Marco Polo is a video messaging and video hosting service mobile app. The app was created in 2014 by Joya Communications. The app markets itself as a video walkie talkie, allowing asynchronous video conversations without requiring the recipient(s) to be live.[3][4]
| Marco Polo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original authors | Michal Bortnik, Vlada Bortnik |
| Developer | Joya Communications Inc. |
| Initial release | December 2012 |
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Available in | Multilingual |
| Type | Instant messaging and social media |
| Website | www |
History
editThe app originated as part of a broader effort by its founders to help families stay connected across long distance.[5] It was created in 2014 by Joya Communications, whos founders are Vlada Bortnik and Michal Bortnik.[6] Prior to launching Marco Polo as a video messaging platform, the company experimented with a location-sharing application that allowed users to send their real-time location to selected contacts.[4] The platform functions as a "video walkie-talkie", allowing users to send video messages that can be viewed and responded to at any time.[6]
By 2016, the app had begun attracting venture capitalists and was noted for its similarity to other social video apps, combining elements of messaging and social interaction without requiring real-time participation.[6] As of 2020, Marco Polo had secured approximately $27 million in private investment.[7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marco Polo reported a 1,147% increase in new sign-ups, with use from noteworthy figures like Pink and Ice-T.[7]
Notes
edit- ↑ "Apple on the App Store". iTunes Store. 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
- ↑ "Marco Polo - Video Chat for Busy People". Google Play Store. 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
- ↑ Hartmans, Avery (September 11, 2017). "Here's how to use Marco Polo, the video messaging app that could replace Snapchat one day". Business Insider. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- 1 2 Ha, Anthony (2013-12-29). "Marco Polo Is A Simple App For Sharing Your Location With Selected Friends". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ Ruiz, Michelle (2020-04-13). "An Ode to Marco Polo, the Chat App Getting Parents Through the Coronavirus Pandemic". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- 1 2 3 Lynley, Matthew (October 19, 2018). "Someone knows something about this Marco Polo app that we don't". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- 1 2 Melton, Monica. "Why More Than 1 Million Users— Including Pink And Ice T—Are Flocking To Marco Polo Amid COVID-19's 'Epidemic Of Loneliness'". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-04-23.