360Cities
360Cities operates the world's largest curated stock library of 360° panoramic images and videos, licensing rights-managed content to enterprise clients (Meta, Microsoft, National Geographic, Pearson) and via API integrations with EdTech and stock media partners, while paying royalties to a global contributor network of VR photographers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersPrague, Czechia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What 360Cities does
360Cities operates a cloud-based platform that hosts what it describes as the world's largest curated collection of stock 360° panoramic photographs and videos, with hundreds of thousands of geo-referenced panoramas, more than 10,000 360° videos in 4K/8K resolution, and over 1,600 gigapixel images contributed by a global network of thousands of expert VR photographers. Content is delivered through a WebGL-based krpano viewer supporting multiple projection modes (Normal, Fisheye, Architectural, Stereographic, Little Planet, Panini) and is viewable in VR headsets including Oculus, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard. The legal entity, 360 Cities Holding B.V., is domiciled in the Netherlands (Zeewolde), with operating presence in Prague, Czech Republic; the company has been operating since 2008 with a headcount of 11–50 employees.
The platform functions as a two-sided marketplace. On the supply side, contributors join under tiered subscriptions (BASIC free, PLUS €49/year, PRO €179/year, COMPANY €360/year) and earn royalties of 40% on direct sales and 50% on distribution partner sales. On the demand side, the company licenses 360° content to commercial customers through self-serve online purchasing, quote-based enterprise sales, and a developer API that enables partners such as Nearpod (EdTech) and Panther Media (European stock licensing) to integrate the catalog into their platforms. Distribution partnerships extend reach through Getty Images and other resellers. Named enterprise licensing customers include Meta, Microsoft, National Geographic, Pearson, Luxottica, Thinglink, and National Trust, spanning use cases in VR/AR experiences, digital advertising, educational publishing, app development, and game skyboxes. Additional revenue comes from custom gigapixel commissioning services for brand campaigns and events.
The platform supports panorama embedding into external sites (free for non-commercial, ad-free for PRO accounts), curated thematic sets, a Chrome browser extension, and stereoscopic 360° content for depth-perception VR. Infrastructure runs on Cloudflare CDN. The company operates as a privately held entity with no disclosed external funding beyond a $0 round dated 2007-12-01, indicating a bootstrapped operating model. The technology stack is conventional — krpano viewer, WebGL, CDN delivery — with no evidence of proprietary AI/ML components.
360Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 360Cities
- Legal name
- 360 Cities Holding B.V.
- Website
- https://360cities.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 360Cities operates the world's largest curated stock library of 360° panoramic images and videos, licensing rights-managed content to enterprise clients (Meta, Microsoft, National Geographic, Pearson) and via API integrations with EdTech and stock media partners, while paying royalties to a global contributor network of VR photographers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
360Cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Stock 360° Media Licensing
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (BPAMAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Clip/Short-Form & Archive Footage Syndication (Libraries/Stock) (MPABAMAL), Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD)
Keywords
Where 360Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Prague
- HQ country
- Czechia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
360Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contributor Subscription Plans: Annual subscription fees from panorama photographers and videographers who join to publish and license their 360° content. Tiers include BASIC (free), PLUS (€49/year), PRO (€179/year), and COMPANY (€360/year)
- Stock Licensing Royalties: Revenue from licensing 360° panoramas and videos to commercial customers for VR apps, advertising, digital publications, games, and more. Contributors receive 40% of gross proceeds from direct 360Cities sales and 50% from distribution partner sales
- API Access for Enterprise Partners: Custom API connections for stock media licensing businesses, EdTech providers, and VR developers to integrate 360Cities content database into their services
- Gigapixel Commissioning: Custom gigapixel panoramic photography services for events and campaigns, including notable commissions for Royal Ascot, Manchester United, and Juventus stadium
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | BASIC - Free forever account for hobbyists |
| Subscription | Annual | PLUS - €49/year for enthusiast photographers |
| Subscription | Annual | PRO - €179/year for professional photographers |
| Subscription | Annual | COMPANY - €360/year for photography groups |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
360Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
360Cities operates a stock media marketplace for 360-degree panoramic images and videos, hosting the world's largest curated collection contributed by a global network of panorama photographers. The platform licenses rights-managed content to commercial customers for VR experiences, advertising, digital publishing, EdTech, and gaming, and offers a content API for partners to integrate the library into their own platforms.
Product overview
360Cities operates as a platform combining a stock media marketplace with a contributor publishing network. The core offering consists of the world's largest collection of stock 360° panoramic images and videos, accessible through the main platform at 360cities.net. The product portfolio includes: the primary 360° image stock library (hundreds of thousands of panoramas); a 360° Video Gallery (10,000+ videos in 4K/8K); a Gigapixel Gallery (ultra-high-resolution panoramas); Curated Sets (themed panoramic collections); and Stereoscopic Panoramas (VR-optimized depth images). Supporting services include a commercial Licensing platform for business use of content, a Developer API for platform integration, and tiered Contributor Accounts (BASIC/PLUS/PRO/COMPANY) for photographers to publish, promote, and earn royalties from their work. The platform also supports VR viewing, website embedding, and Chrome browser extension access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 360Cities Stock 360° Panoramic Images The world's largest collection of stock 360° panoramic images featuring hundreds of thousands of curated high-resolution spherical photos covering global destinations, landmarks, aerial views, underwater scenes, and Mars panoramas from NASA rovers.
- 360Cities 360° Video Gallery Collection of over 10,000 360° videos produced by the 360Cities community of VR photographers and videographers, available in 4K and 8K resolutions covering travel, nature, urban environments, and immersive experiences.
