// startup autopsy
Fotolog
A social network for sharing photos with a limit of one post per day per user.
acquisition gone wronggradual_wind_down
Fatal mistake: Hi-Media acquired Fotolog for $90M but failed to invest in product modernization, allowing Facebook and Instagram to render it obsolete.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Fotolog launched by Scott Heiferman and Adam Seifer as an early photo-sharing platform, gaining rapid traction in Latin America and Spain.
FUNDING
Fotolog raises $4.1M in funding as the platform surpasses 20 million users, predominantly in Latin America.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Hi-Media acquires Fotolog for approximately $90M, valuing its 32 million strong user base, particularly in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Facebook's explosive growth in Latin America begins cannibalizing Fotolog's user base; the platform receives no significant product updates under Hi-Media.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Instagram's mobile-first photo sharing decimates Fotolog's remaining relevance; the company has no mobile strategy to counter the shift.
SHUTDOWN
Fotolog effectively ceases meaningful operations after years of user decline, a zombie platform finally succumbing to total irrelevance.