A daily newsletter summarizing recent activity & interesting start-ups globally
RECENT NOTABLE ACTIVITY – ONLINE VIDEO
- Pluto TV, an advertising based video on demand platform, raised $30 million in Series B funding, led by ProSiebenSat. Link
- Clarifai, a visual recognition AI company, raised $30M in Series B round of financing led by Menlo Ventures. Link
- Mobcrush, a mobile-first live streaming app and community for gamers, raised $20M in Series B round of financing led by Evolution Media. Link
- Wochit, a social video creation startup, raised $13M in a financing round led by ProSiebenSat., Digital, Singapore Press Holdings’ SPH Media Fund, Redpoint, Marker LLC and Cedar Fund. Link
- Viscovery, a visual analytics company, raised $10M in a funding round led by China Development Industrial Bank. Link
- Vessel, a social video startup, got acquired by Verizon. Link
- Presto, a subscription based video streaming platform, got acquired by Australian Pay TV provider Foxtel. Link
- Epoxy, a video syndication company, got acquired by video marketplace by Vemba. Link
- Google adds 4K and HDR to Chromecast Ultra. Link
- Roku introduces Direct Publisher for code-free channel creation. Link
- Turner Classic Movies launches FilmStruck, a subscription based video on demand platform. Link
- ATV Austria to launch free VOD service, ATV Smart. Link
- Clipbyte launches OTT platform for sharing private videos.Link
- FloSports announces launch of OTT apps on Roku & Apple TV. Link
- YouTube reportedly in talks with ABC, CBS, And ESPN, NBC and Fox to launch its own OTT. Link
- Vudu introduced Movies On Us, a free movie streaming service. Link
- Ericsson acquired more than 2,500 hours of content from international distributors including Viacom (MTV, BET, Nickelodeon), MGM, CBS, Al Jazeera, DHX Media and Mattel for its video on demand service Nuvu. Link
- Netflix released its third quarter report for 2016, exceeded the projected subscriber and revenue numbers. Link
- AT&T to release a new OTT offering called DirecTV Now for $35 a month. Link
- Icflix, a video on demand service used in the Middle East and North Africa, launched its official app on Microsoft’s Xbox One video game console. Link
- IBM puts Watson to work on OTT video analytics. Link
- Hooq ties up with ACT Fibrenet, brings video on-demand service to Hyderabad. Link
SOME INTERESTING STARTUPS FOUND
LEADER BOARD – ONLINE VIDEO
Content Creation
Animoto (2006, NYC, $30M) – Cloud based video creation app. Runs a freemium service that lets users create short video slideshows from collections of pictures and videos. Backed by Amazon, SoftTech VC, Madrona Venture Group, Spectrum Equity.
StudioNow (2007, Nashville, $20M) – Global marketplace of services and technology tools designed to match video content producers with enterprises. Backed by Claritas Capital, FCA Venture Partners, Clayton Associates, Launch Tennessee.
Video Content Management
Brightcove (2004, Boston, IPO) – Online video platform suites. Offers product to distribute and publish digital media. Went IPO in 2012.
Qumu (2002, San Bruno, IPO, Acq.) – Enterprise video platform. Provides tools to create, manage, secure, deliver and measure the success of videos. Acquired by Rimage Corporation in October 2011. Went public in 2011.
Video distribution- On demand
Netflix (1997, Los Gatos, IPO) – Subscription based online and offline video rental portal. Went public in 2002.
Hulu (2007, LA, $100M) – Subscription based online movies and TV streaming. Backed by Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company and Providence Equity Partners.
iQIYI (2010, Beijing, $350M) – Ad-supported television and movie portal. Provides fully-licensed, high-definition, professionally produced content. Part of Baidu. Backed by Baidu, Providence Equity Partners, Xiaomi, Shunwei.
Video distribution- Infrastructure
Ustream (2007, SF, $49M, Acq.) – Provider of live and on demand video solutions. Backed by DCM, Band of Angels, Western Technology Investment, SoftBank, Fenwick & West, KT Corp. Acquired by IBM in 2016.
Elemental Technologies (2006, Portland, $43M, Acq.) – Provider of software-based video solutions for content delivery to any device. Acquired by Amazon in 2015.
Multi Channel Networks
Tastemade (2012. Santa Monica, $80M) – YouTube Multi Channel Food Network. Backed by Goldman Sachs, Comcast Ventures, Redpoint Vnetures, Liberty Media, Raine Ventures, Scripps Network Interactive and Third Wave Digital.Provides gamer content across multiple video platforms. Backed by MK Capital, Google, Redpoint Ventures, Warner Bros.
Machinima (2000, West Hollywood $75M) – Provides gamer content across multiple video platforms. Backed by MK Capital, Google, Redpoint Ventures, Warner Bros.
