From humble beginnings, this stock imagery startup is now worldwide. Here’s a look at its culture

The hallway of 123RF where employees strike up conversation.

Disclosure: Warren is the VP for strategic partnerships and revenue at 123RF.com.

This is a story that began 16 years ago in a small office block with a handful of people. These were the humble beginnings of Inmagine Group, a SEA-based company focused on selling stock imagery to the international markets.

Now, the company has 44 offices worldwide, more than 450 employees from over 20 nationalities and a strong focus on technology and design.

Even with its rapid growth and increased recognition in the global space, however, the group remains focused on one simple thing: to help brands tell their stories.

“We are passionate about building a world-class player in the creative content and platforms space,” CEO, Marco Oonk, says. “Our people and our technology are the foundation of our business serving our clients and contributors.”

123RF, is the flagship of Inmagine Group and where I’ve worked for the past months. It is the fourth largest royalty-free digital media library in the world with 60 million stock images, audio clips, video footages, and illustrations sourced from over 300,000 contributors.

A marketplace for royalty-free creative content.

Here’s a look at what goes on behind the scenes in our office.

Inclusive culture

123RF’s core values.

As Richard Pascale said: “Great companies make meaning. A company has a name, but its people give it meaning.” At the Inmagine Group office, titles and hierarchy are just that—titles and hierarchy. There is no rank when it comes to getting the work done, only teamwork.

Being bootstrapped with no external funding, the company has grown into a tight-knit culture based on a shared set of core values. Office politics are no-nos, and people are focused on the common goal of building a world-class design ecosystem.

Fun in the office

Our office

Always looking for hires