Meet Pixop: the AI Specialized in Upscaling Videos.

Hi Morten and Jon, how did you meet and what led you to start working on Pixop?

We have a history of collaboration, having worked together at one of Denmark’s pioneering internet companies, Certus. I (Morten) founded Certus back in 1996, and it gained recognition primarily for its browser-based multiplayer classic games. The company achieved a successful sales ten years later.

Jon then approached me with an intriguing idea in the autumn of 2017. He had developed a Super Resolution algorithm and sought my assistance in shaping a business involving this type of technology. I was drawn to the concept, and we embarked on our journey, gradually at first. After a year, we then fully committed our efforts once we secured a grant from the Danish Innovation Fund.

Who is Pixop for and what problem are you solving?

Well-established TV stations, media companies, and TV production firms in the Broadcast Media industry have led to the accumulation of large archives featuring popular documentaries, TV shows, and movies that have captivated audiences. However, these treasures are often constrained by low resolutions that fail to meet the expectations of today’s viewers.

This is where Pixop’s AI comes into play, enabling customers not only to stay relevant but also to monetize their archival content. Through a fully automated upscaling and enhancement process, Pixop’s AI breathes new life into these materials.

Furthermore, our AI offers the added advantage of extending the lifespan of clients’ HD production environments, resulting in significant cost savings. For instance, if there’s a demand for 4K broadcasting, clients can continue filming with their HD cameras, storing the footage in HD format. When it’s time for broadcasting, the AI seamlessly upscales the content to 4K, ensuring viewer expectations are met.

You are not the first startup to try solving this problem and there are already available proven solutions. Why should a company look at Pixop?

The video editing industry is vast, with numerous well-established “players” in the field. However, a majority of these players still rely on classic and conventional software, which requires downloading, expensive onsite hardware, and the expertise of a professional and highly skilled video editor to achieve success.

By utilizing Pixop AI, there’s no need for expensive onsite hardware or skilled video editors. We’ve fully automated the process and made it accessible through the cloud.

What do you think is the biggest problem right now in the media industry, and how does Pixop help solve that issue? 

I think the most significant challenge lies in meeting the viewers’ expectations of visual quality, as more and more have 4K HDR TV screens which are further compounded by shifting viewing habits. Fewer people are watching traditional Flow TV, with many now opting to watch TV shows on their iPads and laptops. 

Moreover, well-established TV stations are struggling to keep up with the many streaming channels that currently dominate the industry.

This struggle further emphasizes the need for innovative solutions like Pixop AI. By automating and streamlining the enhancement process of their archives, Pixop AI provides an avenue for these TV stations to bridge the gap and cater to the evolving preferences of modern viewers.

Let’s talk more about your products. What would you say distinguishes you from other similar solutions? What is your “killer app?”

In reality, there are no solutions available that are fully automated, as we are determined to achieve. What sets us apart and promises to be a game-changing application is the solution we are working towards. This means that our AI is designed to identify the specific issues within the analyzed footage and subsequently apply the required filters to rectify these issues.

Can you tell us a bit more about how your technology really works? How unique is your solution?

Our scalable video remastering solution is designed to run cost-efficiently on AWS infrastructure. We utilize proprietary generative AI filters to reverse the effects of lossy compression, blurring, upscaling, noise, etc. to inject realistic details into degraded video. With a focus on delivering video enhancements and manipulations, the uniqueness of our approach lies in our proprietary filters and ease of access. This enables users to achieve remarkable visual improvements with a simple click of a button.

Is Pixop available now? What do people need to get started with your service?

Certainly, our technology has been accessible for over four years already. You can seamlessly access it by either visiting pixop.com through your web browser or by utilizing our REST API.

Why would a company use Pixop?

When considering time to market, monetization, and cost-saving factors, it becomes evident that the service we provide isn’t ideally suited for TV stations and TV production companies to develop in-house. The process is highly time-consuming, and assembling the right team and retaining their expertise presents a significant challenge.

How many clients do you have today and in which countries are you seeing the biggest interest? 

We’ve witnessed remarkable organic growth in the number of paying users on pixop.com, with over 4000 users having made at least one purchase by now.

Moreover, our revenue has experienced an increase of around 400% over a span of 12 months. Among our paying users, there is a diverse blend of video professionals and skilled amateurs from around the world, with a significant majority hailing from English-speaking countries.

Furthermore, we are strategically focusing on the Broadcast Media industry. This shift is driven by the interest we are observing from industry leaders.

As a result, our entire focus will be directed towards serving the needs of the Broadcast industry, aiming to effectively solve everyday challenges.

What do you hope Pixop will be able to do for its users in the next few years that they can’t do now?
Efficiently implement ‘One-Click AI Enhancement’ and successfully tackle a diverse range of challenges for our clients in the Broadcast Media industry. We achieve this by improving our technology and adapting to the specific needs that arise.

Moreover, we are committed to ensuring seamless access to our technology, making it as effortless as possible for our clients.

Talk a bit about your experience with StartupYard. What were the surprises, challenges, highs, and lows?

Working with StartupYard and the mentors has been a pleasure. Despite the collaboration’s remote nature, Jon and I find ourselves at ease with it. We are confident that StartupYard’s support will enable us to successfully scale Pixop.