Cameo (website)


Cameo is an American video-sharing website headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Cameo was created in 2016 by Steven Galanis, Martin Blencowe, and Devon Spinnler Townsend. The site allows celebrities to send personalized video messages to fans., more than 30,000 celebrities have joined the platform.

Overview

Steven Galanis and Martin Blencowe had the idea for Cameo after leaving Galanis's grandmother's funeral. Blencowe's work included being a film producer and NFL agent. In April 2016, Blencowe got NFL player Cassius Marsh to videotape himself congratulating his friend on the birth of his son. After much appreciation, his friend commented on how awesome it was. The duo quickly came to the realization that "the selfie was the new autograph." The site was launched on March 15, 2017, after Marsh tweeted a photo introducing fans to the site. Pricing varies from $5 to $2,500, and is often made higher in order to outpace demand.
It has been named #19 of America's Best Startup Employers by Forbes and #32 by LinkedIn.

Reception

Chicago Magazine called Cameo "The Most American Startup Ever". In 2020, Cameo topped Fast Companys list of the "World's Most Innovative Social Media Companies" and was named one of the “World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.” In 2019, Cameo received the Momentum Award given annually by 1871 and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. Cameo was named one of the "50 Most Genius Companies" by Time magazine in 2018. Steven Galanis was named one of "Hollywood's Top Innovators" by The Hollywood Reporter. Co-founder Devon Spinnler Townsend was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30".