What Profimedia.CZ a.s. does

Profimedia.CZ a.s. is the largest stock photo and news agency in Central Europe, operating a digital photobank platform that aggregates over 300 million images and 100,000+ videos from more than 300 global suppliers, with 150,000+ new photographs added daily. The company was founded in 2000 as the commercial distribution arm of Česká tisková kancelář (ČTK / Czech News Agency), giving it privileged access to the ČTK archive of 7+ million historical photographs spanning the 1920s onward — content that is jointly being digitized with the National Library of Czech Republic since 2019. The platform combines editorial content from major newswires (AFP, AP, dpa, Magnum Photos, Splash, The New York Times, Shutterstock Editorial) with commercial stock imagery licensed under Rights Managed and Royalty Free models, supported by reverse image and text search functionality on technology provided by Solwee.

The company monetizes through a dual licensing model: editorial licenses (per-photo or annual subscription) for publishers and online media, and commercial licenses (one-time or transaction-based) for advertising agencies, corporates, and freelancers. Distribution is delivered via a self-serve web platform across 13 country-specific domains (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, plus newer entries Greece and Turkey) and a dedicated enterprise sales team. Profimedia is also the official Shutterstock distributor in Czech Republic and 7 other European countries, operates an adjacent subsidiary (Isifa) for that line, and extends into adjacent services including custom photography, exhibitions, publishing, photo printing, and research.

Name

Profimedia.CZ a.s.

Legal name

Profimedia.CZ a.s.

Website

https://profimedia.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Profimedia.CZ a.s. operates the largest stock photo and news agency in Central Europe, distributing 300M+ images and 100K+ videos across 13 countries via a licensing platform that pairs the exclusive ČTK archive with content from 300+ global suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stock Photo and Video Licensing

NAICS

Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Stock photography
• Photo licensing
• Editorial images
• Commercial photo agency
• Stock video library

Headquarters

HQ city

Vcelakov

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Editorial Licensing (A la carte): Per-photo fixed pricing for editorial use by publishers of printed or internet media. No monthly or annual commitment required. Billing at end of month based on number of licensed photographs.
2. Editorial Licensing (Monthly Subscription): Fixed monthly payment model with annual commitment. Monthly fee customized based on customer needs; higher monthly fee results in lower per-photo unit price. Billing at end of month or prepaid credit packages.
3. Commercial Licensing (One-time Payment): Single payment for commercial/advertising use. For Royalty Free images, online calculator enables instant purchase. For Rights Managed images, direct contact required for pricing. Invoice serves as license documentation.
4. Shutterstock Distribution Partnership: As distributor of Shutterstock brand in Czech Republic and 7 other European countries, Profimedia provides customer service in local language, research services, and adjustable billing terms. Revenue from distribution fees and service charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Profimedia.CZ a.s. operates the largest stock photo bank in Central Europe, aggregating over 300 million images from 250+ global agencies and 100+ represented photographers. The company licenses photographs and videos to media companies and advertisers under editorial (Rights Managed / Royalty Free) and commercial models, while also distributing the Shutterstock brand in eight European countries and offering custom photography, exhibitions, research, and publication services.

Product overview

Profimedia.CZ a.s. operates as the largest stock photo and news agency in Central Europe, offering more than 300 million images and 100,000+ videos through a digital platform. The core product portfolio comprises six interconnected offerings: Ilustrační snímky (Creative/Commercial Images) and Editoriální snímky (Editorial Images) as the primary content categories, supplemented by Zpravodajství (News Service), Videa (Videos), Texty (Texts), and Newslettery (Newsletters). The company provides licensing services (editorial and commercial licenses) as its primary revenue model, combined with photographer representation, custom photography production, exhibition services, research/archive access, and publication services. As a regional distributor of Shutterstock, the platform also extends access to international content and AI-powered features. The architecture follows a content aggregation model—combining proprietary ČTK (Czech News Agency) production with 300+ global supplier content—delivered through web platform, search functionality (text and reverse image), and API-enabled purchasing pathways for Royalty Free images.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ČTK Fotobanka: ČTK's own photo bank brand for news and editorial content distributed through Profimedia
• Isifa

Products and services

• Illustrative / Creative Images (Ilustrační snímky)
• Editorial Images (Editoriální snímky)
• Editorial Video Library (Videa)
• News Service (Zpravodajství)
• Photography and Video Licensing (Fotografie a video licence)
• Photographer Representation (Zastupování fotografů)
• Custom Photography (Fotografování na zakázku)
• Exhibitions (Výstavy)
• Research Services (Rešerše)
• Publications (Publikace)
• Photo Editing and Printing (Úprava a tisk fotografií)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and support.

