Facebook buys popular GIF database GIPHY for $400 million

Facebook has acquired GIPHY for $400 million to integrate its GIF library into Instagram and other Facebook apps, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of product, said in a blog post announcing the news.

GIPHY is a popular library where users share and create billions of GIFs on a regular basis.

According to Shah, 50 percent of all of GIPHY’s traffic comes from its apps, with half of that coming from Instagram alone.

GIPHY as part of the Instagram team will make it easier to send GIFs and stickers in Instagram stories and direct messages.

“People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to GIPHY’s APIs; and GIPHY’s creative community will still be able to create great content,” Shah said.

"GIFs and stickers give people meaningful and creative ways to express themselves. We see the positivity in how people use GIPHY in our products today, and we know that bringing the GIPHY team’s creativity and talent together with ours will only accelerate how people use visual communication to connect with each other," he added.