Vsauce
Vsauce is a privately held YouTube science and education content network founded in 2010, operating four channels (Vsauce1/2/3 and Ding!) with 25M+ subscribers and 3B+ views, monetized through YouTube advertising and Curiosity Box merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Vsauce does
Vsauce is a privately held, YouTube-native science and education content network founded in 2010 by Michael Stevens in Los Angeles, California. The network operates four distinct YouTube channels - Vsauce1 (curiosity-driven questions hosted by Michael Stevens), Vsauce2 (technology and origins hosted by Kevin Lieber), Vsauce3 (science of fictional worlds hosted by Jake Roper), and Ding! (video game comedy) - collectively amassing over 25 million subscribers and 3 billion lifetime video views. The company's core product is educational entertainment video content; its technology stack is conventional video production and editing optimized for YouTube distribution, with no proprietary platform, AI, or software infrastructure disclosed.
The business operates a two-stream revenue model: (1) YouTube advertising revenue generated across all channels, which constitutes the majority of income and is highly dependent on YouTube's algorithm, ad policies, and partnership terms; and (2) direct-to-consumer merchandise sales through the Curiosity Box storefront (curiositybox.com/store), which sells branded physical products including beanies. Vsauce has no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and operates with a lean team of approximately 12 employees plus the three founder-hosts. The company has secured mainstream brand validation through Streamy Awards (2014, 2015), Webby Awards (2014, 2015), a YouTube Original series (Mind Field, three seasons), and appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, TED/TEDx events, and Jamie Oliver's FoodTube. Its primary customer segment is curious general-audience learners globally; it has no enterprise B2B customers and no recurring subscription product.
Vsauce firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vsauce
- Legal name
- Vsauce
- Website
- https://vsauce.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vsauce is a privately held YouTube science and education content network founded in 2010, operating four channels (Vsauce1/2/3 and Ding!) with 25M+ subscribers and 3B+ views, monetized through YouTube advertising and Curiosity Box merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vsauce industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Educational Video Content
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interactive Learning Games & Gamified Courseware (EDAGALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD)
Keywords
Where Vsauce is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Vsauce business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- YouTube Advertising Revenue: Ad revenue generated from YouTube views and ad placements across all Vsauce channels, collectively totaling over 3 billion views.
- Merchandise Sales (Curiosity Box): Sale of branded merchandise including beanies and other products through the Curiosity Box online store.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Vsauce product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vsauce operates a YouTube-based science and education content network comprising multiple channels: Vsauce1 (curiosity-driven science questions hosted by Michael Stevens), Vsauce2 (technology and origins content hosted by Kevin Lieber), Vsauce3 (real-world science of fictional worlds hosted by Jake Roper), and Ding! (additional video game comedy content). The network produces and distributes educational entertainment videos, and also sells branded merchandise through the Curiosity Box online store. The collective network has over 25 million subscribers and more than 3 billion total video views.
Product overview
Vsauce is a YouTube-based science and education content network comprising multiple channels. The core offering includes Vsauce1 (curiosity-driven science questions hosted by Michael Stevens), Vsauce2 (technology and innovation content hosted by Kevin Lieber), Vsauce3 (science of fictional worlds hosted by Jake Roper), and Ding! (video game comedy content). The network collectively shares over 25 million subscribers and 3+ billion views, making it one of the most popular science and education channels on YouTube. Additional offerings include the Mind Field YouTube Original series and the CuriosityBox merchandise store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vsauce1: Channel celebrating curiosity by investigating out-of-the-ordinary questions in fun, thought-provoking ways.
- Vsauce2
- Vsauce3
- Ding!
Products and services
- Vsauce (Main Hub)
- Vsauce1
- Vsauce2
- Vsauce3
- Mind Field A YouTube Original series produced and hosted by Michael Stevens, spanning three seasons, exploring the science of the mind and human behavior through interactive episodes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25+ million subscribers and 3+ billion views across all channels
Companies that use Vsauce
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vsauce technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vsauce partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Jimmy Kimmel LiveminorMichael Stevens appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live in June 2014, providing mainstream TV exposure for the Vsauce brand and content.
- Jamie Oliver FoodTubeminorMichael Stevens regularly showcases scientific food magic on Jamie Oliver's YouTube series FoodTube, providing cross-promotion and exposure to a related food/lifestyle audience.
- TED/TEDActiveminorMichael Stevens spoke at TEDActive 2013 and TEDxVienna 2013 as a featured speaker, showcasing scientific content and building brand credibility in the science education space.
- XPRIZE LOOPminorKevin Lieber hosted a panel for XPRIZE's LOOP, a series of public events to develop local partnerships and encourage curiosity in scientific and technological breakthroughs.
- YouTubecoreYouTube is the primary distribution platform hosting all Vsauce channels and content. Vsauce is described as one of the most popular science and education channels on YouTube. Jake and Michael met at YouTube Next Lab 2011, and Vsauce has been featured by YouTube as a model for channel curation.
- PentagramminorWIRED interviewed Pentagram's Natasha Jen regarding Vsauce's new logo redesign, indicating a professional design agency partnership for brand identity work.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vsauce competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell: Kurzgesagt is a leading educational YouTube channel with 20M+ subscribers producing high-quality animated science videos. Like Vsauce, it focuses on making complex topics accessible, runs multiple revenue streams (ads, Envision merchandise), and operates as a multi-channel educational network at similar scale.
- Veritasium: Veritasium is a science education YouTube channel hosted by Derek Muller with 15M+ subscribers, focused on exploring scientific concepts through experiments. Directly comparable to Vsauce in mission, audience, creator-led lean operations, and award-winning science content.
- SmarterEveryDay:
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vsauce social profiles
Digital presenceVsauce financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vsauce leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Vsauce funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vsauce 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 Vsauce
What does Vsauce do?
Vsauce operates a YouTube-based science and education content network comprising multiple channels: Vsauce1 (curiosity-driven science questions hosted by Michael Stevens), Vsauce2 (technology and origins content hosted by Kevin Lieber), Vsauce3 (real-world science of fictional worlds hosted by Jake Roper), and Ding! (additional video game comedy content). The network produces and distributes educational entertainment videos, and also sells branded merchandise through the Curiosity Box online store. The collective network has over 25 million subscribers and more than 3 billion total video views.
Is Vsauce a public or private company?
Vsauce is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vsauce founded?
Vsauce was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vsauce based?
Vsauce is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vsauce make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. YouTube Advertising Revenue is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales (Curiosity Box).
Who are Vsauce's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell, Veritasium and SmarterEveryDay.
Does Vsauce have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vsauce.
What industry is Vsauce in?
Vsauce's product category is Online Educational Video Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGALAL, Interactive Learning Games & Gamified Courseware, with a secondary code of MPACALAD, Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses. Its NAICS code is 516.