Embedly
AcquiredYC W10Boston, US Β· 2 employees Β· 7 known investors
Embedly provides an API and tools that enable developers and publishers to embed rich media content from over 1,000 providers into websites, along with image optimization and link insights.
Also known as Embed.ly
Founders & leadershipΒ· Y Combinator alumni (W10)
Investors Β· 7
Also in the syndicate Β· 4
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Embedly operates a platform that fetches, formats, and renders third-party media β videos, images, articles, audio, polls, slideshows, live video, forms, GIFs and infographics β inside customers' websites and applications. It supports more than 1,000 official content providers, including video sources such as YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, UStream and Brightcove, image sources such as Instagram, Dribbble, Imgur and Flickr, and rich-media sources such as Scribd, Prezi, Storify and SlideShare, and maintains the provider integrations so customers do not have to update code when a provider changes its delivery method. New providers can apply to be added to the library.
The product line spans a no-code option and a set of APIs. Cards require no programming and produce responsive embeds for images, articles, videos and rich media; they are included in every plan. The API plan includes Embed (customizable embedding of video, photo and rich media into sites and apps), Extract (retrieving article text and additional images on top of Embed), and Display (automatic cropping, filling and resizing of images for faster rendering). Supporting features include mobile playback across devices, Player.js integration for programmatic video playback control, HTTPS API responses with iframe-served embeds and XSS/frame protections, documentation, a community forum and email support.
Embedly participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2010 batch and was acquired by Medium in August 2016.
Founding story
Sources describe Embedly as established in 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts, and list Y Combinator's Winter 2010 batch as its accelerator.
Business model
Embedly sells access to its embedding platform on tiered subscription plans, with Cards available across plans and the Embed, Extract and Display APIs gated to a paid API plan listed at $119 with a 30-day free trial. Plans differ by features such as analytics and customization, scaling from small businesses to large enterprises.
Recurring subscription revenue from metered plans for API and embed usage, with tiers differentiated by features and scale of use.
Traction
In June 2011 Embedly reported 1,200 sites and services using the service, including Hunch, Bit.ly, StockTwits and Yammer, and 2 billion embed impressions served per month, compared with about 4 million URLs per month in July 2010. Its site cites customers including TINT and NPR's Local Stories Project and support for more than 1,000 content providers.
Latest developments
Preqin reports that Medium acquired Embedly in August 2016 and records a venture debt round of $0.32 mn in the same month with investors including Salesforce Ventures, with current investors listed as Medium, Y Combinator and Betaworks Ventures Management. The Embedly site continues to market Cards and the Embed, Extract and Display APIs on paid plans.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Embedly operates in the content-embedding and link-preview API market, where it is positioned against oEmbed, Iframely and Microlink, with imgix, Hyperbeam, MediaMash and Slice Engine also cited as similar companies. Its breadth of more than 1,000 maintained provider integrations and its 2011-reported scale of 1,200 customer sites and 2 billion monthly embed impressions are the primary indicators of its standing.
A maintained library of over 1,000 official provider integrations that absorbs changes in providers' content delivery, combined with a single API covering embedding, article extraction and image optimization, and a no-code Cards option for customers without development resources.
Technology
The platform normalizes third-party URLs into embeddable media through the Embed, Extract and Display APIs. Extract pulls article text and additional images; Display performs automatic cropping, filling and resizing for faster image rendering. Embeds are served inside iframes over HTTPS with XSS and frame protections, render across desktop and mobile devices, and integrate with Player.js for playback control.
Go-to-market
Self-service signup with a free tier and a 30-day trial of the paid API plan, supplemented by scheduled demos, published documentation and a community forum. Embedly also recruits content owners into its provider library, which reinforces coverage for publisher customers, and publishes customer success stories.
Online publishers, media platforms and application developers, plus marketing agencies and educational institutions, that want to enrich editorial or user-generated content without building and maintaining per-provider integrations. Cited users include TINT, NPR's Local Stories Project, Hunch, Bit.ly, StockTwits and Yammer.
Geography
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, serving clients in North America, Europe and Asia.
History
Embedly was founded in 2010 in Boston and went through the Y Combinator W10 program. It raised a $250,000 round in August 2010 that included Betaworks and Chris Sacca, followed by a $450,000 round announced in June 2011 with Howard Lindzon, Social Leverage, Venture 51 and Adam Schwartz alongside follow-on investment from the earlier backers; Schwartz joined the board. In the same June 2011 announcement the company folded its separate free and Pro APIs into a single API. By mid-2011 it reported use by 1,200 sites and services and 2 billion embed impressions per month, up from roughly 4 million URLs per month in July 2010. Preqin records five deals in total, including a venture debt round of $0.32 mn in August 2016 involving Salesforce Ventures, and states that Medium acquired Embedly in August 2016.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Competitors Β· 3
by search overlap
Companies competing with Embedly for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline Β· 3
launches, deals, and filingsEmbedly was acquired by publishing platform Medium in August 2016.
Preqin records a venture debt round of USD 0.32 mn in August 2016 with investors including Salesforce Ventures.
$320K source β
Embedly merged its free standard API and its Pro API β which could generate embeds from any site β into one combined API to reduce developer confusion.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- Embedlyembed.ly Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Embedly do?
- Embedly is a content-embedding platform whose APIs and tools add rich media from 1,000+ providers to websites and apps.
- Who founded Embedly?
- Embedly was founded by Sean Creeley, Arthur Gibson.
- Who are Embedly's investors?
- Embedly's investors include Y Combinator, Lowercase Capital, Social Leverage.
- Where is Embedly headquartered?
- Embedly is headquartered in Boston, US.