Bitstrips is a technology company.
Bitstrips has raised $11.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Bitstrips has raised $11.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Bitstrips has raised $11.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Bitstrips's investors include Angel Invest, Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Maven Capital Partners, session vc, Nigel Wray.
# Bitstrips: A Technology Company Overview
Bitstrips was a Canadian media and technology company that created digital tools for personalized comic strip creation.[2] Founded in 2007 and based in Toronto, the company developed a web application and mobile apps that allowed users to create custom comic strips using personalized avatars, preset templates, and poses—without requiring artistic skills.[2] The platform gained significant traction across consumer and educational markets, eventually pivoting to focus exclusively on Bitmoji, its spin-off sticker creation app, after being acquired by Snap, Inc. in 2016.[2]
The company's core mission centered on democratizing creative self-expression through technology. Rather than serving as a traditional software vendor, Bitstrips positioned itself as an enabler of user-generated content, allowing millions of people to tell visual stories and share them across social networks and messaging platforms.[2][3]
Bitstrips was founded in 2007 by Jacob Blackstock, David Kennedy, Shahan Panth, Dorian Baldwin, and Jesse Brown.[2] Blackstock, a cartoonist at heart, created the platform to express his passion for comics while enabling others to create personalized cartoon narratives.[3] Co-founder Jesse Brown was a tech journalist formerly with CBC, bringing media expertise to the venture.[4]
The company initially operated out of Blackstock's Toronto living room before expanding.[4] The service was first presented publicly in 2008 at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.[2] Early traction came through strategic platform expansion: the Facebook version launched in December 2012 and reached 10 million unique users by July 2013, with over 50 million comics created.[2] The mobile app launch in October 2013 proved transformative—within two months, it became a top-downloaded app in 40 countries, with over 30 million avatars created.[2] In November 2013, the company secured funding from Horizons Ventures and Li Ka-shing.[2]
Bitstrips emerged during a pivotal moment in social media evolution when user-generated content and visual communication were becoming dominant forms of online expression. The platform rode the wave of Facebook's dominance and the subsequent mobile app explosion of the early 2010s.[2][3]
The company's success reflected broader trends: the democratization of creative tools, the shift toward visual communication in messaging, and the growing demand for personalization in digital products. By making comic creation accessible to non-professionals, Bitstrips tapped into a fundamental human desire for self-expression and storytelling.[3][4]
The acquisition by Snap, Inc. in July 2016 underscored Bitstrips' strategic value within the visual communication ecosystem.[2] Snap recognized that Bitmoji—personalized stickers for messaging—aligned perfectly with Snapchat's core product vision, making the acquisition a natural fit for consolidating visual communication tools.
Bitstrips represents a successful case of a niche creative tool achieving mainstream adoption through strategic platform expansion and social integration. While the original comic service was discontinued post-acquisition, Bitmoji's integration into Snapchat and broader messaging ecosystems demonstrates the enduring value of personalized visual communication.[2]
The company's trajectory illustrates how timing, accessibility, and platform strategy can transform a founder's passion project into a multi-million-user platform worthy of acquisition by a major tech company. Though Bitstrips itself no longer operates independently, its influence persists through Bitmoji, which continues to shape how people express themselves in digital communication.
Bitstrips has raised $11.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $8.0M Series B in October 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2014 | $8.0M Series B | Angel Invest, Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Maven Capital Partners, session vc, Nigel Wray | |
| Dec 1, 2013 | $3.0M Series A | Angel Invest, Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Maven Capital Partners, session vc, Nigel Wray |