Meta
Social Media & TechnologyFounded in 2004 as Facebook, Meta builds technologies for social connection through its family of apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — and invests in virtual and augmented reality through Reality Labs.
Official Meta Careers Website
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 2004
- Founder
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Headquarters
- Menlo Park, California
- Industry
- Social Media & Technology
About Meta
Meta was founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard University students. Originally called The Facebook, the platform was made available to all internet users in 2006. Facebook Inc. listed on NASDAQ in May 2012.
Facebook Inc. was renamed Meta Platforms in October 2021, reflecting the company's growing investment in virtual and augmented reality alongside its core social media businesses.
What Meta Does
Family of Apps
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads — generating the majority of Meta's revenue through digital advertising.
Reality Labs
Meta Quest VR headsets, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and the Horizon Worlds social VR platform.
Career Areas
Types of professional roles found inside Meta.
- Software Engineering
- Data Science & Analytics
- Product Management
- AI Research
- Security & Privacy
- Sales & Marketing
- Finance
- Legal & Compliance
- People Operations
- Content & Policy
Meta's History
- 2004Facebook founded at Harvard
Facebook founded by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders at Harvard University.
- 2006Platform opened to all users
News Feed introduced; platform opened beyond college users.
- 2012IPO and Instagram acquired
Facebook IPO on NASDAQ; Instagram acquired for $1 billion.
- 2014WhatsApp and Oculus acquired
WhatsApp acquired for $19 billion; Oculus VR acquired for $2 billion.
- 2021Rebranded to Meta
Facebook Inc. rebranded to Meta Platforms; Reality Labs investment accelerated.
Purpose & Values
“Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together”
