1/ Clubhouse is being powered by a company called Agora ( $API).
Founded in 2012, Agora aims to be the API standard for "real-time voice and video" like Stripe is for "payments" or Twilio is for "SMS".
$API is already valued @ $9B+ but has some interesting opportunities 🧵
Founded in 2012, Agora aims to be the API standard for "real-time voice and video" like Stripe is for "payments" or Twilio is for "SMS".
$API is already valued @ $9B+ but has some interesting opportunities 🧵
2/ $API went public last year but its stock rocketed in the past few weeks in unison with milestone CH news:
• $100m funding @ ~$1B valuation (Jan 11)
• Elon Musk joining the platform (Feb 1)
Over the span, CH grew from under 1m users to >6m.
• $100m funding @ ~$1B valuation (Jan 11)
• Elon Musk joining the platform (Feb 1)
Over the span, CH grew from under 1m users to >6m.
3/ CH was apparently built on $API in one week and is lining up to be an early anchor client like:
• Uber was for Twilio
• eBay was for Paypal
• Peloton is for Affirm
• Uber was for Twilio
• eBay was for Paypal
• Peloton is for Affirm
https://twitter.com/caldbeckj/status/1277417203902472192?s=20
4/ $API charges on a usage basis ($.99/1000 mins), which means more live minutes on CH --> higher revenue.
The company's estimated 2020 revenue is $120-130m.
At 50m monthly active users (MAU) x 45m/week, CH itself could be worth $120m/year to $API.
The company's estimated 2020 revenue is $120-130m.
At 50m monthly active users (MAU) x 45m/week, CH itself could be worth $120m/year to $API.
5/ Its not just CH, though.
$API also powers Yalla -- the "Clubhouse of the Middle East". The Chinese-owned app is showing impressive growth numbers:
• MAUs at ~14m, 5x YoY
• 5m paying users (for "chat services"), 10x YoY
• ~$100m in revenue (and a market cap of $4.6B
$API also powers Yalla -- the "Clubhouse of the Middle East". The Chinese-owned app is showing impressive growth numbers:
• MAUs at ~14m, 5x YoY
• 5m paying users (for "chat services"), 10x YoY
• ~$100m in revenue (and a market cap of $4.6B
6/ $API also offers real-time video and its utilized in a number of verticals: (Company)
• Friends & family ("Bunch")
• Therapists ("Talkspace")
• Dating ("MeetMe")
• Education ("Hallo")
• Friends & family ("Bunch")
• Therapists ("Talkspace")
• Dating ("MeetMe")
• Education ("Hallo")
7/ Further, there are some pretty big Chinese companies using $API:
• New Oriental Education $EDU: a $32B edtech
• BiliBili $BILI: a $52B video sharing app
• Momo $MOMO: a $3B social and instant messaging
• New Oriental Education $EDU: a $32B edtech
• BiliBili $BILI: a $52B video sharing app
• Momo $MOMO: a $3B social and instant messaging
8/ The strong China connection is from the founder and CEO's past experience.
Bin "Tony" Zhao was:
• CTO at YY, a Chinese livestreaming platform
• Engineer at Cisco's Webex (where -- as @packyM points out -- he crossed paths with Zoom's Eric Yuan)
Bin "Tony" Zhao was:
• CTO at YY, a Chinese livestreaming platform
• Engineer at Cisco's Webex (where -- as @packyM points out -- he crossed paths with Zoom's Eric Yuan)
9/ Can Tony Zhao replicate the success of his fellow Webex alum?
That's TBD: but $API seems to have more than just Clubhouse going for it...including (here's some SAAS porn) a net expansion rate of 188%!!
That's TBD: but $API seems to have more than just Clubhouse going for it...including (here's some SAAS porn) a net expansion rate of 188%!!
10/ If you enjoyed this breakdown, smash that FOLLOW for hot biz takes and lots of dumb memes:
Source: seekingalpha.com/article/440341…
Source: seekingalpha.com/article/440341…
11/ Bloomberg just wrote about Agora:
-- Agora means "forum" or "market" in Greek
-- Agora mentions China's "complex internet regulatory regime" as a risk factor in its S1
-- Concerns about its exposure to China, like Zoom and its engs bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
-- Agora means "forum" or "market" in Greek
-- Agora mentions China's "complex internet regulatory regime" as a risk factor in its S1
-- Concerns about its exposure to China, like Zoom and its engs bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
12/ PS. Here’s an amazing story about how financial engineering can save lives
https://twitter.com/trungtphan/status/1358796623149555713
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