November 07, 2005 14:54 ET

YouTube Receives $3.5M in Funding From Sequoia Capital

Internet Commerce Pioneers From PayPal Reunite to Make Videos Fast, Fun and Easy for Consumers to Create Their Own Personal Video Network

MENLO PARK, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 7, 2005 -- YouTube, a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, today announced it has completed a $3.5M round of private equity funding from Sequoia Capital. YouTube, founded by Internet commerce pioneers from PayPal, has developed a new service that allows people to easily upload, tag, and share personal video clips through www.YouTube.com and across the Internet on other sites, blogs and through e-mail. The service also allows users to create their own personal video network.

This investment will be used to accelerate the company's rapid growth, enhance product development and expand sales and marketing efforts.

"With more and more people carrying around devices that capture video -- from digital cameras to cell phones -- YouTube is set to become an essential destination for watching and sharing these experiences," said Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube. "We are very pleased by the support of Sequoia Capital. Since our public preview, we are already moving 8 terabytes of data per day through the YouTube community -- the equivalent of moving one Blockbuster store a day over the Internet."

Prior to YouTube, it was not easy for people to make video available on the Web. The burden was on the user to support all the media players and the 100s of multimedia formats. YouTube is using its advanced technology infrastructure so consumers can broadcast their videos globally in a fast, fun and easy way.

"We are very excited to be involved with YouTube at a time when consumers are poised to benefit from all the consumer electronics available. The demand for user-generated content continues to grow exponentially," said Roelof Botha, Sequoia Capital partner and former CFO of PayPal. "We've already seen user-generated content blossom in text through blogging, in photographs through services like Flickr and Shutterfly, and in audio through podcasting. YouTube is pioneering the next wave to become Internet's premier video service."

About YouTube

Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. Founded by early commerce pioneers of PayPal, YouTube allows people to easily upload, tag, and share personal video clips through www.YouTube.com and across the Internet on other sites, blogs and through e-mail, as well as to create their own personal video network. With investment support from Sequoia Capital, YouTube is set to become the Internet's premier video service.

About Sequoia Capital

Since 1972, Sequoia Capital has provided startup venture capital for very smart people who want to turn ideas into companies. As the "Entrepreneurs Behind the Entrepreneurs," Sequoia Capital's Partners have worked with innovators such as Sandy Lerner and Len Bozack of Cisco Systems, Jerry Yang and David Filo of Yahoo!, Gaurav Garg of Redback Networks, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Dan Warmenhoven of Network Appliance, T.J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, Lou Tomasetta of Vitesse Semiconductor, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer and Larry Ellison of Oracle. The companies organized by Sequoia Capital now account for about 10% of the value of NASDAQ. To learn more about Sequoia Capital visit www.sequoiacap.com.