{{Short description|American media and technology company}} {{Infobox company | name = Whalerock Industries Holding Company, LLC | logo = Whalerock Industries logo.jpg | caption = | type = Private | traded_as = | genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies --> | fate = | predecessor = BermanBraun (2007–2014) | successor = | foundation = {{Start date and age|2014}} | founder = Lloyd Braun | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | location_city = West Hollywood, California | location_country = United States | area_served = | key_people = Lloyd Braun | industry = Media<br>Technology | products = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies --> | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|whalerockindustries.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }}
'''Whalerock Industries Holding Company, LLC''', commonly referred to as '''Whalerock Industries''', is an American media and technology company. Based in West Hollywood, Whalerock partners with public figures and brands to create, build and operate direct-to-consumer multi-media apps which integrate music, video, live streaming, e-commerce, and gaming. Whalerock's partners include Sirius XM, Howard Stern, Warner Bros., Pottermore, MTV, Comedy Central, CMT, MSN, Microsoft, the Kardashian/Jenner sisters, and Tyler the Creator. The multi-media apps were described by ''Wired'' as "promising a new kind of interaction—one with more control (and money) for celebrities and more content (and exclusive allure) for super fans."<ref name="wired">{{cite news|last1=Greenberg|first1=Julia|title=Like It or Not, Kylie Jenner Is the Celebrity of the Future|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/09/kylie-jenner-is-the-celebrity-of-the-future/|accessdate=11 October 2015|publisher=Wired|date=September 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NY Times 2015">{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Brooks|title=Coming Soon: Celebrity Web Networks From the Media Company Whalerock|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/business/media/coming-soon-web-networks-for-a-bevy-of-celebrities.html?_r=0|accessdate=11 October 2015|work=New York Times|date=February 18, 2015}}</ref>
Whalerock also produces and develops content for film, television, and stage, and develops and operates emoji keyboards for Kim Kardashian (Kimoji), the Los Angeles Lakers, (''Showtime!'' Stickers), Ellen DeGeneres (''Emoji Exploji''), and the NFL Players Association (''Any Given Emoji'').<ref name="ringer">{{cite news|last1=McHugh|first1=Molly|title=The Kingdom of Crying Kim Kardashian|url=https://theringer.com/kim-kardashian-kimoji-emoji-amber-rose-6db2fdee8b01#.q08yq56wb|accessdate=10 March 2017|work=The Ringer|date=June 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fisher|first1=Eric|title=Face Time|url=http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2016/09/01/Media/NFL-media-notes.aspx?|accessdate=10 March 2017|work=Sports Business Daily|date=September 1, 2016}}</ref>
==History== Whalerock Industries was founded in January 2014 by Lloyd Braun, previously the president of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, the chairman of the ABC Entertainment Group, and the head of the Yahoo! Media Group. In 2005, he predicted that celebrities would become "more directly in contact with their fans, and that "instead of watching them through a cable box, you could see them on the Web and interact with them more." ''The Street'' wrote in 2015 that Braun was doing "exactly" that, "but using mobile and over-the-top distribution over the Internet without traditional networks, cable TV, or even major social networking sites."<ref name=Street>{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Eric|title=Should Twitter and Facebook Be Worried About the Kardashians?|url=http://www.thestreet.com/story/13290992/1/should-twitter-and-facebook-be-worried-about-the-kardashians.html|accessdate=29 October 2015|publisher=The Street|date=September 15, 2015}}</ref><ref name="variety relaunch">{{cite news|last1=Littleton|first1=Cynthia|title=BermanBraun Relaunches as Whalerock Industries|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/bermanbraun-relaunches-as-whalerock-industries-1201123309/|accessdate=29 October 2015|publisher=Variety|date=February 28, 2014}}</ref><ref name="deadline mgm">{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title=MGM & BermanBraun Sign TV Production Deal, First-Look Feature Pact|url=https://deadline.com/2013/06/bermanbraun-inks-production-deal-with-mgm-television-523657/|accessdate=29 October 2015|publisher=Deadline|date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>
Braun founded Whalerock Industries following his buyout of BermanBraun, a media production company he co-founded with Gail Berman. In 2015, the investment firm GF Capital acquired a minority stake in the company, MGM renewed its existing TV and film deal with Whalerock, and launched the direct-to-consumer over-the-top media hubs were launched.<ref name="Variety Whalerock Dig Hob">{{cite news|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|title=Whalerock to Launch Digital 'Hubs' for Celebs Including Kardashians, Howard Stern|url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/whalerock-to-launch-digital-hubs-for-celebs-including-kardashians-howard-stern-1201436182/|publisher=Variety|date=February 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title=Lloyd Braun's Whalerock Industries Re-Ups TV & Film Deals With MGM|url=https://deadline.com/2015/02/lloyd-braun-whalerock-industries-re-up-tv-film-deal-mgm-1201375970/|accessdate=24 November 2015|publisher=Deadline|date=February 18, 2015}}</ref> In 2016, the investment company Insight Venture Partners acquired a minority stake in the company.<ref name="the ringer">{{cite news|last1=McHugh|first1=Molly|title=The Kingdom of Crying Kim Kardashian|url=https://theringer.com/kim-kardashian-kimoji-emoji-amber-rose-6db2fdee8b01#.y795qtosw|accessdate=9 January 2017|publisher=The Ringer|date=June 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name="NY Times 2015" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Whalerock Industries|url=https://www.insightpartners.com/companies/whalerock-industries/|website=insightpartners.com|publisher=Insight Venture Partners|accessdate=10 March 2017}}</ref>
In September 2018, RockYou acquired Mom.me and Purple Clover from Whalerock Industries for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite web|title=RockYou Media Buys Mom.me From Whalerock Industries as Part of Roll-Up Strategy|date=24 September 2018 |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/rockyou-buys-mom-me-whalerock-1202952668/}}</ref>
==Properties== ===Film and television===
* ''Nuts + Bolts'' (television) * ''Battlebots'' (television) * ''The Jellies!'' (television) * ''Hyperdrive'' (television) * ''Believer with Reza Aslan'' (television) * ''Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness'' (film) * ''The Addams Family'' (film)
===Digital=== * Tested * Khloe Kardashian * Kylie Jenner * Kimoji * [https://www.wonderwall.com Wonderwall]
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.whalerockindustries.com}}
Category:Technology companies based in Greater Los Angeles Category:2014 establishments in California Category:American companies established in 2014 Category:Mass media companies established in 2014 Category:Technology companies established in 2014 Category:Television production companies based in California Category:Film production companies based in California Category:Privately held companies based in West Hollywood, California