Social Videos – Live Streaming
Azubu (2011, Sherman Oaks, $94M) – Offers live streaming eSports videos, news and analysis from tournaments, teams and players across multiple devices. Backed by Sapinda, Sallfort Privatbank AG.
Twitch (2011, SF, $35M, Acq. ) – Live and On-demand eSports streaming website. Website for gamers to stream and watch live and recorded video games. Acquired by Amazon in 2014.
Periscope (2014, SF, Acq.) – Live video streaming and broadcasting mobile app. Acquired by Twitter in 2015.
Social Platforms – Social Sharing
YouTube (2005, San Bruno, $11.5M, Acq.) – Video sharing website. Acquired by Google in 2006 for $1.65B.
Keek (2011, Toronto, IPO) – Web and mobile short video sharing platform. Allows users to create 36-second videos (“keeks”) using webcam, iPhone or Android devices and share them with others around the world. Went IPO in 2014.
Miaopai (2011, Beijing, $275M) – Chinese Online Video sharing company. Allows users to shoot up to ten seconds of video, and then edit or add frames to the video clips before sharing them to friends. Owned by Yixia Technology. Backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Redpoint Ventures, Sina Weibo and StarVC.
Vine (2012, NYC, Acq.) – Video taking and sharing platform. Lets users record and edit up to six-second-long looping video clips and revine, (share other’s posts) with followers. Acquired by Twitter in 2012.
Video Marketing and Syndication
Vidyard (2011, Kitchener, $61M) – Video marketing and analytics platform. Backed by Y Combinator, SV Angel, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, SoftTech VC, Battery Ventures, Salesforce, Inovia Capital and OMERS Ventures.
Milyoni (2009, Pleasanton, $30M, Acq.) – Provides social video and social video marketing for entertainment companies, brands, and artists. Backed by ATA Ventures, Thomvest Ventures and Oak Investment Partners. Acquired by Photobucket in 2015.
Video Advertising – DSP
TubeMogul (2006, Emeryville, IPO) – Video Demand Side Platform. Programmatic (desktop only) video advertising platform used by brands and agencies. Went IPO in 2014.
Extreme Reach (2007, Needham, $196M) – Enables advertisers and agencies to manage, execute, and track advertising campaigns across all video mediums (broadcast, cable, website, mobile, VOD). Backed by Village Ventures, Long River Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Spectrum Equity, TD Bank.
Video Advertising – SSP
Liverail (2008, SF, $12.5M, Acq.) – Supply-side video advertising platform. Provides premium publishers with RTB based video ad targeting technology to serve better ads in the videos that appear on their websites and apps. Acquired by Facebook in 2014.
Altitude Digital (2009, Denver, $54M) – Independent video Supply-side platform. Backed by Cypress Growth Capital, Mercato Partners, Silicon Valley Bank, FastPay.
Video Advertising – Ad Networks
YuMe (2004, Redwood City, IPO) – Develops video advertising technology for both the supply side and the demand side of the digital video ecosystem. Went IPO in 2013.
SpotX (2006, Denver, $12M, Acq.) – Programmatic video advertising platform. Connects thousands of publishers with trusted demand sources, running top brand campaigns through its marketplace. Acquired by RTL Group in 2014.
Video Advertising – Ad Exchanges
Tremor Video (2005, NYC, IPO) – Provides online video advertising services for advertisers, agencies, and publisher partners. Went IPO in 2013.
Brightroll (2006, SF, $46M, Acq.) – Delivers, manages and measures the performance of digital video ad campaigns across web, mobile, and connected TV. Acquired by Yahoo in 2014.
Video Advertising – Interactive Video
Innovid (2007, NYC, $53M) – Interactive Video Ad delivery platform. Provides advertisers with the tools to create, deliver, and measure video campaigns in any format on any screen, publisher, and ad network. Backed by Sequoia Capital, Cisco Investments, NewSpring Capital, Silicon Valley Bank.
Interlude (2010, NYC, $37M) – Designs, develops and markets interactive video technology. Backed by MGM, Warner Music, Samsung, Sequoia Capital and Intel Capital and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Video Analytics
Visible Measures (2005, Boston, $80M) – Analyzes the performance of video advertising for publishers and advertisers. Backed by Advance Publication, Commonfund, Northgate Capital, DAG Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, General Catalyst Partners.
iSpot.tv (2012, Seattle, $27M) – Analytics for TV ads. Backed by Insight Venture Partners, Madrona Venture Group, TL Ventures.
Leaderboard includes all the top funded, IPO and successfully running bootstrapped companies along with their location, founding year and funding amount.
For latest update, visit Online Video feed.