Shots is a selfie-first social app founded in 2013 by John Shahidi and his brother Sam that centers on raw photos and short videos rather than public metrics or commentary. The app removes comments and hides follower/like counts to reduce bullying and social comparison, and it limits uploads (no camera-roll uploads or special effects) to encourage candid sharing. Shots positions itself as a space for personal self-expression and highlights celebrity users such as Justin Bieber, which has helped build a distinct community. Its user base skews young and female: the company reported about 5 million users in April, roughly half of whom check the app daily, with over 75% female and an average user age of 16. Financially, Shots has been raising follow-on capital to sustain growth and community development, having raised additional funding this year. Shots is a mobile app that promotes a fun, safe, and positive way for users to stay connected with friends. The product is positioned as a fast, pleasant platform for sharing with an emphasis on positivity and no tolerance for cyberbullying. The company encourages users to download the app for free and describes itself as a global community built on positive interactions. The article reports that Shots raised $8.5 million in new funding. No revenue, user counts, or other operating metrics are disclosed in the article. The piece does not detail specific future product plans or uses of the proceeds.

Total raised

$13M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Sep 2015