- 360° Content Licensing Service Commercial licensing service that grants rights to use 360° photos and videos on a rights-managed basis for VR apps/games, digital publications, advertising campaigns, app development, game development, video production, marketing, LCD displays, and fulldome planetariums.
- 360Cities Content API Programmatic API providing search, preview, licensing, and download access to the 360Cities content database for integration into third-party platforms serving edtech, publishing, licensing businesses, and VR development services.
- Gigapixel Gallery Gallery of over 1,624 ultra-high-resolution gigapixel panoramic photos featuring detailed cityscapes, landmarks, and events such as London, Vatican, Rome, Monument Valley, and Mars rover imagery.
- Curated Sets Thematically grouped collections of panoramas compiled by the 360Cities curation team covering destinations like Fiji, Albania, Mexico, Easter Island, and topics such as Mars exploration and famous museums.
- 360° Stereoscopic Panoramas Collection of 360° stereoscopic panoramas designed for viewing in VR headsets, providing depth perception for an immersive virtual reality experience.
- Contributor Accounts (BASIC, PLUS, PRO, COMPANY) Tiered annual membership plans for panorama photographers and 360° video creators to publish content and earn royalties. BASIC is free; PLUS is €49/year, PRO is €179/year, and COMPANY is €360/year with 4 user accounts.
- Gigapixel Commissioning Service Custom gigapixel panoramic photography services for events and campaigns, including notable commissions for Royal Ascot, Manchester United, and Juventus stadium.
Companies that use 360Cities
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
360Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
360Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Getty ImagescoreDistribution partnership enabling 360Cities contributors' content to be licensed through Getty Images' global stock licensing network, expanding reach to millions of commercial customers worldwide
- NearpodcoreLeading classroom technology provider uses 360Cities Content Sharing API to give teachers access to immersive images for creating Virtual Field Trips that enhance lessons
- Panther MediacoreLeading European stock image licensing agency incorporated 360Cities Content Licensing API to add 360° image database into its main offering. Content remains hosted on 360Cities servers while API enables dynamic searching, lightboxing, and licensing
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
360Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Storyblocks: Subscription-based stock media marketplace for video, audio, and imagery. Comparable horizontal stock model with unlimited-download subscription tiers similar in spirit to 360Cities' contributor plans.
- Alamy: Contributor-driven stock photography and imagery marketplace with rights-managed licensing. Comparable catalog approach and enterprise distribution channels.
- Depositphotos: Stock photography, video, and editorial imagery marketplace with subscription and on-demand licensing. Comparable contributor royalty model and SMB/enterprise distribution.
- Pond5: Stock video and motion imagery marketplace with contributor-driven catalog. Closely comparable in motion/immersive content focus, royalty model, and API-based enterprise licensing workflows.
- Envato Elements: Subscription-based creative asset marketplace covering video, photography, audio, and templates. Comparable unlimited-download subscription model with creator royalties.
Broad incumbents
- Shutterstock: Subscription and on-demand stock photography, video, and music platform serving enterprise and SMB customers. Comparable business model (contributor royalties, tiered subscriptions, API access) and licensing workflows.
- Adobe Stock: Stock photography and video marketplace tightly integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud. Comparable contributor royalty model and enterprise licensing, with similar API offerings for integrated workflows.
- Getty Images: Global stock imagery and video licensing platform. Direct comparison as a stock media marketplace with rights-managed licensing; also a 360Cities distribution partner, demonstrating both competition and channel overlap.
- iStock by Getty Images: Getty's SMB-focused stock marketplace offering photos, videos, and illustrations. Directly comparable to 360Cities' self-serve SMB licensing motion; relevant via the Getty distribution relationship.
Emerging players
- ThingLink: Interactive 360° and VR content creation platform used in education and training. Both an integration partner and a partial competitor in 360° content workflows for EdTech and immersive experiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
360Cities social profiles
Digital presence360Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
360Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
360Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
360Cities 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 360Cities
What does 360Cities do?
360Cities operates a stock media marketplace for 360-degree panoramic images and videos, hosting the world's largest curated collection contributed by a global network of panorama photographers. The platform licenses rights-managed content to commercial customers for VR experiences, advertising, digital publishing, EdTech, and gaming, and offers a content API for partners to integrate the library into their own platforms.
Is 360Cities a public or private company?
360Cities is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 360Cities founded?
360Cities was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 360Cities based?
360Cities is headquartered in Prague, Czechia, in the Europe region.
How does 360Cities make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Contributor Subscription Plans are the primary driver. The others are stock Licensing Royalties, API Access for Enterprise Partners and gigapixel Commissioning.
Who are 360Cities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Storyblocks, Alamy, Depositphotos, Pond5 and Envato Elements. Broad incumbents are Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Getty Images and iStock by Getty Images. ThingLink is listed as an emerging player.
Does 360Cities have an API?
Yes. The 360Cities API provides programmatic access to hundreds of thousands of licensable 360° images and videos. Available via custom API connection for stock media licensing businesses, education technology providers, VR experience developers, publishers, and digital agencies. Features include: full search, multiple thumbnail formats, full-resolution live interactive image previews, image downloads or hosted streaming, usage tracking, and adapts to metadata requirements. The API is delivered via HTTPS with no need to host data on the customer's side. Developer documentation is at www.360cities.net/api.
What industry is 360Cities in?
360Cities's product category is Stock 360° Media Licensing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAM, Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms, with a secondary code of MPABAMAL, Clip/Short-Form & Archive Footage Syndication (Libraries/Stock). Its NAICS code is 51212 and its SIC code is 7822.