We are thrilled to announce that as of Monday, February 26th, Visual China Group (VCG), a visual-content licensing and visual data technology company based in Beijing, has acquired 100% of 500px shares. VCG is among the top image licensing companies in the world, the go-to choice for creative and media professionals in China, and an award-winning leader in copyright protection.

Most importantly, VCG has been an invaluable partner to us since they became our lead investor in 2015, and we’ve since watched both 500px.com and 500px.me (the China-based counterpart of 500px.com) flourish.

For 500px photographers, this means a lot of exciting things are on the way. By joining forces with VCG, we’ll be able to consistently deliver more innovative features to help you amplify your personal brand, connect with millions of like-minded creatives, and inspire you to improve your skill set as a photographer, as well as reward your talent and creativity with new incentives.

New products and services rolling out this year include:

Better statistics to improve and understand the reach and impact of your photos;

Top charts and badges that will help expand your exposure and reward your achievements;

Private messaging to support meaningful communication between members;

Sub-communities that allow photographers to connect around shared interests, styles, and locations.

If you’re selling photos with us, you’ll be excited to hear that we will be announcing new partnerships that will give your photos an even greater reach, and new markets in which to sell.

We’re extremely proud of where we’ve taken 500px in recent years. We truly believe this acquisition is a great opportunity, and can’t wait to see the 500px community grow and prosper even more. We’re so honored to share the journey with all of you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email at press@500px.com.

– Your 500px Team