Chideo

What Chideo does

Chideo, founded in 2013 by Todd Wagner and headquartered in Los Angeles, operates an interactive content and charity fundraising platform centered on its Charitybuzz brand. Through Charitybuzz, the company runs a digital auction and marketplace that auctions and sells exclusive experiences — celebrity meet-and-greets, VIP travel, red carpet premieres, rare memorabilia, fine dining, fashion, and art — with proceeds directed to charitable causes. The platform connects affluent consumers seeking extraordinary experiences with 5,000+ nonprofit partners across 100+ countries, and claims more than $750 million cumulatively raised for nonprofits.

The technical core is an e-commerce auction platform supporting real-time bidding, Buy Now fixed-price transactions, and sweepstakes entries, distributed via the charitybuzz.com website, a dedicated shop subdomain, and native iOS and Android mobile apps. The company monetizes through three streams: commissions on successful auction bids, markups on Buy Now sales, and entry fees on sweepstakes. In 2015 Chideo expanded its product surface by acquiring Prizeo, a celebrity sweepstakes platform, which now operates cross-promotional campaigns with Charitybuzz.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and self-service, targeting high-net-worth individuals and philanthropists who want both exclusive experiences and meaningful charitable impact. Distribution is amplified by the partner network of 5,000+ charities that promote auctions to their donor bases. The company has operated as a private LLC (Charitybuzz, LLC) and raised $9.1 million in a 2014 funding round of undisclosed investors, with no subsequent funding disclosed in the input.

Name

Chideo

Legal name

Charitybuzz, LLC

Website

https://chideo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chideo operates Charitybuzz, an online charity auction and marketplace platform that sells celebrity experiences, VIP travel, and memorabilia to raise funds for 5,000+ nonprofit partners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Charity Auctions

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cause Marketing & Co-Promotions (BPAFAMAK), Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration (BPAFAMAD), Collectibles, Art & Antiques C2C (CRAFAKAG)

Keywords

• Charity auction platform
• Online charity marketplace
• Charity fundraising platform
• Sweepstakes for nonprofits
• Experience-based giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission: Platform charges commission on successful auction transactions, generating revenue from the spread between winning bid amounts and the charitable donation.
2. Buy Now Sales: Direct purchase model for fixed-price items including memorabilia, collectibles, fashion, and experiences.
3. Sweepstakes Entries: Entry fee model for charity sweepstakes, where proceeds benefit designated nonprofit organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Chideo operates the Charitybuzz online platform that enables individual consumers and donors to bid on, buy, and enter sweepstakes for exclusive experiences, celebrity meet-and-greets, memorabilia, travel, fashion, and luxury items, with proceeds directed to nonprofit organizations. The platform combines live auctions, a fixed-price Buy Now shop, and charity sweepstakes to convert extraordinary access and collectibles into funding for over 5,000 charity partners globally.

Product overview

Charitybuzz is a charity-focused auction and marketplace platform offering three core products: Auctions (live bidding on celebrity experiences, travel packages, sports events, and collectibles), Buy Now (direct purchase marketplace for memorabilia, fashion, food & wine, and art), and Sweepstakes (charity sweepstakes for premium experiences). The platform connects bidders with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities while raising funds for over 5,000 nonprofits globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auctions A live auction platform enabling users to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences, celebrity meet-and-greets, travel packages, sporting events, and rare memorabilia, with proceeds benefiting charitable causes.
• Buy Now A direct-purchase marketplace offering curated products across categories including Memorabilia & Collectibles, Experiences & Events, Travel & Adventure, Food Wine & Spirits, Fashion & Jewelry, and Art & Design.
• Sweepstakes

Quantifiable outcome

• $750M+ raised for nonprofits globally

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First TeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Tee, a youth development organization, partners with Charitybuzz to raise funds for their chapters through auction experiences. Partner testimonial from Guy Garbarino highlights how the partnership provides meaningful funding to support character-building programs for kids.
• WhyHungercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhyHunger collaborates with Charitybuzz for auction items and strategic calendar planning. Partner testimonial from Hillary Zuckerberg indicates the partnership has helped expand into new auction genres and increase revenue year over year.
• PrizeominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrizeo operates sweepstakes in partnership with Charitybuzz, featuring celebrity experiences such as Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour finale in London. Cross-promotional links between Charitybuzz and Prizeo sweepstakes pages.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Omaze: Omaze runs celebrity experience sweepstakes and charity auctions, directly overlapping Charitybuzz's core model of monetizing exclusive access items for nonprofit fundraising.
• Prizeo: Prizeo runs celebrity experience sweepstakes for charity; it was acquired by Chideo in 2015 but continues operating as a distinct brand under the same parent, sharing inventory and donor base with Charitybuzz.
• BiddingForGood (FrontStream): BiddingForGood, now part of FrontStream, provides online charity auction and event fundraising software for nonprofits—a direct competitor serving the same nonprofit fundraising use case.
• Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is the largest collectibles auction house in the U.S., covering sports memorabilia, entertainment, and luxury items that directly overlap Charitybuzz's memorabilia categories.

Broad incumbents

• eBay for Charity: eBay's charity program enables sellers to donate portions of auction proceeds to nonprofits, leveraging eBay's massive generalist auction marketplace as a competing channel for charitable transactions.
• Sotheby's: Sotheby's operates luxury auctions across art, jewelry, and collectibles, and runs charity-benefit auctions—competing for the same affluent bidder demographic and high-value memorabilia supply.
• Christie's: Christie's is a global auction house selling luxury items including art, jewelry, and memorabilia, with charity auction initiatives that overlap Charitybuzz's high-end auction inventory.
• Bonhams: Bonhams is an international auction house with charity and benefit auctions, competing in the same luxury experience and memorabilia categories Charitybuzz curates.
• GoFundMe: GoFundMe is the dominant consumer charitable giving platform; while primarily donation-based, it competes for the same donor wallet and nonprofit partnerships that Charitybuzz cultivates.

Emerging players

• Givebutter: Givebutter is a modern fundraising platform for nonprofits with auction, sweepstakes, and donation tools, competing for the same nonprofit customers though with broader donation-oriented features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/chideodotcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3593335

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Chideo