reduct.video raises $4m to simplify video editing

Reduct.Video Aims to Boost Business Video Creation

The team at Reduct.Video is working towards a significant expansion in the volume of videos produced by businesses.

This startup’s technology is currently utilized by prominent companies such as Intuit, Autodesk, Facebook, Dell, Spotify, Indeed, Superhuman, and IDEO.

Recent Funding Announcement

Reduct has recently announced the successful completion of a $4 million funding round. This round was spearheaded by Greylock and South Park Commons, and also included participation from Dylan Field, CEO of Figma, Armando Mann, Chief Business Officer at Hopin, and Elad Gil, a former executive at Twitter.

Addressing the Challenges of Business Video Editing

Reduct was founded by Prabhas Pokharel, serving as CEO, and Robert Ochshorn, the CTO.

Pokharel posits that while streaming video platforms and social media have flourished for consumers, video remains comparatively “underutilized” within business operations.

This is largely due to the substantial time investment required to sift through video footage, let alone refine it into a presentable format.

Leveraging AI for Streamlined Editing

As demonstrated by Pokharel, Reduct employs artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and related technologies to simplify this process.

The system automatically transcribes video footage, with options for professional transcription services also available.

This transcript is then directly linked to the corresponding video content.

“This connection is where the core functionality lies: each word within the transcription is synchronized with its precise moment in the video,” Pokharel explained.

Consequently, video editing becomes as straightforward as text editing.

Similar text-to-media linkages are found in tools like Otter, though Otter primarily focuses on audio transcription.

Furthermore, this capability enables users to efficiently search through extensive footage for specific topics, facilitating organization, tagging, and sharing.

The Role of AI and Human Editors

Pokharel emphasizes that AI assists in streamlining aspects of the sorting and editing workflow, such as understanding the relationships between different search queries.

However, he believes complete automation is unlikely.

Instead, he envisions Reduct as an “Iron Man suit” – a tool that empowers human editors, enhancing their capabilities.

Shifting Perspectives on Video Content

This approach also influences how businesses perceive video content, extending beyond simply accelerating the editing process.

“Reduct users prioritize authenticity over excessive polishing, placing greater emphasis on the video’s content itself,” Pokharel stated.

He added that Reduct continually evolves based on user feedback, discovering new applications for the product.

For instance, user research teams can now readily organize and distribute hundreds of hours of user footage, while marketing teams can transform customer testimonials and webinars into concise, shareable videos.

Addressing Supply Constraints and Unexplored Use Cases

“The limited availability of video content has been a significant constraint,” he observed.

“Numerous potential applications for asynchronous video remain unexplored by companies.”

Pokharel cited an example of a customer who previously required team members to attend meetings, even if only a few minutes of the discussion were relevant to them.

With Reduct, she can now efficiently “return that time” to her team by sharing only the necessary segments.