Activate (app) explained

Activate
Logo Size:180px
Developer:Bloglovin'
Platform:Web browsers, iOS, Android
Genre:News aggregator / Social media

Activate (formerly Bloglovin') is a platform that allows users to read and organize blogs on mobile and desktop. It is a design-focused platform that aggregates feeds from sources with RSS feeds, allowing users to discover and organize content.[1] Activate has apps on both iOS and Android. As of April 2014, Bloglovin reached over 16 million global users monthly.[2]

History

Founding and early years

Bloglovin' was founded in a garage in Täby, Sweden in 2007 by Dan Carlberg, Daniel Swenson, Patrik Ring, Mattias Swenson, and Daniel Gren.[3] Launched as “Blogkoll” (Swedish for “to keep track of blogs”), the initial goal of Bloglovin' was to help fashion followers keep track of blogs without having to open up multiple tabs on their browsers.[4] Bloglovin’ eventually developed into a platform that allows users to consume, organize, and discover disaggregated content.

In October 2011, Bloglovin' registered its 1 millionth user.[5]

Funding and growth

2012

In 2012, Bloglovin' raised $1 million in Series A funding from investors including Betaworks, Lerer Ventures, RRE Ventures, Hank P. Vigil & Fritz Lanman, Eric Martineau-Fortin, Rob Wiesenthal, Jill Greenthal, and Investment AB Kinnevik.[6]

2013

In January 2013, Bloglovin' moved their headquarters to New York. The company continues to have an office in Stockholm, Sweden. Bloglovin' experienced a significant growth in signups following the demise of Google Reader.[7] In May 2013, the site launched a major redesign, which included changes allowing users to curate content.[8] In September 2013, The Next Web included Bloglovin' on its list of "50 New York City Start-ups You Need to Know About."[9]

2014

In February 2014, Joy Marcus, formerly a managing director at Gotham Ventures, was appointed chief executive officer of Bloglovin’.[3] In April 2014, Bloglovin' raised $7 million in Series A funding. Investor Northzone led the round, and the founders of Babble and SoulCycle invested personally in the site. Additionally, Bloglovin' received further investment from previous funders Betaworks, Lerer Ventures, While Star Capital, and Bassett Investment Group.The investments were largely used for recruiting purposes.

Name Change and CEO

In April 2018, the company rebranded as Activate and replaced former Bloglovin CEO Giordano Contestabile with Kamiu Lee, formerly Bloglovin's vice president of strategy and business development.[10] The platform launched Activate Studio at the same time.[11] The company's decision to rebrand came shortly after Northzone made significant investments in the platform.[12]

Bloglovin' Awards

The Bloglovin' Awards, held annually since 2011, are an annual awards night during New York Fashion Week hosted by Bloglovin' honoring bloggers in various categories.

Bloglovin' Awards categories & nominees 2012

Arizona Newcomer of the Year

Tibi Inspiration Award

Fashion Traffic Blogger Business of the Year

Best Personal Style Blog

Best International Blog

Best Fashion News Blog

Best Street Style Blog

Most Original Blog

Blogger of the Year

[13]

Bloglovin Awards categories & nominees, 2011

Newcomer of the Year

Best Personal Style Blog

Best Fashion News Blog

Best Street Style Blog

Most Original Blog

Blogger of the Year

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gannes. Liz. Bloglovin Tripled Traffic This Year as Tumblr-Plus-Reddit for Ladies. All Things D. 30 June 2014.
  2. Web site: Gat. Aviva. Swedish Bloglovin' raises $7M in funding to grow its lifestyle blog aggregator. Geek Time. 30 June 2014. 7 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140607070039/http://www.geektime.com/2014/04/06/swedish-bloglovin-raises-7m-in-funding-to-grow-its-lifestyle-blog-aggregator/. dead.
  3. Web site: Paintsil. Ashley. Blog Aggregator Bloglovin Just Raised $7 Million in Series A Funding. 30 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808035322/http://www.fashinvest.com/blog-aggregator-bloglovin-raised-7-million/. 2014-08-08. dead.
  4. Web site: Heussner. Ki Mae. Bloglovin, a prettier take on RSS and Tumblr, gets Betaworks investment. Gigaom. 30 June 2014. 15 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140715194046/http://gigaom.com/2012/05/16/bloglovin-a-design-conscious-rss-meets-tumblr-gets-betaworks-investment/. dead.
  5. Web site: Indvik. Lauren. Fashion RSS Reader Bloglovin' Signs Up 1 Millionth Member. Yahoo! News. 30 June 2014.
  6. Web site: Ha. Anthony. Fashion-Focused Blog Aggregator Bloglovin Raises $1M From Betaworks And Others. TechCrunch. 30 June 2014.
  7. Web site: McKenzie. Hamish. Bloglovin passes 2M members and buckles down for life beyond Google Reader. Pando Daily. 30 June 2014. 4 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140704053050/http://pando.com/2013/03/15/bloglovin-passes-2m-members-and-buckles-down-for-life-beyond-google-reader/. dead.
  8. Web site: Ha. Anthony. Bloglovin Redesigns Its Fashion-Focused Blog Reader To Highlight Popular Content, Social Features. TechCrunch. 30 June 2014.
  9. Web site: Meyers . Courtney Boyd . 50 New York City Startups You Need to Know About . 30 June 2014 . The Next Web.
  10. Web site: Lockwood. Lisa. 2018-04-11. Kamiu Lee Named CEO of Activate. live. 2021-03-10. WWD. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413000800/http://wwd.com/business-news/media/kamiu-lee-named-ceo-of-activate-1202647058/ . 2018-04-13 .
  11. Web site: Bloglovin' becomes Activate and names Kamiu Lee as its new CEO. 2021-03-10. TechCrunch. en-US.
  12. Web site: Gross. Elana Lyn. How Bloglovin's Brand New CEO Is Spearheading Their Rebrand To Activate. 2021-03-10. Forbes. en.
  13. Web site: Forbes. Jihan. EXCLUSIVE: HERE ARE THE NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR'S BLOGLOVIN' AWARDS. Fashionista. 30 June 2014.

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