NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 22, 2023--
Captions, the leading AI-powered creative studio, announced today that they have raised $25 million in Series B funding led by Kleiner Perkins, a renowned venture capital firm in the technology industry. Other esteemed investors including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and SV Angel also participated, bringing the total capital raised to date to $40 million. With positive cash flow and impressive growth, Captions solidifies its position as a disruptor in video editing, officially launching its flagship product after a successful debut on the Apple App Store in January 2021. The Series B funding marks a significant milestone for Captions, enabling the company to further level the playing field for creators by offering the opportunity for anyone, anywhere to develop and publish studio-grade content with the power of AI.
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Captions' AI Music feature (Photo: Business Wire)
“Our vision for Captions goes well beyond just video creation. It’s about empowering individuals, regardless of background or experience, by providing them with tools to effectively communicate their ideas or stories,” said Gaurav Misra, co-founder and CEO of Captions. “Video content is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with a major trend towards ‘talking videos’—where creators address the camera directly to share opinions or personal stories. To support this evolution, we have developed user-friendly features that enhance ‘talking videos’ and make creating high-quality content more accessible.”
The Series B funding builds upon earlier investments, including a seed round and a Series A round co-led by Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. Prestigious investors such as Uncommon Projects, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, Lenny Rachitsky, Julie Zhuo, Antoine Martin, Nico Wittenborn, Jacob Andreou, Ben Rubin, Jaren Glover, Chapter One, 20VC, Ludlow Ventures, among others, also participated in these earlier funding efforts.
“AI is redefining how digital products are created, and Captions has emerged as the leading AI-powered platform for video content. Millions of users have already leveraged it to tell their stories and engage audiences,” said Everett Randle, partner of Kleiner Perkins. “Gaurav and the Captions team have deep empathy for and understanding of creators from their time at Snap that we believe is critical in building within this new era of AI-enabled product development. We’re thrilled to lead Captions’ Series B and support the creation of the AI-powered creative studio.”
Since its inception in 2021, Captions has experienced exceptional growth, mobilizing over three million creators to produce studio-quality videos with ease, directly from their mobile devices. Within the first six months of its debut, Captions witnessed an astounding achievement, with over 100,000 active daily users and more than one million videos created on the platform each month. This accomplishment highlights Captions’ success in upending the content creation and distribution landscape, making a significant impact on the creator economy. It further cements their position as innovators in the realm of next-generation storytelling.
“We were immediately drawn to Gaurav’s discerning eye for design and proven experience building world-class products at companies like Snap and Microsoft,” said Mike Vernal of Sequoia Capital. “Captions’ use of AI for video production has the potential to revolutionize the studio experience for today’s creator economy. The user enthusiasm and loyalty Captions has experienced this early on is a clear indication of their future success. We are excited to partner with Gaurav and team and cheer them on in the next phase of their business.”
Captions has introduced a new concept of a one-stop AI-powered creative studio, dedicated to enhancing “talking videos”. As a trusted creative partner and super-assistant, Captions simplifies and automates various aspects of video production, including captioning, editing, dubbing, script creation, and music integration. This streamlines the video creation process, making it quick and easy for creators of all skill levels to bring their vision to life with just a few quick taps.
“When we first met with Gaurav and Dwight over two years ago, we were excited by their mission to democratize video creation at scale—first with tools for ‘talking videos’ which make up a large percentage of short form video consumption, and more recently through a growing suite of public and forthcoming products that combine cutting edge AI technologies and strong consumer design sensibilities,” added Bryan Kim, investment partner of Andreessen Horowitz.
Captions offers a range of cutting-edge features designed to ease and enhance the process of developing premium video content. Prominent features include:
- Al Dubbing: Seamlessly dubs the speaker’s voice into another language, empowering creators to overcome language barriers and reach new audiences.
- AI Shorts: Automatically extracts viral-worthy clips from any long-form video, allowing creators to easily promote long-form content and maximize the value of existing material.
- Al Voiceover: Generates a voiceover indistinguishable from human-voice based on text alone, enabling creators to narrate their videos effortlessly without recording themselves.
- AI Zoom: Automatically incorporates relevant zooms to keep the video captivating and engaging.
- AI Eye Contact: Corrects the subject’s eye contact to give the impression of looking directly at the camera, fostering a more engaging connection with viewers.
- AI Music: Automatically composes unique and royalty-free music tailored to each video, elevating the overall production value.
- AI Images and Emojis: Automatically inserts relevant images and emojis into videos, enhancing visual storytelling and audience engagement.
For more information about Captions, visit www.captions.ai or download the Captions app on iOS.
About Captions
Captions is a revolutionary creative studio that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to transform the content creation process, enabling customers to effortlessly produce studio-quality videos directly from their mobile devices. By empowering every creator to effectively share their stories and ideas, Captions aims to foster a more inclusive and diverse online community. As industry pioneers, Captions introduced the world’s first camera app designed specifically for “talking videos”, catering to the increasing demand for this engaging content format. Evolving into a comprehensive creator platform, this iOS-based subscription seamlessly tackles tasks such as captioning, editing, dubbing, script creation, and music integration, streamlining the entire workflow for creators.
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CONTACT: BerlinRosen
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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOCIAL MEDIA INTERNET AUDIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY APPS/APPLICATIONS ENTERTAINMENT
SOURCE: Captions
Copyright Business Wire 2023.
PUB: 06/22/2023 08:00 AM/DISC: 06/22/2023 08:01 AM
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