Trint Raises $3.1 Million for AI-Driven Transcription Service
Trint, a London-based startup co-founded by Emmy-winning journalist Jeff Kofman, is tackling a common challenge: the time-consuming process of transcribing audio and video content. The company leverages machine learning and speech-to-text technology to automate transcription, but it recognizes that automation is often not perfect. To address this, Trint offers a user-friendly interface that combines a web-based audio/video player with a text editor, allowing users to easily review and edit the automated transcription.
“We glue the text output of automated speech-to-text to the original source audio. And that means that you can follow it like karaoke,” explains Kofman, highlighting the intuitive design. Trint’s approach makes it easy to identify and correct inaccuracies in the transcription.
Trint’s impact extends beyond journalism and academic interviews. The company recognizes that a significant portion of digital content is in audio or video format, making it difficult to search. Trint aims to unlock this “dark data” by making it easily searchable and accessible.
“In the digital age, more than 80 percent of the content that we look at is recorded content, whether it’s video or audio, and none of it’s searchable,” Kofman points out. “There’s this concept of dark data. If you look at a video on YouTube or on a news website or at a corporate website and you want to find a specific reference you have to listen to it.”
Trint originally launched in September 2016 with funding from the Knight Enterprise Fund, the Google Digital News Initiative, BBC Worldwide Labs, and Cisco. Its rapid growth, with close to 7,000 regular users in just nine months, attracted the attention of investors.
The $3.1 million in “pre-Series A funding,” led by Horizons Labs, will be used to develop new technologies and features. Trint plans to become an “end-to-end publishing platform,” launch a mobile app, and develop enterprise solutions for various sectors including media, education, business, and government.
