PE Tech Report

NEWSLETTER

Like this article?

Sign up to our free newsletter

Edge Investments backs video distribution platform Airbeem

Edge Investments (Edge) has invested in a significant minority shareholding in Over the Top (OTT) video distribution platform Airbeem.

Airbeem’s multi-use Software as a Service (SaaS) platform enables content owners to publish and monetise their video content direct to consumers by creating immersive video experiences reaching audiences on all devices.
 
Its turnkey solution for the middle market provides an end-to-end solution between content owners and consumers, offering easy and affordable ways for publishers delivering their content to drive various monetisation models and create a compelling user experience around their content.
 
As research shows an ongoing decline in linear TV viewing, with an average fall of 11 per cent between 2010 and 2015, and a 27 per cent decrease in the age 16-24 demographic, online video distribution continues to gather strength. Airbeem is perfectly positioned to benefit from this growth in OTT delivery.
 
Publishers are keen to move content onto OTT platforms, but are hampered by the complexity of the service offerings, disparate technologies which are required and business models previously available. Without significant in-house development resource, and access to one of the few very costly, large, dominant incumbents, this has proven a very difficult challenge.
 
Airbeem solves this problem. Its off-the-shelf technology solution enables publishers to grow the channels delivering their content and provides a tailored, enhanced user experience at a significantly lower price than the large incumbents.  
 
Backed by an experienced management team, Airbeem’s platform is technically sophisticated while accessible to smaller, medium and larger publishers and content owners, offering great potential to scale.
 
Edge’s investment will be used to grow operations and roll-out the platform through increased sales and marketing activity.
 
David Glick, Founder and CEO at Edge Investments, says: “People are consuming more video than ever. 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, with the number of hours spent watching its videos up 60 per cent year-on-year.  Over half a billion people are watching video on Facebook every day. Netflix has more than 115 million subscribers.
 
“Businesses need technologies to facilitate the publishing of their video content, an increasingly complex challenge in a multi-format, ever more mobile-led environment.  As a market-leading company, Airbeem is well placed to turn videos into revenue generating assets. We are excited to partner with Steve and his team.”
 
Steve Carle, Investment Director at Edge Investments, adds: “Steve Hardman and his team have built up an impressive business which has successfully become a one-stop-shop for content owners. We were particularly excited by its business model which provides content owners with innovative ways of monetising content. The growth potential for the sector is significant and with the scalability of Airbeem’s technology, we are looking forward to supporting Airbeem as it continues to expand in the booming OTT market.”
 
Steve Hardman, CEO of Airbeem, says: “We’re excited to be partnering with one of the leading lights of the creative industries sector in the UK. The burgeoning video publishing industry is powered by a new generation of over 2.5 billion consumers under the age of 25, whose preferred entertainment consumption has fundamentally changed from the generation before, from big to small screens. Our vision is to make it easy and affordable for any content owner to also be a channel owner and create unique experience around their content giving them the power to take control of how they monetise. We’re looking forward to be partnering with Edge, whose knowledge and track record of investing successfully in content and technology will help us scale our business to take it to the next level.”
 

Like this article? Sign up to our free newsletter

MOST POPULAR

FURTHER READING

Featured