Giphy

Dominant leader in GIF search and animated content distribution, powering the majority of GIF integrations across major social, messaging, and communication platforms globally

Giphy is the world's leading platform for discovering, sharing, and distributing animated GIF content, operating a massive searchable library of hundreds of billions of GIFs, stickers, and short-form video clips. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York City, Giphy built its dominance by embedding itself into the fabric of digital communication — powering GIF search and sharing across major platforms including iMessage, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and countless others through its widely adopted API and SDK integrations. The platform serves as a critical content distribution layer for brands seeking to engage audiences through animated media. In the AdTech and brand marketing ecosystem, Giphy offers branded content solutions that allow advertisers to create and distribute sponsored GIF content organically across its network of partner platforms. Brands can upload custom GIF libraries, stickers, and animated assets that surface in search results when users look for relevant terms, creating a native, non-intrusive advertising format embedded in everyday digital conversations. This positions Giphy as a unique content marketing and brand awareness channel at the intersection of social media, messaging, and visual communication. Giphy was acquired by Meta (then Facebook) in May 2020 for approximately $400 million, a deal that subsequently drew significant regulatory scrutiny. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered Meta to divest Giphy in 2022, citing competition concerns. Meta completed the sale of Giphy to Shutterstock in May 2023 for approximately $53 million — a fraction of the original acquisition price. Under Shutterstock's ownership, Giphy continues to operate as a distinct platform and brand, maintaining its API partnerships and consumer-facing GIF search experience while benefiting from Shutterstock's broader content licensing and distribution infrastructure.