Kik’s pursuit of the youth market has kept the Waterloo, Ont.-based company largely off the mainstream radar.
“I think we’re the most under-the-radar company of our size in Canada, certainly. If you were to go to the average Canadian and say, ‘Have you heard of Kik?’ probably everybody would say, ‘No,’ ” Mr. Livingston said.
“And yet, on Christmas Day, if you were to look at the top free apps on iTunes, Kik was the only Canadian company in the top 100 (at No. 7).”
Securing mainstream attention isn’t a priority for Mr. Livingston. He’s primarily focused on adding new users, many of them teenagers. The company claims it adds 250,000 users a day, but won’t say how many actually stay as active users.
Mr. Livingston said his goal is to create the “third great network” (after telephone and the Internet). That goal may seem far-fetched for a mere chat app, but if Mr. Livingston is to achieve it, he must boost Kik’s profile. “We need a much bigger reputation,” he said. “We need to be known as a hot company.”
Founded in 2009 by a group of University of Waterloo students, Kik has raised a total of $70.5 million, including $38.3 million late last year.
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