Discord Inc.
American communication platform company providing voice, video, and text communication services for communities and gamers globally.
Company Type
public
Founded
2015
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
About Discord Inc.
Who owns Discord?
Discord Inc. is privately owned by founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy and venture capital investors. Jason Citron serves as CEO. The company declined a reported $12 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2021 and remains independent.
Discord Inc. is privately owned by founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy and venture capital investors. Jason Citron serves as CEO. The company declined a reported $12 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2021 and remains independent.
How does Discord make money?
Discord generates revenue primarily through Discord Nitro, a paid subscription service offering premium features, and through server boosts and cosmetic items in the Discord Shop. The platform is free for most users.
Discord generates revenue primarily through Discord Nitro, a paid subscription service offering premium features, and through server boosts and cosmetic items in the Discord Shop. The platform is free for most users.
Is Discord publicly traded?
No, Discord is privately held. The company was valued at approximately $15 billion in its 2021 funding round but has not gone public.
No, Discord is privately held. The company was valued at approximately $15 billion in its 2021 funding round but has not gone public.
How many users does Discord have?
Discord has approximately 600 million registered users and approximately 150 million monthly active users as of 2024.
Discord has approximately 600 million registered users and approximately 150 million monthly active users as of 2024.
Did Microsoft try to buy Discord?
Yes, Microsoft reportedly offered to acquire Discord for approximately $12 billion in early 2021. Discord declined the offer, choosing to remain independent and pursue its own growth strategy.
Yes, Microsoft reportedly offered to acquire Discord for approximately $12 billion in early 2021. Discord declined the offer, choosing to remain independent and pursue its own growth strategy.
History of Discord Inc.
Discord was founded in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy. Citron had previously founded OpenFeint, a mobile gaming social network that was acquired by GREE for $104 million in 2011, and Hammer & Chisel, a game development studio. Discord grew out of Hammer & Chisel's internal communication tools.
The founders identified a gap in the market for a communication platform designed specifically for gamers: existing options like Skype and TeamSpeak were either too complex, too expensive, or had poor audio quality. Discord launched in May 2015 as a free platform with high-quality voice chat, text channels, and a clean user interface.
Discord grew rapidly through word-of-mouth among gaming communities. The platform's combination of free voice chat, text channels, and server organization (allowing communities to create multiple channels for different topics) proved highly appealing. Discord became the dominant communication platform for gaming communities within a few years of launch.
Discord raised successive funding rounds as it grew: $20 million in Series A (2016), $50 million in Series B (2017), $150 million in Series C (2018), and $100 million in Series D (2020). The company's valuation grew from approximately $1.65 billion in 2020 to approximately $7.3 billion in December 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Discord's user base expanded significantly as people sought online community and communication tools. The platform expanded beyond gaming to serve education, business, and social communities.
In March 2021, Discord raised $500 million at a valuation of approximately $15 billion. Around the same time, Microsoft reportedly offered to acquire Discord for approximately $12 billion, but Discord declined, choosing to remain independent.
Discord has continued to expand its platform with features including Stage Channels (for large-audience audio events), Forum Channels, and monetization tools for server creators. The company has also expanded its Nitro subscription service, which offers premium features.
In 2023, Discord underwent significant layoffs, reducing its workforce by approximately 17% (approximately 170 employees) as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and improve profitability.
Brands Owned by Discord Inc.
Discord Inc. owns 0 brands in our database.
Discord Inc. Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Dominant position in gaming communication with approximately 150 million monthly active users
- +Strong brand recognition and loyalty among gaming and online communities
- +Declined Microsoft's $12 billion acquisition offer, maintaining independence
- +Free tier drives strong organic user acquisition
- +Approximately $15 billion valuation (2021) reflects strong investor confidence
Considerations
- -Not yet profitable, requiring continued investment and cost management
- -Content moderation challenges at scale (extremist content, child safety, classified document leaks)
- -Competition from Slack and Microsoft Teams in professional communication
- -2023 layoffs of approximately 17% of workforce reflect profitability pressures
- -Venture capital investors may eventually pressure for IPO or acquisition
Frequently Asked Questions About Discord Inc.
Who owns Discord?
Discord Inc. is privately owned by founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy and venture capital investors. Jason Citron serves as CEO. The company declined a reported $12 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2021 and remains independent.
How does Discord make money?
Discord generates revenue primarily through Discord Nitro, a paid subscription service offering premium features, and through server boosts and cosmetic items in the Discord Shop. The platform is free for most users.
Is Discord publicly traded?
No, Discord is privately held. The company was valued at approximately $15 billion in its 2021 funding round but has not gone public.
How many users does Discord have?
Discord has approximately 600 million registered users and approximately 150 million monthly active users as of 2024.
Did Microsoft try to buy Discord?
Yes, Microsoft reportedly offered to acquire Discord for approximately $12 billion in early 2021. Discord declined the offer, choosing to remain independent and pursue its own growth strategy.
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