DeepL
DeepL SE is a Cologne, Germany-based language AI company that provides a proprietary specialized LLM powering text, document, and real-time voice translation across 100+ languages for 200,000+ businesses and 1 million paid license holders in 228 global markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What DeepL does
DeepL SE is a Cologne, Germany-based language AI company founded in 2017 by CEO Jaroslaw Kutylowski, operating a proprietary specialized large language model trained on data curated by thousands of in-house language experts and running on its own supercomputer-class compute infrastructure powered by NVIDIA. The company provides translation, writing, and real-time voice products across 100+ languages to over 200,000 business customers and 1 million paid license holders in 228 markets, with adoption by 50% of the Fortune 500. Its product portfolio spans DeepL Translator (text, files, and image translation with format-preserving document output across PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, SRT, and TXT), DeepL Write (style and tone adaptation), DeepL Voice (real-time meeting and conversation translation integrated with Microsoft Teams and Zoom), DeepL API (REST translation and voice for developers and ISVs), DeepL Agent (autonomous AI coworker), and the Customization Hub (centralized translation management).
DeepL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DeepL
- Legal name
- DeepL SE
- Website
- https://deepl.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- DeepL SE is a Cologne, Germany-based language AI company that provides a proprietary specialized LLM powering text, document, and real-time voice translation across 100+ languages for 200,000+ businesses and 1 million paid license holders in 228 global markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DeepL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Language AI Translation Software
- NAICS
- Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Machine Translation & Multilingual NLP (HDAAADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Speech Translation & Multilingual Speech Tech (HDAAAFAE)
Keywords
Where DeepL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
DeepL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- DeepL Pro subscriptions (Translator, Write, Voice): Recurring monthly/annual subscriptions for Pro Advanced and Pro Ultimate plans targeting individuals, teams, and SMBs; bundles combine Translator, Write, and Voice access.
- DeepL API (Free and Pro): Usage-based pricing for character translation volume and Voice API minutes; tiered free/Pro API for developers and ISVs embedding DeepL into their products.
- Freemium consumer and SMB tier: Free web translator, desktop/mobile apps with limited characters and image translation (e.g., 1500 chars/day for free image translation) functioning as top-of-funnel for paid conversion.
- Enterprise contracts and Customization Hub: Custom enterprise agreements including SSO, BYOK encryption, audit logs, dedicated account management, Customization Hub, and AI Agent deployment; sold via field sales.
- Channel/reseller distribution revenue: Revenue share via channel partners including Macnica (Japan/APAC distribution) and Bango Digital Vending Machine (telcos, banks, retailers reselling DeepL subscriptions).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Translator / Free API |
| Subscription | Monthly | DeepL Pro Advanced and Pro Ultimate |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro Advanced/Ultimate with Glossary Generator |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | DeepL API Free and API Pro |
| Subscription | Annual | DeepL Write Pro |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Custom Contracts |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels9 records
DeepL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DeepL is a software company that offers a communication platform for AI-based translation, editing, and writing services. Its core products are DeepL Translator (neural machine translation across 100+ languages), DeepL Write (AI writing assistant for style, tone, and grammar), DeepL Voice (real-time voice translation for meetings, conversations, and contact centers), and the DeepL API for embedding language AI into third-party products and workflows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DeepL Translator: Neural machine translation platform supporting 100+ languages for text, files, and document translation.
- DeepL Write
- DeepL Voice
- DeepL API
- DeepL Agent
- DeepL Pro
- DeepL Marketplace
- Customization Hub
Products and services
- DeepL Translator DeepL's flagship neural machine translation service. Translates text, files (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, SRT, TXT), and images across 100+ languages. Pro features include Glossaries, Rules, Clarify, and alternatives. Trusted by over 200,000 businesses globally and millions of individuals across 228 markets.
- DeepL Write
- DeepL Voice Real-time AI voice translation suite for virtual meetings and in-person conversations. Includes DeepL Voice for Meetings (integrated with Microsoft Teams and Zoom), Voice for Conversations (mobile and web), Group Conversation, and a Voice-to-Voice API. Supports 40+ languages including all 24 official EU languages. 96% linguist preference in Slator benchmark.
- DeepL API REST API enabling developers to integrate DeepL Language AI into their products and systems. Supports translation, document translation, glossaries (multilingual), voice transcription/translation, and voice-to-voice capabilities. Available as DeepL API Free and DeepL API Pro tiers; Pro tier required for Voice API. Available on AWS Marketplace. Documented at developers.deepl.com with GitHub libraries.
