META
Address:
1 Meta Way,
Menlo Park, California 94025
U.S.A.
Public Company
Incorporated: 2004
Employees: 69,329 (2024)
Sales: $134.9 billion (2023)
Stock Exchanges: NASDAQ
Ticker Symbol: META
NAIC: 519130 Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals; 511210 Software Publishers; 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services; 541512 Computer Systems Design Services
Company Perspectives:
Meta’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. The company believes that the next evolution of social connection will be immersive — powered by augmented and virtual reality — where people can feel present together no matter where they are. While continuing to strengthen its family of apps, Meta is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and the metaverse to define the future of human connection and computing.
Key Dates:
2004: Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students launch TheFacebook.com from a college dorm room.
2005: The company drops “The” from its name and relocates to Palo Alto, California.
2006: Facebook opens registration to anyone over age 13 with a valid email address.
2007: The Facebook Platform launches, allowing third-party developers to create apps and games.
2012: Facebook goes public on the NASDAQ and acquires Instagram for $1 billion.
2014: The company acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion and Oculus VR for $2 billion, signaling a long-term bet on virtual reality.
2016: Facebook Live launches, introducing real-time video broadcasting to global audiences.
2021: Facebook, Inc. rebrands as Meta Platforms, Inc., reflecting its focus on building the metaverse.
2023: Meta launches Threads, a text-based conversation app linked to Instagram, and begins rolling out generative AI tools across its platforms.
2024: Meta becomes one of the world’s largest AI computing companies, deploying tens of thousands of GPUs to power large language models and immersive mixed reality experiences.
Company History:
1 Meta Way,
Menlo Park, California 94025
U.S.A.
Statistics:
Public Company
Incorporated: 2004
Employees: 69,329 (2024)
Sales: $134.9 billion (2023)
Stock Exchanges: NASDAQ
Ticker Symbol: META
NAIC: 519130 Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals; 511210 Software Publishers; 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services; 541512 Computer Systems Design Services
Company Perspectives:
Meta’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. The company believes that the next evolution of social connection will be immersive — powered by augmented and virtual reality — where people can feel present together no matter where they are. While continuing to strengthen its family of apps, Meta is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and the metaverse to define the future of human connection and computing.
Key Dates:
2004: Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students launch TheFacebook.com from a college dorm room.
2005: The company drops “The” from its name and relocates to Palo Alto, California.
2006: Facebook opens registration to anyone over age 13 with a valid email address.
2007: The Facebook Platform launches, allowing third-party developers to create apps and games.
2012: Facebook goes public on the NASDAQ and acquires Instagram for $1 billion.
2014: The company acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion and Oculus VR for $2 billion, signaling a long-term bet on virtual reality.
2016: Facebook Live launches, introducing real-time video broadcasting to global audiences.
2021: Facebook, Inc. rebrands as Meta Platforms, Inc., reflecting its focus on building the metaverse.
2023: Meta launches Threads, a text-based conversation app linked to Instagram, and begins rolling out generative AI tools across its platforms.
2024: Meta becomes one of the world’s largest AI computing companies, deploying tens of thousands of GPUs to power large language models and immersive mixed reality experiences.
Company History:
Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., is one of the world’s leading technology and social networking companies. Meta operates a family of applications used by billions of people daily — including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — and is increasingly recognized as a pioneer in artificial intelligence and virtual reality. From a Harvard dorm room project to a global communications ecosystem, Meta has transformed how humans connect, share, and interact across both physical and digital spaces.
From Dorm Room to Global Platform
Facebook began in February 2004 when Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, joined by classmates Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes, launched a website called TheFacebook.com. Initially restricted to Harvard students, the service quickly expanded to other Ivy League campuses and then to universities across the United States. By 2005, the company shortened its name to “Facebook,” moved its headquarters to Palo Alto, and began attracting early investors, including Peter Thiel.
Opening to the general public in 2006 transformed Facebook from a college social network into a mainstream cultural phenomenon. Its intuitive interface, “News Feed” algorithm, and viral growth mechanisms allowed users to stay connected, share content, and build communities online in a way no platform had before. Advertising soon became the company’s main revenue engine, powered by precision targeting and massive user engagement.
Expanding the Ecosystem
By 2007, the Facebook Platform enabled developers to build games and applications, giving rise to social gaming hits like FarmVille. As user growth exploded past 500 million by 2010, Facebook cemented its place as the dominant social media platform globally. To stay ahead of emerging trends, Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 — a photo-sharing app that would later become one of the company’s crown jewels — and WhatsApp in 2014, which extended its reach to billions of users in developing markets.
That same year, Facebook purchased Oculus VR, signaling a new long-term vision that went beyond social networking. Zuckerberg’s interest in virtual and augmented reality positioned the company to define a new computing platform for immersive communication. Despite mixed early adoption, this move would later prove foundational to Meta’s rebrand and strategy.
Public Offering and Global Challenges
Facebook went public in May 2012 in one of the largest tech IPOs in history, valuing the company at over $100 billion. Its advertising business flourished, with mobile ads soon accounting for the majority of revenue. However, the company faced mounting challenges over privacy, misinformation, and data security — particularly following the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal. These controversies led to increased government scrutiny and prompted Meta to invest billions in safety, content moderation, and transparency initiatives.
The Shift to Meta and the Metaverse
In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook, Inc. would be renamed Meta Platforms, Inc., marking a strategic pivot toward building the metaverse — a collective, persistent virtual space integrating AR, VR, and digital identity. The company organized itself around two reporting segments: Family of Apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger) and Reality Labs (AR/VR hardware, software, and metaverse development). Meta launched products such as Horizon Worlds, Quest headsets, and AI-powered avatars to bring its vision to life.
Though the metaverse bet initially faced skepticism, Meta continued to expand its Reality Labs investments while aggressively advancing in artificial intelligence. The company developed powerful AI research models, released open-source frameworks such as LLaMA, and integrated generative AI assistants across its products.
AI and the Next Chapter
By 2024, Meta had evolved into one of the world’s largest AI-driven computing organizations, operating vast data centers optimized for large language models and recommendation systems. Its advertising business rebounded strongly, boosted by AI personalization and automation. Threads, launched in 2023, became the fastest-growing consumer app in history at the time, demonstrating Meta’s continued dominance in global digital engagement.
Today, Meta stands at the crossroads of two revolutions: artificial intelligence and spatial computing. The company’s strategy unites its vast social network infrastructure with cutting-edge AI and immersive technology, continuing its two-decade-long pursuit of connecting people — now not just through screens, but across shared digital worlds.
