Pilotly
Pilotly is an Oakland-based research platform that runs secure concept testing, audience surveys, and virtual focus groups for entertainment and media companies including Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, and Audible, using AI-driven sentiment analysis across video, audio, and Smart TV environments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Pilotly does
Pilotly operates a purpose-built research platform for concept testing and audience insights in the entertainment and media industry. Founded in 2014 by James Norman (CEO) and Hector Osorio (CTO) and headquartered in Oakland, California, the company runs quantitative surveys, qualitative virtual focus groups via its ReelChat platform, and simulated streaming-environment studies to help streamers, networks, studios, and agencies gauge audience response to films, TV episodes, trailers, marketing promos, audio content, and key art before release.
The platform is built around secure handling of unreleased content (DRM, forensic and visual watermarking, screenshot prevention, bad-behavior detection, HLS streaming) and an AI-driven Content Intelligence Engine that automatically segments uploaded video into scenes, identifies characters, and produces moment-to-moment sentiment analysis. It supports viewing on desktop, mobile, and a 2023-launched Smart TV app, and runs studies in 17 languages globally. ReelChat provides virtual moderated focus groups with Dolby spatial audio. Pilotly monetizes via per-study pricing (example: $5 per panelist complete, with refunds for unmet completion targets), executes end-to-end workflow (survey design, audience targeting, fielding, analysis), and sells primarily through enterprise direct sales with a demo-request entry point. Named customers include Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Sony, Amazon, Audible, NBCUniversal, and ViacomCBS, and the company is privately held with a remote-first team of 1-10 employees.
Pilotly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pilotly
- Legal name
- Pilotly, Inc.
- Website
- https://pilot.ly
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pilotly is an Oakland-based research platform that runs secure concept testing, audience surveys, and virtual focus groups for entertainment and media companies including Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, and Audible, using AI-driven sentiment analysis across video, audio, and Smart TV environments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pilotly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Research Software
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Remote Proctoring, Test Security & Online Assessment Platforms (BPACAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Safety, Alignment & Content Moderation (Guardrails, Red Teaming) (HDAAACAI)
Keywords
Where Pilotly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pilotly business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Survey Studies: Pilotly conducts custom surveys for content testing and returns survey results to clients. Pricing is based on per-study/order model with fees displayed in Order Summary at checkout. The fee includes the Total Order price plus applicable taxes. Survey Results are delivered within 48 hours after study completion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-study pricing based on panelist completes and survey parameters |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Pilotly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pilotly operates a purpose-built research platform for entertainment and media companies to concept-test content through secure video streaming, surveys, and virtual focus groups. The platform supports testing across desktop, mobile, and Smart TV viewing environments, with AI-driven sentiment analysis and a globally distributed research team that can launch studies within 24 hours and deliver results within 48 hours.
Product overview
Pilotly is a unified media research platform offering concept testing and audience insights for entertainment and media companies. The core platform integrates with ReelChat (virtual focus group capability), the Instant Insights Dashboard (content management and results), and Study Tracker (workflow management). The product supports desktop, mobile, and Smart TV viewing environments, and includes specialized capabilities like the Content Intelligence Engine for scene-by-scene analysis and a Simulated SVOD Environment for UX research. Launched in 2014, the platform has run studies in 17 languages and serves major entertainment clients including Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, and Paramount.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pilotly Platform The core research platform for concept testing in entertainment and media, streamlining media research with study tracking, survey design, audience targeting, and real-time fielding monitoring for streamers, networks, studios, and agencies.
- ReelChat Purpose-built virtual focus group platform enabling localized moderated sessions anywhere in the world with state-of-the-art Dolby streaming technology including spatial audio for immersive focus group experiences.
- Instant Insights Dashboard Dashboard allowing users to upload copyright-protected content, monitor studies in real-time, and access final results and data exports, with secure HLS video streaming through 128-bit encryption.
- Smart TV App Application enabling audiences to view and participate in content research studies on Smart TV platforms, expanding viewing environment options beyond desktop and mobile for SVOD-style testing.
- Content Intelligence Engine AI-driven engine that automatically breaks uploaded video content into scenes and identifies characters, enabling moment-to-moment understanding of viewer reactions to specific creative elements, pacing, and character dynamics.
- Brand Lift Methodology Proprietary methodology that assesses how content and brand integrations impact audience perceptions, including branded integrations and sponsored videos, leveraging secure screening, sentiment analysis, and quant surveys.
Quantifiable outcome
- Launch studies within 24 hours
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pilotly
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pilotly technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
Pilotly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pilotly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Qualtrics: Enterprise experience/research platform with broad survey and panel capabilities. Directly comparable as a research platform competing for the same insights budgets; Qualtrics is also a Pilotly customer, evidencing category overlap.
- Nielsen: Incumbent media measurement and audience analytics provider. Comparable as the established buy-side reference for entertainment/media audience intelligence and as a buyer of adjacent testing/insights services.
- GfK (Growth from Knowledge): Global market and consumer intelligence firm serving entertainment, tech and consumer goods clients. Comparable on large-scale concept testing, brand tracking, and global fieldwork infrastructure.
Direct peers
- Toluna: Global online research and panel provider running consumer and media concept testing for brands and agencies. Closely comparable on panel-based concept testing and global multilingual research delivery.
- Zappi: Consumer insights platform purpose-built for ad and innovation testing with automated concept and creative research. Comparable on AI-augmented creative/ad testing and subscription-based insights delivery to enterprise brands.
- Dynata: Large first-party data and research platform offering audience research, brand lift and ad effectiveness studies. Comparable on enterprise media/brand research, panel infrastructure, and global reach.
- Suzy: Consumer insights platform for rapid concept testing and ad creative research with enterprise CPG and media buyers. Closely comparable on speed-to-insight, self-serve dashboard model, and concept testing positioning.
- UserTesting: Human insight platform for UX and video-based experience research with global panel. Comparable on video-first study delivery, sentiment/behavior capture, and enterprise creative/UX use cases.
- Attest: Self-serve consumer research platform targeting marketers and brands for brand tracking, concept testing and audience research. Comparable on dashboard-driven, pay-as-you-go consumer research for marketing teams.
Emerging players
- Prolific: Online participant recruitment and research platform with a vetted global participant pool. Comparable as a panel/research infrastructure layer that competes for the same study dollars in academia-to-enterprise research.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pilotly social profiles
Digital presencePilotly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pilotly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Pilotly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pilotly M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pilotly
What does Pilotly do?
Pilotly operates a purpose-built research platform for entertainment and media companies to concept-test content through secure video streaming, surveys, and virtual focus groups. The platform supports testing across desktop, mobile, and Smart TV viewing environments, with AI-driven sentiment analysis and a globally distributed research team that can launch studies within 24 hours and deliver results within 48 hours.
Is Pilotly a public or private company?
Pilotly is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pilotly founded?
Pilotly was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pilotly based?
Pilotly is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pilotly make money?
One revenue line is on record: survey Studies.
Who are Pilotly's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Qualtrics, Nielsen and GfK (Growth from Knowledge). Direct peers are Toluna, Zappi, Dynata, Suzy, UserTesting and Attest. Prolific is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pilotly have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pilotly.
What industry is Pilotly in?
Pilotly's product category is Media Research Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAMAL, Remote Proctoring, Test Security & Online Assessment Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAAACAI, Safety, Alignment & Content Moderation (Guardrails, Red Teaming). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 7372.