- DeepL Pro Paid subscription tier (Pro Advanced and Pro Ultimate plans) providing unlimited translation, advanced data security (BYOK, SSO, audit logs), and access to Pro features including Translator, Write, and Voice. Targeted at individuals, teams, and SMBs with 30-day free trial; available monthly and annually.
- DeepL Agent Autonomous AI coworker that automates tasks for knowledge workers across HR, customer service, sales outreach, and marketing coordination using natural language commands. Built on DeepL's proprietary LLM and integrates with existing business systems. Positions DeepL against OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft in the agentic AI market.
- Customization Hub Centralized translation management platform for customizing terminology, glossaries, translation memory, tone, and translation quality across teams. Includes AI Agent capabilities for automated multilingual business workflows. Targets enterprise translation management.
- DeepL on AWS Marketplace DeepL's Language AI platform available on AWS Marketplace, allowing customers to procure, deploy, and manage DeepL through AWS infrastructure. Simplifies procurement and deployment for AWS-centric enterprises.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% preference among professional linguists over Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom in blind Slator benchmark
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use DeepL
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments12 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DeepL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
DeepL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- MixhaloflagshipDeepL acquired Mixhalo's team and technology in June 2026 to expand DeepL Voice real-time AI voice translation into large-scale live environments (conferences, sports events, meetings). Mixhalo's ultra-low latency audio tech, already used by MLB and NASCAR, supports tens of thousands of simultaneous attendees. Acquisition marked DeepL's opening of its first San Francisco office.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)flagshipDeepL Language AI platform is available on AWS Marketplace; DeepL added AWS as a sub-processor on April 23, 2026 as part of global infrastructure expansion. DeepL completed AWS Foundational Technical Review validating alignment with AWS security and reliability best practices.
- Microsoft (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft 365)flagshipDeepL offers native add-ins for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Microsoft 365, plus DeepL Voice for Meetings integration with Microsoft Teams.
- ZoomflagshipDeepL Voice for Meetings integrates with Zoom to deliver real-time translated captions and speech; Zoom was benchmarked alongside DeepL Voice in Slator study (DeepL scored 96.4/100 vs. ~87-89 for competitors).
- Google WorkspacecoreDeepL offers an integration with Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides) via browser extension and dedicated add-on.
- BangocorePartnership announced November 2025 to make DeepL Language AI services available through Bango's Digital Vending Machine (DVM), enabling global resellers like telcos, banks, and retailers to bundle DeepL subscriptions alongside other digital content.
- MacnicacoreMacnica signed a distribution agreement with DeepL in September 2025 to distribute DeepL's language AI services in Japan and APAC.
- Apryse Systems Inc.coreDeepL licenses Apryse SDK for its in-house PDF translation service; copyright Apryse Systems Inc. 2001-2024, distributed by DeepL SE under license.
- SynthesiacoreSynthesia and DeepL partner to deliver multilingual video innovation; Synthesia uses DeepL's Language AI to power multilingual video creation for enterprise customers.
- WeglotcoreWeglot and DeepL partnership serves more than 55,000 Weglot customers and supports up to 44% conversion rate uplift for multilingual websites.
- Saltlux InnovationcoreSaltlux Innovation partners with DeepL to drive transformation of multilingual communications for Korean enterprises.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA powers DeepL AI infrastructure (referenced in DeepL AI Labs content); DeepL uses NVIDIA compute for training and inference of its specialized LLM.
- TransPerfectcoreTransPerfect integrates DeepL MT and glossary capabilities into its enterprise translation solutions, citing accuracy and terminology consistency as key benefits.
- Government of Germany (Federal Chancellor's Strategy Group for Technology and Innovation)flagshipDeepL CEO Jarek Kutylowski was appointed to Germany's Strategy Group for Technology and Innovation, a top advisory body to the German Chancellery, to enhance Germany's global leadership in AI and innovation.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights8 records
DeepL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Google Translate / Google Cloud Translation: Google's machine translation product, offered both as a free consumer tool and as a paid API on Google Cloud. Competes directly with DeepL in text and document translation, with broader language coverage but lower independent quality scores in Slator benchmarks, and is bundled into Google's productivity and cloud platforms.
