Just a few days after Corbis announced a new partnership with The Associated Press, the stock photo agency is now investing in Demotix, an "open news platform" fed by a network of 10,000 stringers, local freelance photographers and citizen journalists

Corbis and Demotix have declined to comment on financial details of the deal, which is the continuation of the two companies' relationship. In March, Demotix announced that Corbis would become a worldwide distributor of its imagery.

Speaking to BJP, Demotix' CEO Turi Munthe says that "Corbis approached us," with the offer to invest in the company. "We've been talking about strategic partnerships for a long time," he says. "It began with the media partnership, which we announced in March, and then developed from there. There are obvious and very powerful synergies."

The investment, according to Munthe, will allow Demotix to develop its offering with new upload systems, a website upgrade and more staff. Demotix also plans to strengthen its position in the video market. "We'll be announcing a variety of new features in the coming weeks, which will - I hope - make our reporters' lives a lot easier, and allow them to do their work faster and with maximum support."

He adds: "Demotix contributors are already beginning to benefit from the distribution partnership we have with Corbis (90,000 Demotix images are currently being licensed through Corbis). But this investment means Demotix and Corbis can now work together in real depth as long-term partners in the editorial space, and work on growing our markets together. The real increase we are already seeing in contributor revenues will only accelerate."

For Corbis, the move is just the latest in a series of deals designed to strengthen its position in the news market. On 23 August, it announced a deal with The Associated Press, which will see the stock agency distribute more than five millions of the AP's news photos. Corbis has also acquired Splash News, a leading celebrity photo and video content provider.

BJP also understands that Corbis is looking at redefining the way its news division and photographers work. A series of announcements is expected at this year's Visa Pour l'Image photojournalism festival, which BJP will be covering in-depth starting from Monday 29 August.