Qik
A mobile video-sharing and messaging service that was acquired by Skype and later discontinued.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Qik was a mobile video communication service founded in 2006 by Ramu Sunkara, Bhaskar Roy, and Nikolay Abkairov. It began as a Silicon Valley startup focused on making mobile-phone video capture and internet broadcasting practical at a time when smartphone cameras, wireless networks, and mobile video software were still developing. The company built tools that allowed users to record video on supported handsets and upload or stream it directly to the internet, either through the Qik website or through third-party online services. Qik released an alpha version in December 2007 and entered public beta in July 2008. Its early service supported approximately 140 or more mobile-phone models and was designed around live video sharing, recorded-video uploads, and two-way video communication. Users could publish or distribute videos through Qik and a broad range of external platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, Livestream, Ovi Share, MySpace, and other social or blogging services. Videos could also be embedded in web pages, giving the service a role in the early expansion of mobile live broadcasting and user-generated video. The company operated from Redwood City, California, and maintained a satellite office in Zelenograd, Moscow. It attracted venture and strategic backing during its development. In April 2008, Qik raised a reported $3 million Series B round involving Marc Benioff, Arjun Gupta, and George Garrick. In September 2008, Netscape veterans Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz invested in the company and agreed to act as board advisers. Qik received a further funding round of less than $5.5 million in 2009 from Almaz Capital, Quest Venture Partners, and private investors. These transactions helped the startup expand its platform and device compatibility before mobile video became a standard feature of larger social and communications platforms. Skype announced its acquisition of Qik at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 6, 2011. The reported purchase price was $150 million. The acquisition gave Skype technology and engineering capabilities in mobile video capture, streaming, and sharing, while Qik gained access to Skype's much larger communications ecosystem. The original Qik service was later retired: Skype notified users in March 2014, and the service was shut down on April 30, 2014. Skype introduced a separate successor product called Skype Qik on October 14, 2014. Unlike the original Qik service, which emphasized live broadcasting and distribution to external sites, Skype Qik focused on short video messages exchanged between individuals or groups. The application was offered for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices. It allowed users to send and receive video messages in group or one-to-one conversations and represented an attempt to adapt Qik's video technology to the increasingly competitive mobile messaging market. Microsoft announced in February 2016 that Skype Qik would be retired on March 24 because of low usage. The company said that several of the application's features had been incorporated into the main Skype application. Skype Qik therefore became a short-lived product brand within the Skype portfolio. Its history spans two distinct phases: an independent mobile live-video startup and a later Skype-branded video-messaging application.
History
Qik was established in 2006 by Ramu Sunkara, Bhaskar Roy, and Nikolay Abkairov as a Silicon Valley mobile-video startup. Its original product addressed the technical limitations of early mobile video by combining handset recording, cellular uploading, live broadcasting, and web distribution. The company released an alpha version in December 2007 and a public beta in July 2008. The original Qik platform supported more than 140 mobile-phone models. It enabled users to broadcast live from supported devices, upload recorded clips, conduct two-way video communication, and publish videos to the Qik website or external services. Integrations included major social networks, video platforms, blogging services, and embedding tools. Qik maintained its main headquarters in Redwood City, California, and a satellite office in Zelenograd, Moscow. Qik raised venture funding as it developed. A $3 million Series B financing was reported in April 2008, followed by investment from Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz in September 2008. Another round in 2009, reported as less than $5.5 million, included Almaz Capital, Quest Venture Partners, and private investors. The startup's technology and position in mobile video attracted Skype, which announced its acquisition of Qik on January 6, 2011, for a reported $150 million. After the acquisition, the original Qik service continued for a period but was ultimately retired in 2014. Skype announced the shutdown to users in March, and the service ended on April 30. Skype then launched a new product, Skype Qik, on October 14, 2014. This successor was a mobile video-messaging application for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. It shifted the brand from public or semi-public mobile broadcasting toward private video conversations between individuals and groups. The successor application did not achieve sufficient usage. Microsoft announced in February 2016 that Skype Qik would be discontinued on March 24. Microsoft said that several functions associated with Skype Qik had been incorporated into the main Skype application. The Qik name consequently disappeared as an active standalone service, although its original technology and product concepts formed part of the broader history of mobile video communication.
- 2016
Skype Qik is retired
[1]Microsoft discontinues the application because of low usage and directs relevant functionality into Skype.
- 2014
Original Qik service shuts down
[1]The original Qik platform is discontinued on April 30 after Skype notifies users of its retirement.
- 2014
Skype Qik launches
[1]Skype introduces a new Qik-branded application centered on private video messaging.
- 2011
Acquired by Skype
[1]Skype announces the acquisition of Qik at CES for a reported $150 million.
- 2008
Public beta and major financing
[1]Qik enters public beta and receives venture financing and advisory support from technology investors.
- 2007
Alpha version released
[1]Qik releases an early alpha version of its mobile video-sharing service.
- 2006
Qik is founded
[1]Ramu Sunkara, Bhaskar Roy, and Nikolay Abkairov establish Qik as a mobile video technology startup.
Products and positioning
Qik was positioned first as a pioneering mobile video broadcasting and sharing platform, then as a lightweight video-messaging product integrated into Skype's communications portfolio.
Mobile video-sharing platform · 2007
Qik
The original Qik service allowed users to record video on supported mobile phones and upload it directly to the internet. It supported live broadcasting, recorded-video sharing, two-way video communication, web embedding, and distribution through numerous social, blogging, and video platforms. Its broad handset compatibility was a central part of its early proposition.
Video-messaging application · 2014
Skype Qik
Skype Qik was a successor application introduced by Skype in 2014 for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. It focused on sending short video messages in one-to-one and group conversations rather than broadcasting video publicly. Microsoft retired the application in 2016 after reporting low usage and incorporated some of its functions into Skype.
Brand decisions
2016
Microsoft retires Skype QikStrategyBackground
Microsoft determined that the standalone Skype Qik application had not achieved sufficient user adoption.
Action taken
Microsoft announced that the app would stop operating on March 24 and that several features would be integrated into the main Skype application.
Aftermath
Skype Qik ceased to operate as a separate product brand.
2014
Skype launches successor Skype QikProduct launchBackground
Skype retired the original Qik service after the acquisition and sought to reuse the brand in a mobile messaging format.
Action taken
Skype introduced Skype Qik for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, emphasizing private video messages and group conversations.
Aftermath
The application was later discontinued because of low usage, with selected functionality moved into Skype.
2011
Skype acquires QikM&ABackground
Qik had developed mobile video capture, streaming, and sharing technology at a time when mobile video services were expanding rapidly.
Action taken
Skype announced the acquisition at CES for a reported price of $150 million.
Aftermath
Qik became part of Skype's product and technology portfolio, and the original standalone service was eventually replaced and retired.
Reported acquisition price. $150 million (January 2011)
Recent events
- 2016
Microsoft announces Skype Qik shutdown[1]
Other · Product generation
Microsoft announced that Skype Qik would be retired on March 24 because of low usage, while noting that some features had moved into Skype.
- 2014
Original Qik service is retired[1]
Other
Skype notified users that the original Qik service would be discontinued; the shutdown was completed on April 30, 2014.
- 2014
Skype Qik application launches[1]
Product launch
Skype launched a new Qik-branded mobile application for sending video messages to individuals and groups.
- 2011
Skype announces acquisition of Qik[1]
M&A
Skype announced at CES that it had acquired Qik, bringing the mobile video-sharing company's technology into Skype.
Sources1 sources
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