Hopin might be the fastest growth story of this era

Hoppin's Growth

Hoppin's rapid growth is marked by its strategic acquisition of StreamYard for $250 million, a move that underscores its aggressive expansion strategy. Alex Wilhelm highlights that StreamYard, a bootstrap company, achieved $30 million in annual recurring revenue without external funding, making it an attractive acquisition for Hoppin 1. The acquisition allows Hoppin to integrate StreamYard's capabilities while maintaining its brand, as 80% of StreamYard's customers are distinct from Hoppin's 2.

StreamYard went from zero to 30 million ARR without external funding.

--- Alex Wilhelm

This strategic move positions Hoppin closer to an IPO scale, with a combined $65 million in ARR, showcasing one of the fastest growth stories in the tech industry 1.

   

Audio Expansion

Twitter and Amazon are making significant strides in the audio platform space through strategic acquisitions. Natasha Mascarenhas notes that Twitter has acquired Breaker, Squad, and Ueno to bolster its new audio-based networking project, Twitter Spaces, which competes with Clubhouse 3. Meanwhile, Amazon's acquisition of Wondery for $300 million integrates the podcast network into Amazon Music, expanding its audio content offerings 3.

Twitter obviously is entering 2021 with a splash.

--- Natasha Mascarenhas

These moves highlight the growing importance of audio content in tech giants' strategies, as they seek to enhance their platforms and capture a larger audience 3.