View source for Company:Viki (website)

{{Infobox company
| name             = Rakuten Viki
| native_name      = <!-- Company's name in home country language -->
| trading_name     = 
| logo             = Rakuten Viki Logo 2019.svg
| type             = [[Social:Subsidiary|Subsidiary]]
| traded_as        =
| predecessor      =
| successor        =
| founder          = Razmig Hovaghimian <br/> Changseong Ho <br/> Jiwon Moon 
| defunct          = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| fate             =
| area_served      = Global
| key_people       = 
| industry         = Online streaming video
| genre            = 
| products         = Internet television
| services         = Crowdsourced subtitles
| revenue          =
| operating_income =
| net_income       =
| aum              = <!-- Only used with financial services companies -->
| assets           =
| equity           =
| owner            =
| num_employees    = > 100
| parent           = [[Company:Rakuten|Rakuten]]
| divisions        =
| subsid           =
| homepage         = {{URL|http://www.viki.com/}}
| footnotes        =
| intl             =
| caption          =
| romanized        =
| former type      =
| foundation       = 2007<!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| location_city    =
| location_country =
| locations        =
| bodystyle        =
}}
[[File:Rakuten Viki logo.svg|thumb|Former logo]]
'''Viki''' is an American video streaming website headquartered in San Mateo, California.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite journal | last=Holmes|first=Sam|year = 2011 | title=Singapore Start-up Sees Gold Mine In Foreign Language TV | url=https://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2011/10/21/singapore-start-up-sees-gold-mine-in-foreign-language-tv/| journal = {{wipe|The Wall Street Journal}} | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> The company also has offices in [[Place:Singapore|Singapore]], Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea.<ref>{{cite av media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvTh7E_ck4Q|title=Viki Office Tour - Coolest Places in Singapore: Episode 1 (January 28) |author= | year = 2014| publisher= | accessdate=December 3, 2015| via=YouTube}}</ref>

The name Viki is a play on the words video and [[Wiki]], drawing similarities to those companies' use of volunteers for [[Content management|content management]].{{fact|date=May 2019}} The company won the Crunchie award for best international start-up company in January 2011.<ref name=TC4>{{cite journal | last=Rao | first=Leena | year = 2011 | title=Congratulations Crunchies Winners! Twitter Takes Best Startup of 2010 | journal = TechCrunch  | url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/21/congratulations-crunchies-winners-twitter-takes-best-startup-of-2010/ | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref>

==History==
Razmig Hovaghimian, Changseong Ho and Jiwon Moon founded Viki in 2007.<ref name=AN /> Funding for the company originally came from Neoteny Labs, a [[Place:Singapore|Singapore]] [[Finance:Startup company|start-up]] fund headed by Joichi Ito, and from the co-founder of [[Company:LinkedIn|LinkedIn]], Reid Hoffman.<ref name="WSJ2">{{cite journal | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443921504577643773810338032|title=Breaking Down Language Barriers - WSJ|author=Holmes, Sam | year =2012| journal = {{wipe|The Wall Street Journal}}  |accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref> The company moved to Singapore in 2008 to take advantage of generous government backing and the [[Earth:City-state|city-state]]’s role as a pan-Asian hub.<ref name=TC1>{{cite web|last=Lacy|first=Sarah | year = 2010 | title=ViKi Raises $4.3 Million from VC All-Stars to Translate the World's Video | url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/12/08/viki-raises-4-3-million-from-vc-all-stars-to-translate-the-worlds-video/?icid=tc_marc-andreessen_art&tag=marc-andreessen |  journal = TechCrunch  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> In December 2010, Viki exited the beta phase of its [[Software|software]] and made its services available to the general public.<ref name=AN>{{cite journal | last=Bertschy|first=Zac | year = 2012 | title=Interview: Razmig Hovaghimian, Cofounder and CEO of Viki.com | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2012-04-25/interview-razmig-hovaghimian-co-founder-and-ceo-of-viki.com | journal = Anime News Network  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> In September 2013 it was reported that the company was being acquired by the Japanese company [[Company:Rakuten|Rakuten]] for $200 million.<ref name=allthingsd0913>{{cite journal | author = Swisher, Kara | year = 2013 | url=http://allthingsd.com/20130901/exclusive-japans-rakuten-acquires-viki-video-site-for-200-million | title=Exclusive: Japan's Rakuten Acquires Viki Video Site for $200 Million | journal = AllThingsD  | accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref>

