Snap Inc.

Company overview

Snap Inc. is a technology company best known for Snapchat, a visual messaging app that helps people express themselves, share moments, discover content, and connect with others. The company positions the camera as the gateway to augmented reality (AR) and operates an ecosystem that connects users, creators, partners, and advertisers.

Snapchat product

Snapchat is organized around five main in-app tabs and features:

• Camera: The entry point for AR experiences with millions of Lenses, voice and scanning technologies, and Memories storage.
• Visual Messaging: Fast messaging with AR, video, voice, and creative tools; includes My AI (an AI-powered chatbot) and Bitmoji.
• Snap Map: A live, personalized map for location sharing, local content, and partner overlays; supports actions like ordering and reservations.
• Stories: Narrative feeds of user, creator, and partner content; Discover hosts curated content and Public Profiles showcase creators and AR lenses.
• Spotlight: A feed for popular creator content with personalization.

Subscriptions and related services

• Snapchat+ — subscription offering exclusive features.
• Lens+ — subscription for AR experiences.
• Snapchat Platinum — combines Snapchat+ and Lens+ with an ad-free experience.
• Memories Storage Plans — cloud storage for saved content.
• Snapchat for Web — a browser-based version of the product.

AR and hardware

• AR capabilities are built into the Camera and Lens ecosystem.
• Spectacles — wearable AR glasses — and Snap OS, a purpose-built OS for AR experiences.
• Development tools include the Spectacles Developer Program and Lens Studio for creating AR content.

Partner ecosystem

• Partners include developers, content creators, publishers, advertisers, and telecom/device partners.
• Developer tools for integrating Snap’s camera and AR tech include Camera Kit, Lens Studio, and Bitmoji for Developers.

Advertising and monetization

• Advertising products: AR Ads (AR lenses), Snap Ads (full-screen video ads with actions), and a self-serve ad platform.
• Campaign management and delivery tools are provided to optimize ad relevance and performance.
• Measurement options include first-party and third-party solutions for reach, frequency, demographics, viewability, brand metrics, and lifts in behavior such as purchases and app installs.
• Primary revenue source: advertising. The company cites privacy laws, platform OS changes, and measurement capabilities as ongoing factors that affect advertising effectiveness and revenue.

Technology, infrastructure, and product development

• Focus on product development, ad technology, and large-scale infrastructure to support the service.
• Investments to deliver billions of videos to hundreds of millions of users daily.
• Partnerships with third-party providers to support infrastructure and enable faster scaling with reduced upfront capital expenditure.

People, culture, and governance

• As of December 31, 2025, Snap had 5,261 full-time employees.
• Approximately 54% of employees are in engineering roles involved in design, development, support, and production.
• Two co-founders (CEO and CTO) hold over 99% of the voting power, controlling outcomes in stockholder matters.

Intellectual property

• Approximately 5,927 issued patents and 3,526 patent applications filed in the United States and other countries.
• Patents cover AR, hardware, spatial computing, computer vision, generative AI, machine learning, and related technologies.
• Issued patents have expiration dates between 2026 and 2050.
• Snap also licenses content, trademarks, and technology from partners and through third-party agreements.

Privacy, safety, and regulatory posture

• The company emphasizes privacy and user control via a privacy policy and a Privacy, Safety, and Policy Hub.
• Snap is subject to regulatory orders and consent decrees, including an FTC consent decree from 2014 that requires a privacy program with biennial audits.
• In January 2025, the DOJ was involved in a referred complaint regarding My AI; the FTC had not taken further action as of the report.
• Foreign data protection and consumer protection laws are a consideration; regulatory actions can affect product availability and operations.

Climate, corporate responsibility, and transparency

• Maintains carbon neutrality for operations through verified carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates.
• Emissions reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2021.
• Communicates commitments to privacy, transparency, and responsible corporate behavior through programs such as Citizen Snap and related reports.

Geographic revenue and segmentation

• The excerpt references Notes 2 and 19 in the financial statements for geographic revenue and segmentation.

Metrics and measurement

• The document defines metrics such as Daily Active Users (DAU) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), and includes notes on measurement accuracy and potential undercounting.