- Microsoft Translator: Microsoft's machine translation service natively integrated into Office, Teams, and Azure AI services. Directly competes with DeepL Translator and DeepL Voice in the enterprise productivity stack and is one of the named comparators in the Slator benchmark where DeepL Voice scored 96.3/100 vs. lower competitor scores.
- Amazon Translate: AWS-native neural machine translation service offered on usage-based pricing as part of the Amazon Comprehend and AWS AI suite. Competes with DeepL's API and AWS Marketplace offering, leveraging bundled procurement for AWS-centric enterprises.
- Lionbridge: Large global language services provider offering translation, localization, and AI data services to enterprises. Comparable to DeepL in target verticals (legal, financial, manufacturing, life sciences) and serves overlapping enterprise customers, but operates primarily through human linguists with MT augmentation.
- RWS Group: UK-listed language services and intellectual property services company offering enterprise translation, localization, and AI training data. Comparable to DeepL in target enterprise customers and translation technology offerings, including proprietary MT engines and localization platforms.
- TransPerfect: World's largest language services provider, offering enterprise translation, interpretation, and content management. Both a customer and partner of DeepL (TransPerfect integrates DeepL MT and glossaries into its solutions), making it a hybrid peer/customer with overlapping enterprise accounts.
Direct peers
- Unbabel: AI-powered translation platform combining neural MT with human post-editing for enterprise customer service, marketing, and localization workflows. Closely comparable to DeepL in target buyer (enterprise), business model (subscription + usage-based), and language AI positioning.
- Lilt: Enterprise AI translation platform providing adaptive neural machine translation, translator tools, and LLM-based translation workflows. Directly comparable to DeepL in target market (enterprise localization teams) and product category (AI-augmented translation).
- Smartling: Cloud-based translation management system and language services provider serving enterprise localization programs. Comparable to DeepL in target buyer, B2B SaaS model, and reliance on integrating machine translation engines into enterprise content workflows.
Emerging players
- OpenAI: Frontier AI lab whose GPT-4/4o and ChatGPT are widely used by enterprises as general-purpose translation and writing tools. While not a translation specialist, OpenAI's LLM capabilities directly compete with DeepL's Writer/Translator and especially DeepL Agent in the enterprise AI stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DeepL social profiles
Digital presenceDeepL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
DeepL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DeepL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
DeepL subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
DeepL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DeepL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DeepL
What does DeepL do?
DeepL is a software company that offers a communication platform for AI-based translation, editing, and writing services. Its core products are DeepL Translator (neural machine translation across 100+ languages), DeepL Write (AI writing assistant for style, tone, and grammar), DeepL Voice (real-time voice translation for meetings, conversations, and contact centers), and the DeepL API for embedding language AI into third-party products and workflows.
Is DeepL a public or private company?
DeepL is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was DeepL founded?
DeepL was founded in 2017. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is DeepL based?
DeepL is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does DeepL make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. DeepL Pro subscriptions (Translator, Write, Voice) is the primary driver. The others are deepL API (Free and Pro), freemium consumer and SMB tier, enterprise contracts and Customization Hub and channel/reseller distribution revenue.
Who are DeepL's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Google Translate / Google Cloud Translation, Microsoft Translator, Amazon Translate, Lionbridge, RWS Group and TransPerfect. Direct peers are Unbabel, Lilt and Smartling. OpenAI is listed as an emerging player.
Does DeepL have an API?
Yes. DeepL offers a public REST API for developers (DeepL API Free and DeepL API Pro tiers). Developers can build and automate text translation, document translation, glossaries management, and voice transcription/translation workflows via the API. The platform supports multilingual glossaries via the glossary_id parameter, real-time voice transcription with translation into up to five target languages, and voice-to-voice capabilities. DeepL completed the AWS Foundational Technical Review, and the API is also available on AWS Marketplace. The API is documented at developers.deepl.com with a quick-start guide and an API reference; community-built libraries are available on GitHub (github.com/DeepLcom). Voice API access is limited to DeepL API Pro customers, with early access programs for voice-to-voice capabilities. Developer documentation is at developers.deepl.com/docs/getting-started/quickstart.
What industry is DeepL in?
DeepL's product category is Language AI Translation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAADAD, Machine Translation & Multilingual NLP, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAE, Speech Translation & Multilingual Speech Tech. Its NAICS code is 54193 and its SIC code is 7372.