• Česká tisková kancelář (ČTK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep partnership with Czech Press Agency (ČTK) provides Profimedia with unique access to ČTK's photo archive spanning 100+ years (7+ million photographs from 1920s onward). Ongoing digitization project with National Library of Czech Republic since 2019. ČTK's daily production of 300 news and editorial photos is integrated into Profimedia's platform. Profimedia operates ČTK's photobank ([email protected]).
• ShutterstockcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfimedia is an official distributor of Shutterstock brand in Czech Republic and 7 other European countries (Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania). Provides local language customer service, research services, and adjustable billing terms for Shutterstock products including photos, videos, music, and 3D models.
• AFP (Agence France-Presse)majorTechnology or IntegrationMajor global news agency providing editorial content through Profimedia's platform. One of the world's leading international news agencies.
• Associated Press (AP)majorTechnology or IntegrationMajor global news agency providing editorial content through Profimedia's platform. Leading international news organization.
• Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)majorTechnology or IntegrationGerman international news agency providing content through Profimedia's platform.
• PicRights Europe GmbH / PicRights Austria GmbHsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for intellectual property and copyright protection. PicRights handles unauthorized use of photographs on behalf of ČTK and Profimedia.CZ a.s., managing copyright enforcement and licensing compliance.
• Národní Knihovna ČR (National Library of Czech Republic)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint digitization project since 2019 to systematically digitize ČTK's photo archive. Project preserves Czech historical photographs for long-term access.
• Magnum Photos, August, Avalon, CPi, Splash, The New York Times, Shutterstock EditorialmajorTechnology or IntegrationAdditional global content providers integrated into Profimedia's platform. Over 350 total suppliers provide content to the database, including these major international photography agencies and publishers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pond5: Pond5 is a marketplace for licensed stock footage, video, and visual media, with enterprise and creator tools. It is particularly comparable to Profimedia’s 100,000+ editorial-video library and rights-cleared content distribution.
• Getty Images: Getty Images is a global editorial and commercial photo and video licensing business with major news-agency relationships and Rights Managed and Royalty Free offerings. It overlaps with Profimedia’s content aggregation, news coverage, and enterprise licensing model.
• Adobe Stock: Adobe Stock distributes licensed photos, illustrations, footage, and other visual assets through subscriptions, credits, and enterprise workflows. It competes for the same advertising, publishing, corporate, and freelance creative-asset budgets.
• iStock: iStock is a Royalty Free stock-photo and video marketplace aimed at small businesses, agencies, and individual creatives, with subscription and credit-based purchasing. It overlaps with Profimedia’s self-serve and volume-licensing use cases, although it is part of Getty Images.
• Depositphotos: Depositphotos is a global subscription and credit-based stock-content marketplace serving agencies, SMBs, and freelancers. It is comparable to Profimedia’s commercial image licensing, contributor aggregation, and self-serve purchasing motion.
• Alamy: Alamy operates a global stock-photo marketplace with a large contributor base and rights-cleared editorial and commercial imagery. Its marketplace and licensing model are closely comparable to Profimedia’s aggregation and online licensing proposition.
• Shutterstock: Shutterstock is a global stock-media platform for commercial and editorial photos, footage, music, and 3D assets serving publishers, agencies, and businesses. It is the closest category comparator, while Profimedia’s eight-country distribution role makes it both a channel partner and a direct peer.
• Dreamstime: Dreamstime runs a contributor-led stock-photo, illustration, and vector marketplace with commercial licensing. Its creator network, broad visual catalog, and marketplace distribution model closely parallel Profimedia’s aggregation business.

Emerging players

• Unsplash: Unsplash provides a large photo discovery and distribution platform with contributor-submitted imagery and licensing utilities. It has partial overlap in stock-photo discovery and creator aggregation, but its open-access economics and brand proposition differ from Profimedia’s commercial rights-management model.
• Freepik: Freepik offers a subscription-based visual-content platform spanning stock photos, vectors, templates, and AI-enabled creative tools. It is an emerging adjacent peer because it competes for creative-asset budgets, although its product scope is broader than Profimedia’s photo and video licensing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Profimedia.CZ a.s.