From Instagram to WhatsApp: A Timeline of Facebook's Acquisitions (Infographic)

Since August 2005, Facebook has acquired 68 companies costing the social media network a total of $23,124,700,000 USD – not including undisclosed payments. 

However, this is unsurprising since Facebook has established itself as one of the most powerful social media giants in the world, and it has the user count to prove it. As of 2016, just over 10 years after it’s inception, Facebook has a total of 1.7 billion users. 

The below infographic created by TechWyse lists each and every company acquired by Facebook since August 2005. 

Some of it’s most memorable purchases include its acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012, and Whatsapp Messenger, a mobile group messaging app, for $19 billion – the largest acquisition yet. 

Using the infographic, you’ll also be able to see rising trends in the tech industry with Facebook’s $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, virtual reality technology, in March of 2014. In contrast, some of Facebook’s earliest purchases include Parakey, an office applications/web OS program in 2007, and ConnectU, a social networking site, which it purchased for $31 million in 2008. 

While Facebook has not disclosed every acquisition cost, it’s total costs still equals more than the GDP of Fiji, Zimbabwe and Maldives combined! It’s smallest, and first, acquisition was for Aboutface in 2005 for a total of $200K. Since then, Facebook has paid billions of dollars to purchase social networking websites, office applications, travel websites, mobile app developers, software companies, fitness tracking apps and more.

Check out the below infographic to learn more about the companies Facebook has purchased, and determine for yourself which you think were worth the money. Even more, learn about some of the rising and falling trends that have taken place in the tech industry since 2005.

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