vidby is an AI translation software tool for video professionals
Please introduce yourself and your startup vidby to our readers!
We are Alexander Konovalov and Eugen von Rubinberg, founders of vidby.
Our start-up vidby is an AI translation software tool for video professionals. The tools support for example international companies, influencers, NGOs or media houses in making their videos accessible to a global audience in over 70 languages using AI technologies.
How did you get the idea of vidby?
We at vidby strive for an innovation-driven business culture. We believe in the power of ideas and are even more happy when we can solve worldwide problems with our solutions, like preserving the linguistic diversity on earth. In this way, we can make the world a better place by scaling up our ideas and deliver the best solutions.
Why did you decide to start with vidby?
Today, basically all relevant and important content is first created almost exclusively in English before the information is accessible in other languages. Keep in mind, that only 12% of the world’s population speaks English. In this way, we leave many people behind on important information, that is key to understanding and succeeding in the world. On the one hand, this highlights the size of the market for the vidby solution. On the other hand, it shows that there is still a lot to be done in intercultural dialogue. For understanding and fairness across cultures and languages, vidby wants to make a significant contribution.
What is the vision behind vidby?
To make any video content accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. For better understanding, diversity and interconnected people and markets. vidby wants to help preserve linguistic diversity.
How difficult was the start and which challenges you had to overcome?
At first, there was a funding problem. Otherwise, we could have brought our solutions much earlier to the market. To find funding, you need a built product and to build a product, you will need a funding. It´s a circle. To bypass the problem, we as founders, found an opportunity to finance the start of the project from our own resources. After we built a working prototype, we were able to get a few more angel investors. Now, vidby stands on a firm financial fundament.
Who is your target audience?
Our main target groups are B2B & B2G. Especially international companies, media houses, NGO’s, states/public organisations, Influencers and the education sector. So basically, anyone that can make a profit or reach their overall goals by translating video-content into other languages.
What is the USP of your startup?
Language is of most important matter in intercultural communication. With the help of technology, the world can move a little closer together. AI, like the one behind vidby, can contribute to this and thus preserve linguistic diversity and knowledge.
The methods and algorithms behind vidby are state-of-the-art for the automatic translation of video soundtracks. An international team of scientists, business and marketing experts uses the technology for a unique and ready-to-use solution for video translation.
We as vidby founders made an impact in language technology with our earlier projects. For example, we were technology partners of Google with the vidby predecessor DROTR. DROTR was the world’s first real-time translation service for video calls. The vidby solution is a technical evolution of the technology behind DROTR.
Can you describe your typical workday?
Our work schedule is really based on the day of the week. For example, Monday we focus on development, Tuesday – marketing and sales. Wednesday is meetings and bookkeeping. Thursday and Friday tasks, depending on the work schedule. If we take a typical working day, it is always divided into work with mail and task managers, work with documents, calls, monitoring processes and performance indicators.
Where do you see yourself and your startup vidby in five years?
Our task is to become a world leader in our segment and to make the word vidby synonymous with video translation, as today the word “Google” is synonymous with search, YouTube – video hosting and so on.
We also want to expand our market of opportunities, adding the ability to voice with emotions and by age, so that we can expand our market to feature films. The main goal is to create a new opinion among people that the language of a video is no longer a problem for the perception of it and that it is possible to watch all the videos in the world in your own mothers tounge. We are sure that our growth strategy will bloom.
What 3 tips would you give to founders?
1. Listen to other people’s opinions and advice, but always do it your own way.
2. If something does not work out now, then it means that it is so necessary. Wait, go ahead and everything will be in time. Because it’s never too late to do the right thing.
3. If you have been rejected by many investors and no one understands you, then most likely you are on the right track.
More information you will find here
Thank you Alexander Konovalov and Eugen von Rubinberg for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
