London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Clubhouse: What is the new app and how do I get an invite?

Clubhouse: What is the new app and how do I get an invite?

Invite-only ‘drop-in audio chat’ app Clubhouse is the thing of the moment. It has become the app people in elite and social media-savvy circles are casually mentioning to friends, and it is now making headlines around the world.

Members range from Oprah, Drake and Kanye West to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

The tech billionaires both made made much-covered appearances in its virtual meeting rooms last month, along with investing app Robinhood's CEO, Vladimir Tenev. Just this weekend the Tesla and Space X founder made more noise about the app by Tweeting a public invite to Russian President Vladimir Putin to join him "for a conversation on Clubhouse".

Talk around the app is beginning to reach beyond billionaire founders, CEOs and celebrities, too.

It was launched in March 2020 and by May 2020 it was being valued at $100 million, according to CNN. It is now reportedly valued at around $1 billion following its latest funding round, making it a global player in terms of size.

It has even begun to become entwined with geopolitics. Last Monday Beijing moved to block the app, the Financial Times reported, after it became a rare space for Chinese internet users to discuss sensitive and political subjects free of surveillance. Invites had been advertised for up to $78 apiece ahead of the move.

Here we take a look at this app, its background and investors, and - importantly - how you can join:


What is Clubhouse?


The app, which can only be hosted on iPhone, is a social network/podcasting hybrid. It allows you to hear talks on all kinds of topics in its virtual rooms, which operate a bit like a real-life panel talk or conference - people in the audience are only allowed to talk when they're selected.

Discussions range from how to secure investment in your start-up to cooking, and, like in-person conversations, the talks on the app are not recorded or released. There is no written posting function.

Who founded Clubhouse?


The platform was founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, both of whom had previously worked in the tech start-up world.

The pair met back in 2011 through a friend and "connected over a shared love of social products". In late 2019 they reconnected, and decided to give founding a new app a last shot.

The founders say that in launching Clubhouse, their "goal was to build a social experience that felt more human—where instead of posting, you could gather with other people and talk".

They wrote on their blog: "Our north star was to create something where you could close the app at the end of the session feeling better than you did when you opened it, because you had deepened friendships, met new people and learned."

How do you join Clubhouse?


The app is invite-only, and each new member is only allowed to ask one person to join - a bit like in some traditional members' clubs. But there is no vetting process to go through after being invited, so once you've got that link, you're in (complete with a party popper symbol to indicate you've just arrived).

The app states that you can also request to join and be added to a waiting list, however, so don't worry if you don't know anyone with access.

How big is Clubhouse?


The app has rocketed from having 5,000 members in May 2020 to more than 2 million "weekly active users" today, leading to many comment pieces emerging saying that the exclusive app has gone mainstream.

According to data provider App Annie, nearly 940,000 people installed it in the last week of January alone.

Do you have to pay for Clubhouse?


No. It currently has no adverts or fees, and its founders have said that "our focus now is on opening up Clubhouse to the whole world". In late January the company released a post stating that they're considering implementing paid features, tickets or subscriptions, however, to pay creators for hosting discussions.

Who are Clubhouse's investors?


Clubhouse has publicly stated that as of end January it has 180 investors, including "many members" of the team who were there at the app’s very beginning.

Its most talked-about backer has been venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, which has invested tens of millions of dollars into the platform. The firm, which was founded by US venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, led a reported $100 million fundraising round in January that is said to have valued the start-up at around $1 billion.

Can you get Clubhouse on Android?


Not yet - the app is currently iPhone-only. But its founders say they plan to use some of the new funds raise to begin work on an Android version.

Are there any Clubhouse rivals?


Twitter is reported to be developing a Clubhouse-like voice product called Spaces, which would be hosted within its platform.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×