Before we get too deep into the year, we thought that we would take a breather and look around the numbers a little bit closer. Since we love data around here, we compiled a few easy to digest charts to get a better understanding of the forces at play and how each one compares to the other. We purposely limited ourselves to the current top 3 superstars of the photo:tech space, Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest. We took publicly available numbers recently published by credible sources ( Forbes, WSJ, TechCrunch, NY Times).
Total $ raised.
Since not all companies were launched at the same time, Pinterest in 2009, Instagram in 2010 and Snapchat in 2011 , some have the advantage of a longer period to accumulate investment. However, it is still an indication of the perceived value of the companies before profitability. Since Instagram was purchased by Facebook in 2012, it obviously no longer seek any investment.
With $764 million raised, Pinterest is the clear leader in this category, closely followed by newbie Snapchat with $648 Million. Instagram with only $57 Million, now out of the investment market since its acquisition, is the obvious loser here. Pinterest raised an average of $153 million/year since its creation while Snapchat is currently on an average of $216 Million/year, clearly catching up to its older sibling.
Valuation
Investment doesn’t reveal much if not compared to valuation. The current numbers paint a completely and almost reversed image. Instagram, recently valued by Citigroup at $35 Billion, is the clear leader, due to its advance in monetization strategy. Unlike its competitors, Instagram has shown proven success in 2014 by releasing successful advertising opportunities that displayed huge potential. While Pinterest, at a $5 Billion mark, has followed suite, it has yet to convert traffic to dollars. It is also limited by an older audience at 70% female, less interesting for advertisers. Snapchat, at $10 Billion, shows all the promises of the greatest growth while it still searches for its magic trigger that can convert its almost fanatical teen-age base into hard cash.
Monthly Active Users
Probably the most related metrics to investment and valuation, MAU numbers clearly shows that while Instragram remains the most used platform with 300 million MUA, Snapchat is not far ( in Internet numbers) with 200 million. Trailing far behind, Pinterest, with its 23 million will have to prove higher engagements if they want to compete in the advertising revenue. Or find ways to dramatically increase its base. It would not be surprising to see Snapchat catch up and pass Instagram in the year or two to come.
Number of Images
Our last chart is revealing for a few reasons: One, it shows the volumes at play here, as all platforms of are dealing with billions of images. Pinterest, with 30 billion, has the largest repository. However, the very large majority are images that are not created for the platform but rather linked from other location.It shares that content with their hosts. Instagram, with 20 billion, is almost entirely composed of original/exclusive content that cannot be found anywhere else. For Snapchat, since images disappear after 10 seconds, we had to create an estimate of what would be in their servers if the content was not ephemeral. With 700 million photos shared a day, we estimate that just within a year, it would accumulate 240 billion images, clearly in a league of its own.
With these numbers in mind, it is easier to see the potential of the market, as well as how a successful execution can bring massive potential. None of these big three superstars have yet to post profitability and 2015 will be the year where will see real revenue slowly replace large investments. While Instragram is currently in the best position to make this happen, thanks to backing of Facebook, it is certainly aware that Snapchat and Pinterest are very close behind. How well these three execute their profitability strategies will be key the future of the photo:tech space as they will quickly become benchmarks, if not standards, for the many other companies to come.
Photo by jrsachs 
Author: Paul Melcher
Paul Melcher is a highly influential and visionary leader in visual tech, with 20+ years of experience in licensing, tech innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is the Managing Director of MelcherSystem and has held executive roles at Corbis, Stipple, and more. Melcher received a Digital Media Licensing Association Award and is a board member of Plus Coalition, Clippn, and Anthology, and has been named among the “100 most influential individuals in American photography”