==Services==
Viki streams premium licensed [[Web content|content]] in a similar way that [[Software:Hulu|Hulu]] does in {{wipe|United States of America}} markets.<ref name=WSJ/> The site then puts the content on one of its channels, and the content can be subtitled by community volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.viki.com/community_resources|title=Rakuten Viki|website=www.viki.com|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref> Viki was the first{{according to whom|date=December 2015}} platform for real-time subtitling and sharing of videos of all content types.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}. Community members can subtitle their favorite videos in their preferred languages, under a [[Creative Commons license]] using Viki's subtitling technology, enabling individuals to collaborate globally, in dozens of languages at once.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.viki.com/terms_of_use#toc-submissions|title=Rakuten Viki Terms of Use Section 8.3.2|website=www.viki.com|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref> The subtitling software developed for the company allows many volunteers to translate a video concurrently in up to 160 languages.<ref name=WSJ/> Viki also [[Web syndication|syndicates]] its shows with fan-generated subtitles to partners such as Hulu, [[Company:Netflix|Netflix]], and [[Company:Yahoo!|Yahoo!]], and receives fees and [[Finance:Revenue|revenue]] from those [[Engineering:Film distributor|distributors]].<ref name=PRO>{{cite journal | last=Bates | first=Greg | year = 2012 | title=Viki Video: 1 Billion Videos in 150 languages Means Never Having to Say Rerun | url=http://blog.programmableweb.com/2012/12/27/viki-video-1-billion-videos-in-150-languages-means-never-having-to-say-rerun/ | journal=Programmable Web  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> Of the approximately 200 language subtitles available on the site, roughly 50 of these are vulnerable or endangered languages.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Park, Madison | year = 2014 | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/09/world/asia/international-dramas-viki/index.html?hpt=hp_c4 | title=Can Fans Unravel the Babel of the World's Dramas? | journal = CNN  |accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref>

==Business==
In September 2011, Viki debuted a new [[Engineering:IPhone|iPhone]] [[Mobile app|app]] called Viki On-The-Go, allowing users to watch content on their smartphones. The company also partnered with [[Company:Samsung|Samsung]] Southeast Asia that year to develop an [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android]] app.<ref name=TC2>{{cite journal | last=Rao | first=Leena | year = 2011 | title=International Video Site ViKi Debuts iPhone App, Will Partner With Samsung For Android App | url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/09/23/international-video-site-viki-debuts-iphone-app-will-partner-with-samsung-for-android-app/ | journal = TechCrunch  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref><ref name="FC">{{cite journal | last=Boyd | first=E.B. | year = 2012 | title=Boom Tube: How Viki Is Creating The Global Hulu|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1842719/boom-tube-how-viki-creating-global-hulu | journal = Fast Company  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref> Viki.com drew 14 million unique views in August 2011. Viki raised $20 million from Greylock Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, and BBC Worldwide in October of that year.<ref name="WSJ2"/><ref name=TC1/><ref name="FC"/>

In May 2012, Viki announced deals with Warner Music, SEED Music Group of Taiwan, and LOEN Entertainment of South Korea, bringing thousands of music videos to the site.<ref name=NW>{{cite journal | author = Russell, Jon | year= 2012 | url=https://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/05/24/global-video-site-viki-moves-into-music-inks-deals-with-warner-music-and-other-labels/?_suid=1357668186847020024096849374473 | title=Global Music Site Viki Moves into Music After Signing up Record Labels | journal =The Next Web  | accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref> In that same month, BBC Worldwide announced an extension of its relationship with Viki, including a deal to work with the company on [[Finance:Advertising|advertising]].<ref name=TC2/>

In July 2012, Viki inked a non-exclusive deal with the Chinese social network [[Company:Renren|Renren]], in which Viki would provide a video site for the social network called VikiZone.<ref name="FC"/> The deal includes only a portion of the Viki catalog and is offered for free.<ref name=TC3>{{cite journal|last=Lunden|first=Ingrid|year = 2012 | title=Viki Climbs The Great Firewall, Signs With ‘China’s Facebook’ Renren For Its First Video Distribution Deal In The Country | url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/12/viki-climbs-the-great-firewall-signs-with-chinas-facebook-renren-for-its-first-video-distribution-deal-in-the-country/ | journal = TechCrunch  | accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref>

In the year following its acquisition by [[Company:Rakuten|Rakuten]] (September 2013),<ref name=allthingsd0913/> Viki went from about 22 million [[Software:Monthly active users|monthly active users]] with 10 million on mobile to 35 million monthly active users and 25 million mobile users.<ref name=techinasia>{{cite journal | author = Corbin, David | year = 2015 | url=https://www.techinasia.com/razmig-hovaghimian-founder-of-viki-out-as-ceo/ | title=Razming Hovaghimian, founder of Viki, out as CEO, to lead Rakuten’s global video strategy | journal =Tech in Asia  | accessdate=December 3, 2015}}</ref>

The company has a list of partners for sourcing original content, including BBC Worldwide. The company has also signed distribution deals for its original content with Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo!, [[Software:MSN|MSN]], NBC, and A&E, as well as TVB in [[Place:Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], SBS in South Korea, Fuji TV in Japan and [[Company:Amedia|Amedia]] in Russia.<ref name=TC2/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.thesmartlocal.com/read/viki-office-tour-interview Coolest Offices in Singapore - Viki Office Tour]


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{{Sourceattribution|Viki (website)|1}}