Ning (website)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social media |
| Founded | October 2005 |
| Founder | Marc Andreessen, Gina Bianchini |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California , United States |
| Products | Social networking platform |
| Parent | Mode Media (formerly Glam Media; acquired 2011) |
| Website | ning |
Ning is a web-based social media service that allows both individuals and organizations to build personalized social networks. Established by Marc Andreessen and Gina Bianchini, Ning officially debuted in October 2005. By the middle of 2011, its platform supported more than 90,000 unique social websites.
History
The project commenced development in October 2004 and became publicly accessible a year later in October 2005. At its inception, Ning provided an open-source framework for social applications, enabling users to customize and deploy their own versions. By the end of 2006, the company transitioned towards offering tailored websites focused on groups, photos, and videos, eventually merging these functionalities into one streamlined application to facilitate social network creation.
Initial capital was contributed by the founders alongside angel investors. In July 2007, Ning raised $44 million in venture funding with Legg Mason leading the round. Subsequent investment rounds throughout 2008 and 2009 secured an additional $75 million, demonstrating significant investor trust.
In April 2010, CEO Jason Rosenthal revealed plans to discontinue the free tier and reduce staff by 41%, shifting the business model towards paid subscriptions to enhance profitability. Existing users were prompted to upgrade their accounts or transfer their data accordingly.
Ning was acquired by Glam Media (which was later renamed Mode Media) in 2011, broadening its corporate reach and international presence. Nevertheless, Mode Media shut down operations in 2016.
This trajectory illustrates Ning’s adaptive leadership in evolving its business strategy amid industry pressures and highlights its influential position within the social networking sector.
Features
Ning empowers users to develop bespoke social networks tailored to particular interests, granting extensive control over design elements, functionalities, and member information. The platform’s key features include revenue generation capabilities, integration with external social media services, chat functions, email communication, forums, polling tools, and detailed analytics. Additionally, users have the option to associate their Ning communities with personalized domain names.
Constructed using Java technology, Ning’s social networks run on PHP. Since 2010, management of these networks has been possible through an iOS app. In February 2018, Ning launched a monetization system designed to assist users in earning income from their social network sites.