Out of all the apps which launched during the coronavirus lockdown, Clubhouse has survived the shift back to normality. The audio-chat social network, which works like a live podcasting app, seen a huge surge in growth since December 2020, adding two million new users.
This was even more impressive as people could only access Clubhouse through an invite from a member, and they needed an iPhone. This gated rollout was commonplace in the early mobile days, Mailbox and Google’s Inbox both had hundreds of thousands of people on a waitlist in 2013, however it has fallen out of fashion as it became easier to scale and secure funding.
Clubhouse has had no trouble with funds, as it has already raised $110 million in two rounds, both led by Andreessen Horowitz. Even before it launched, it was valued at $100 million, which was boosted to $1 billion in December 2020.
Fuel Mobile Growth: Data-Driven Solutions & 14+ Years Expertise 📈
Tap into exclusive mobile ad units, powerful integrations, and a team of experts for strategic campaign management. Maximize your ROI today!
Start Your Campaign Now 📈Most of Clubhouse’s growth came in early 2021, as it went from a few thousand users to three million. Several celebrities have been critical to Clubhouse’s growth, with Oprah Winfrey, Drake, Kevin Hart and Chris Rock all doing audio group chats on the app.
By far the biggest event on Clubhouse happened February 2, 2021, when Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on The Good Time Show to discuss Tesla, space and to interview Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on the decision to prevent users from purchasing GameStop shares.
In mid-2021, Clubhouse ended its invite-only scheme, opening the app up to all users. It also launched an Android version, which has led to Clubhouse being adopted outside the US.
The startup has also been forced to quickly deal with some of the issues of misinformation and moderation which Facebook, Google and Twitter avoided for over a decade. Clubhouse originally tried to be a passive observer, but after accusations of promoting anti-semitism and racism, it has added more moderation tools.
Clubhouse does not generate any meaningful revenue, but rolled out donations to some 60,000 creators in April. Clubhouse is not taking any cut of these donations, although it may take some from subscriptions in the future.
In 2022, Clubhouse’s fortunes have declined, as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Spotify have all launched successful live audio apps. Twitter Spaces appears to be gaining most steam, with an already large userbase of celebrities, journalists, and other media types that would regularly launch live audio chats.
Alongside increased competition, Clubhouse has seen a decline in interest for the sector overall, as people have moved away from pandemic-born apps. The lack of revenue generation may hurt Clubhouse’s future prospects of obtaining funding, due to a shift in how investors perceive tech startup value.
We have collected data and statistics on Clubhouse. Read on below to find out more.
Clubhouse key statistics
- Clubhouse had 3.5 million active users in September 2021, a decline of more than 60% on its peak in March
- Over 40 million people have downloaded the app (AppFigures)
- Clubhouse was most recently valued at $4 billion in a Series C round
- Celebrities such as Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, Kevin Hart and Chris Rock have all hosted conversations on the app
Clubhouse overview
Title | Title 2 |
---|---|
Launch date | 8 April 2020 |
HQ | San Francisco, California |
People | Paul Davison (CEO, co-founder), Rohan Seth (co-founder) |
Business type | Private |
Industry | Social |
Clubhouse users
Clubhouse usage peaked in March 2021, when it announced it had 10 million active users. We estimate that number dropped to 3.5 million by September 2021.
Clubhouse active users 2020 to 2021 (mm)
Date | Users (mm) |
---|---|
Nov 2020 | 0.2 |
Dec 2020 | 0.6 |
Jan 2021 | 2 |
Feb 2021 | 6 |
Mar 2021 | 10 |
Sept 2021 | 3.5 |
Sources: CNBC, Vajresh Balaji
Clubhouse downloads
Clubhouse has been downloaded over 40 million times, with the majority of these downloads happening in 2021.
Clubhouse cumulative downloads 2020 to 2021 (mm)
Date | Downloads (mm) |
---|---|
Dec 2020 | 2 |
Mar 2021 | 17.4 |
Jun 2021 | 29.1 |
Jun 2022 | 41.2 |
Note: Cumulative downloads. Sources: AppFigures, Sensor Tower
Clubhouse valuation
Clubhouse was valued at $4 billion in April 2021, around the time it peaked in usage. The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from DST Global, Tiger Global and Elad Gil.
Clubhouse valuation 2020 to 2021 ($bn)
Date | Valuation ($bn) |
---|---|
May 2020 | 0.1 |
Dec 2020 | 1 |
Apr 2021 | 4 |
Source: CNBC
Clubhouse funding
Clubhouse has received $110 million in funding since launch. We anticipate it will harder for the app to get funding at the same valuation in 2022.
Clubhouse funding 2020 ($mm)
Date | Funding ($mm) |
---|---|
May 2020 | 10 |
Dec 2020 | 100 |
Source: Crunchbase