Qik

Qik is an online messenger that allows its users to exchange video messages between individuals or within a group.

Qik is an online messenger that allows its users to exchange video messages between individuals or within a group. The first version of the Qik service was launched as a private alpha in January 2008 and then as public beta in August 2008. Since then the company has expanded its service to support millions of users in over 160 countries and on all the major smart phones (over 140 models) including iPhone, [Android](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/android), [Symbian](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/symbian-software-ltd), [Blackberry](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/blackberry), and Windows Mobile. Qik was founded by [Ramu Sunkara](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/ramu-sunkara), [Bhaskar Roy](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/bhaskar-roy), and [Nikolay Abkairov](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/nikolay-abkairov), and has attracted investments from individuals and companies such as [Marc Andreessen](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/marc-andreessen), [Ben Horowitz](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/ben-horowitz), [Marc Benioff](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/marc-benioff), [Quest Venture Partners](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/quest-venture-partners), and [CampVentures](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/campventures). The company is headquartered in Redwood City, California with an office in Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia. In 2011, Qik, Inc., a Silicon Valley startup, was acquired by Skype Technologies.