Pexels is a provider of stock photography and stock footage. It was founded in Germany in 2014 and maintains a library with over 3.2 million free stock photos and videos.
 | |
| Type of business | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Available in | 28 languages |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Area served | worldwide |
| Owner | Canva |
| Founder(s) | Bruno Joseph, Ingo Joseph |
| CEO | Clifford Obrecht, Bruno Joseph |
| Industry | Stock photography, Stock footage |
| Employees | 40 |
| URL | www.pexels.com |
History
editPexels was founded by twin brothers Ingo and Bruno Joseph in Fuldabrück, Hesse.[1] The brothers started the platform in 2014 with around 800 photos.[1] Daniel Frese joined the team in 2015.[1][2] The graphic design platform Canva acquired Pexels in 2018 for an undisclosed amount.[3][4]
Business model
editPexels provides media for online download, maintaining a library that contains over 3.2 million photos and videos, growing each month by roughly 200,000 files.[1] The content is uploaded by the users and reviewed manually. Using and downloading the media is free, the website generates income through advertisements for paid content databases. There is also a donation option for users, and while attribution of the content creator is not required, it is appreciated.[1] Through the merger with Canva, Pexels' database is available in the Canva application.[5]
Pexels is committed to providing a diverse database, for example by including LGBTQ+ stock content, and through a partnership with Nappy, a platform that focuses on POC content.[6]
License
editPexels originally offered photos under the CC0 Creative Commons license.[7][8][9] Instead, it has their own set of rules for the use of their photos and footage.[10] Besides, their license does not permit the user to sell unaltered copies of a photo or video or to resell the content on other stock platforms. It is not allowed to suggest that the people or brands in the images or footage endorse a product or a brand. The photos or videos downloaded from Pexels cannot be used in trademarks, business names, or service marks. Identifiable people from the photos or videos cannot be shown in a negative or offensive way.[11]
Staff
editThe Pexels staff consists of the three founders, who live in Berlin, Germany, and a team of 40 who are based in Germany, other parts of Europe, and North and South America. The company does not have headquarters; all staff work from their respective homes. Bruno and Ingo Joseph were CEOs until November 2018, when Clifford Obrecht, founder of Canva, became CEO of the company.[1][12] Bruno Joseph was reinstated as CEO in July 2020.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Drei Nordhessen haben riesige Datenbank für kostenlose Bilder entwickelt". Hessisch/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (in German). 2021-03-19. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ Sep 2016, Kim Richters 05 (2016-09-05). "Wie zwei 20-Jährige ihre Fotosuche bootstrappen". Business Insider (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Aussie unicorn Canva acquires Pexels and Pixabay to become the "Netflix of stock photography"". SmartCompany. 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ Singh, Nidhi (2019-05-21). "Australian Unicorn Canva Hits $2.5 Billion Valuation After Acquiring Pexels and Pixabay". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Canva Acquires Pexels and Pixabay, Launches Photos Unlimited | MarTech Advisor". www.martechadvisor.com. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ Silver, Curtis. "Free Stock Photo Platform Pexels Increases Visibility Of LGBTQ+ Content". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "License of our free stock photos - Pexels". 2018-06-02. Archived from the original on 2018-06-02. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "Pixabay license change - No longer a CC0 license". 24zero. 2019-09-07. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ Carolina (2020-04-17). "How to check the license on Pexels.com". Themes By Carolina. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "Wie vertragen sich Fotos und Inhalte aus Pixabay und ähnlichen mit Creative-Commons-Lizenzen und OER?". iRights - Kreativität und Urheberrecht in der digitalen Welt (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Licensing Agreement". Pexels. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ Request from Unternehmensregister, 16.11.2018, retrieved 12.04.2021.
- ^ Request in Bundesanzeiger Unternehmensregister, 09.07.2020, retrieved 21.04.2021.