Kik Messenger is a real-time cross-platform instant messenger application for iOS and Android. A version for Windows Phone 7 was released in June 2011.

Kik Messenger was released on October 19, 2010 by Kik Interactive. It took only 15 days for Kik Messenger to reach one million user registrations, with Twitter

Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 being credited as a catalyst for the new application's explosion.

On November 24, 2010, Research In Motion

Research In Motion

Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...

 removed Kik Messenger from BlackBerry

BlackBerry

BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...

 App World and limited the functionality of the software for its users.

On March 7, 2011, Kik announced $8 million in Series A funding by three venture capital firms – RRE Ventures

RRE Ventures

RRE Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investments across several disciplines, including software, internet, mobile, financial services, environmental, and other related technologies, primarily within the United States, and especially in and around New York...

, Spark Capital, and Union Square Ventures

Union Square Ventures

Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City, New York, United States.The firm was founded by Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham in 2004...

. It also announced that Fred Wilson

Fred Wilson (financier)

Fred Wilson is a New York-based venture capitalist and a prominent blogger. Due to his successful investment track record and community involvement, he is recognized as a leading voice of the venture capital finance community in New York...

of USV and Adam Ludwin of RRE Ventures would join the company's board of directors.