers brands and content vendors tools to disseminate digital ads, access analytics, and engage users through in-app media advertising and promotional content placement. Premium+ is an organizational subscription tier providing enhanced benefits to affiliates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selfie App The core mobile application enabling users to share selfies, connect with friends, discover content globally, and participate in public and private chat rooms with messaging features. Targeted at general consumers and social media users globally.
• Selfie Advertising Platform

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Selfie With Daughter FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2012A separate non-profit organization led by Sunil Jaglan that runs the 'Selfie With Daughter' gender equity campaign in India. This is a distinct entity from the commercial Selfie app by Thinkboks LLC, sharing only the common word 'Selfie' in their names. The foundation operates independently in the social advocacy space, while Thinkboks LLC operates the commercial photo-sharing application.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Instagram: Meta's flagship photo-and-video social network with billions of users. Directly comparable as a photo-sharing social platform with global feeds, Stories, and a massive in-app advertising business targeting the same brand advertisers Selfie courts.
• Snap: Snapchat's camera-first social platform pioneered selfie exchange (Lenses, Streaks) and built a substantial B2B ad platform. Closely comparable on both the consumer selfie-sharing UX and the brand-advertising monetization model.
• TikTok: ByteDance's short-form video social network has aggressively expanded into photo formats and dominates brand advertising spend among the same Gen Z / millennial selfie-centric audience Selfie targets.
• Pinterest: Visual discovery platform combining user-generated imagery with a sizable performance and brand advertising business. Comparable on the visual-feed consumer product and the B2B ad-platform monetization Selfie relies on.

Emerging players

• BeReal: Photo-centric social app with a similar 'share your moment' ethos and bets on authentic user-generated imagery. Closely comparable as a niche photo-social app competing for the same selfie-sharing consumer mindshare.
• Hipstamatic: Premium photo app focused on stylized smartphone photography and a curated community feed. Comparable as a niche, mobile-first photo-sharing community with overlapping creator/selfie use cases.
• Cluster: Private photo-sharing app for groups, built around themed 'clusters' of users exchanging photos. Comparable as a mobile photo-sharing app optimizing around authentic, peer-to-peer visual content rather than public broadcast.
• Locket Widget: Viral widget-based app for sharing selfies directly to a friend's home screen. Highly comparable on the selfie-first sharing mechanic that defines the Selfie app's core consumer value proposition.

Direct peers

• VSCO: Photo-editing and sharing app with a creator-community feed and premium subscription tiers. Closely comparable product architecture (mobile-first photo sharing community) and target users interested in expressive self-imagery.
• Retrica: Mobile camera app specializing in selfie filters and photo effects with social sharing features. Comparable as a selfie-first photo app competing for the same consumer mobile-user segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JoinSelfie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Selfie