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Snapguide operates a digital platform comprising an iOS application and a complementary website, enabling users to create and share step-by-step how-to guides across a diverse range of topics. The service focuses on visual and easily digestible instructions, allowing individuals to document and disseminate practical knowledge. Its core functionality revolves around simplifying the process of both authoring and consuming detailed, visual tutorials on mobile devices and the web.
The company was co-founded by Daniel Raffel and Steve Krulewitz, launching its services in March 2011. Their foundational insight centered on the need for an accessible and visually rich medium to facilitate knowledge exchange. They envisioned a platform where anyone could readily share expertise and practical skills through organized, step-by-step instructions, addressing a common desire for clear, actionable guidance.
Snapguide serves a broad community of users interested in both contributing and discovering instructional content, from cooking and crafting to technical tasks. The platform's mission is to empower individuals to easily share their skills and learn from others, fostering a collaborative environment for practical education. It continues to evolve as a resource for visual learning and community-driven instruction.
Snapguide has raised $10.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Snapguide has raised $10.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Snapguide has raised $10.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Snapguide's investors include Accomplice VC, Hanabi Capital, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Lowercarbon Capital, Mosaic Ventures, Matt Mazzeo, Betaworks Ventures, Bling Capital, Khosla Ventures, Maveron, Jonathan Golden, Offline Ventures.
Snapguide was a mobile-first technology company that developed an iOS app and website enabling users to create and share step-by-step "how-to" guides using photos, short videos, and voice-to-text transcription.[1][2] It targeted hobbyists, DIY enthusiasts, and creators in areas like cooking, crafting, fashion, and tech, solving the problem of clunky, desktop-optimized how-to content by offering a simple, real-time mobile experience akin to Path's streamlined social sharing versus Facebook's complexity.[1][3] The platform fostered a community around user-generated guides, achieving early traction with over 4,000 app reviews at 4.5/5 stars and $10 million in funding before its 2015 acquisition by Brit + Co, after which development continued via Scalio.[3][7]
Snapguide launched in 2012 as an iOS app by Heavy Bits, Inc., founded by Evan Raffel, who aimed to disrupt the stagnant how-to guide market dominated by SEO-driven sites like eHow and WikiHow.[1][2][6] Raffel's vision stemmed from capturing "tribal knowledge" from passionate hobbyists in real-time via phone cameras, using Nuance speech-to-text for effortless creation—e.g., snapping steps for a "sock bun" tutorial on the spot.[1] Early pivotal moments included its TechCrunch-featured debut, emphasizing mobile speed and social features like Twitter/Facebook sharing and a follow graph, which quickly built a user base sharing guides across cooking, building, and more.[1][5]
Snapguide rode the 2012 mobile-first wave, capitalizing on smartphone cameras and social sharing to democratize DIY content amid rising interest in verticals like cooking and tech tutorials.[1][5] Its timing aligned with the shift from static web how-tos to dynamic, user-generated mobile experiences, influencing the creator economy by bridging hobbyists before platforms like TikTok scaled short-form video.[2][7] Market forces favoring it included iOS app store growth and demand for authentic, non-SEO content; post-acquisition by Brit + Co in 2015, its tech bolstered the DIY ecosystem, integrating into larger lifestyle networks.[3][7]
Snapguide's legacy as a pioneer in mobile how-to guides paved the way for today's short-form tutorial apps, but its 2015 acquisition folded it into Brit + Co's DIY empire, with no independent activity since.[3][7] Looking ahead, its model endures in trends like AR-enhanced tutorials and AI-assisted creation, potentially revived if Brit + Co leverages it amid resurgent interest in niche creator tools. This early disruptor exemplifies how mobile simplicity can humanize knowledge-sharing, echoing in modern platforms that connect creators with everyday learners.
Snapguide has raised $10.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Series A in September 2013.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2013 | $3.0M Series A | Accomplice VC, Hanabi Capital, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Lowercarbon Capital, Mosaic Ventures, Matt Mazzeo | |
| Jun 1, 2012 | $5.0M Series A | Accomplice VC, Hanabi Capital, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Lowercarbon Capital, Mosaic Ventures, Matt Mazzeo | |
| Jun 1, 2011 | $2.0M Seed | Accomplice VC, Betaworks Ventures, Bling Capital, Hanabi Capital, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Khosla Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Maveron, Mosaic Ventures, Jonathan Golden, Offline Ventures, Relay Ventures, Brian Sugar, Karl Jacob, Matt Mazzeo |