EyeEm
EyeEm was a Berlin-based international stock photography marketplace founded in 2011, connecting photographers with businesses licensing imagery for commercial use. The company filed for bankruptcy, was acquired by Freepik in 2023, and is scheduled to cease operations in January 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What EyeEm does
EyeEm was a Berlin-based international stock photography platform founded in 2011, operating as a two-sided marketplace that connected a global community of photographers with buyers licensing imagery for commercial and editorial use. The platform allowed contributors to upload and monetize photographs while providing businesses, creatives, and marketing teams with access to a curated library of authentic, community-sourced stock images. EyeEm served a horizontally diversified customer base spanning creative professionals, agencies, and businesses seeking licensing-grade photography for marketing, advertising, and editorial projects.
The company was co-founded by Florian Meissner (CEO) and Lorenz Aschoff (Chief Product Officer) and grew to between 101 and 250 employees. EyeEm raised approximately $24 million across disclosed funding rounds — seed capital from Atlantic, Passion Capital, and Wellington Partners (2011), a $6 million Series A led by Earlybird Venture Capital (2013), an $18 million Series B led by Valar Ventures (2015), and a later round from Cipio Partners (2018). In 2014, EyeEm acquired Sight.io, signaling an early effort to deepen its technology stack. The platform's revenue model was based on stock photography licensing, though specific pricing tiers and unit economics were not publicly disclosed.
EyeEm filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Freepik in 2023, after which it continued operating as a brand under the acquirer. The platform is scheduled to fully shut down on January 16, 2026, with all licensing and access being discontinued and photographers offered the option to migrate their content libraries to Freepik. As of the latest available data, EyeEm's operating status is closed.
EyeEm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EyeEm
- Website
- https://eyeem.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- EyeEm was a Berlin-based international stock photography marketplace founded in 2011, connecting photographers with businesses licensing imagery for commercial use. The company filed for bankruptcy, was acquired by Freepik in 2023, and is scheduled to cease operations in January 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EyeEm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Stock Photography Marketplace
- NAICS
- Commercial Photography (541922)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)
Keywords
Where EyeEm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
EyeEm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
EyeEm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EyeEm operated an online stock photography marketplace where photographers could upload, tag, and license their photos for commercial use, and where buyers (businesses, agencies, creatives) could browse and license images for marketing, advertising, editorial, and creative projects. Revenue was generated primarily through licensing fees on downloaded images.
Product overview
EyeEm was an international stock photography platform that allowed photographers to upload, license, and sell their photos. The company filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Freepik in 2023. The platform was scheduled to shut down on January 16, 2026, with photographers given the option to transfer their content to Freepik. All licensing and access were discontinued upon shutdown.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EyeEm Stock Photography Marketplace Online marketplace where photographers upload and tag photos for licensing, and where businesses, agencies, and creative professionals browse, search, and license stock photography for marketing, advertising, editorial, and creative projects.
Companies that use EyeEm
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
EyeEm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
EyeEm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FreepikcoreEyeEm filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Freepik in 2023. Upon EyeEm's scheduled shutdown on January 16, 2026, photographers were offered the ability to transfer their content to Freepik, with all licensing and access being discontinued once EyeEm closed.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
EyeEm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths2 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
EyeEm social profiles
Digital presenceEyeEm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EyeEm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
EyeEm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EyeEm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EyeEm
What does EyeEm do?
EyeEm operated an online stock photography marketplace where photographers could upload, tag, and license their photos for commercial use, and where buyers (businesses, agencies, creatives) could browse and license images for marketing, advertising, editorial, and creative projects. Revenue was generated primarily through licensing fees on downloaded images.
Is EyeEm a public or private company?
EyeEm is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was EyeEm founded?
EyeEm was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is EyeEm based?
EyeEm is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
Does EyeEm have an API?
No public API is recorded for EyeEm.
What industry is EyeEm in?
EyeEm's product category is Stock Photography Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAIAF, Photography & Photo Production. Its NAICS code is 541922 and its SIC code is 7330.