To Put into Perspective Just How Large Instagram Had Become Prior to the Buyout, We Can Look at the Download Figures Prior to the Acquisition. the Website Was Already Seeing a Significant Amount of Usage, as Well as Having an App That Was Dominating iOS, Its Original Operating System but Had Yet to Drop a Version for Android Users.

The Previous Owners Were Two Software Engineers and Entrepreneurs from San Francisco, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. They Initially Founded Instagram in 2010, Setting out to Make Their Service’s Primary Use the Sharing of Photographs, Though That Quickly Expanded to Include Video as Well.

Prior to Becoming Instagram, the App Had Already Attracted the Attention of Investors That Systrom Had Met with at a Startup Party in Silicon Valley. the Two Primary Investors at That Fledgling Stage in Instagram’s Life Were Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, from Whom Systrom Received a Total of $500,000 Towards the Development of His Idea.

Facebook’s Plan for Instagram Initially Included the Two Original Co-Founders, Who Were Left in a Management Position. After All, Who Would Know It Better Than the Two People Who Designed and Coded It from the Ground up?

Who Owns Instagram?

By James H. Sterling

• Oct 9, 2026 • 4 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Instagram Is One of the Most Popular Social Media Services, Boasting More Than One Million Active Users and Providing a Platform Whose Purpose Ranges from Typical Day-to-Day Usage Such as Posting Photographs and Interacting with Friends, All the Way to Building an Entire Career Based Around Becoming an Influencer. Who Is It That Owns Such a Valuable Service?

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.

Tags: who owns instagram