Company Overview
Whereby (formerly known as appear.in) was founded in 2015 by Simen Svale Skogsrud, Einar Trulsson, and Morten Hjerde in Oslo, Norway. It is a browser-based video conferencing platform that requires no download or installation — participants join meetings directly through their browser, eliminating the friction of traditional video conferencing software.
Serving over 10 million users across education, healthcare, remote work, and customer support, Whereby is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, operating as an independent company. It is widely recognized as a pioneer in browser-native video conferencing.
In the communication space, Whereby competes with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Jitsi Meet, Daily.co, LiveKit, and 100ms.
Core Products
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Whereby Video Meetings | Browser-based video conferencing with no download required, supporting screen sharing, chat, and recording |
| Whereby Embedded | Embedded video API for integrating real-time video calls into web and mobile applications |
| Whereby Rooms | Persistent meeting rooms with fixed links, ideal for daily team use and recurring meetings |
| Whereby Business | Enterprise-grade paid plan with larger participant limits, recording, branding, and admin controls |
| Whereby SDK | Developer SDK for deep integration of Whereby video capabilities into proprietary products |
Core Strengths
- Zero Download: Fully browser-based — participants join with a single click, no software or plugin installation needed
- Minimalist Experience: Clean, intuitive interface with an efficient meeting creation and joining flow
- Embeddable: Whereby Embedded and SDK enable video integration into SaaS products, education platforms, and telehealth apps
- Privacy-Friendly: End-to-end encryption options keep meeting data within the user's browser
- Lightweight Deployment: Ideal for small teams and rapid collaboration needs without IT support
Key Milestones
- 2015: Whereby launched as appear.in in Oslo, Norway, pioneering browser-based video conferencing
- 2018: Rebranded to Whereby, introducing enterprise plans and an embedded video API
- 2026: Continues improving product experience, serving 10M+ users worldwide
Market Position
Whereby is a pioneer in browser-native video conferencing, differentiated by its zero-download approach. Its main competitors include:
- Zoom: The most popular video conferencing platform globally, with desktop and mobile apps
- Google Meet: Built-in video conferencing tool within Google Workspace, widely adopted by enterprises
- Microsoft Teams: Core of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, integrating chat, meetings, and collaboration
- Jitsi Meet: Open-source video conferencing solution supporting self-hosted deployments
- Daily.co: Embedded video call API designed for developers and product teams
- LiveKit: Open-source real-time audio/video platform with flexible self-hosted and cloud options
- 100ms: Real-time video infrastructure platform focused on embedded video scenarios
