Cutback
Cutback is an AI video pre-editing platform offering Selects (desktop app) and Premiere Assistant (Adobe Premiere Pro extension) that automate multi-cam sync, silence removal, speaker-aware camera switching, and rough cut assembly for individual video editors, YouTubers, production studios, and studios producing content for streamers such as Netflix.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Cutback does
Cutback is an AI-powered video pre-editing platform company founded in 2024 with dual headquarters in San Francisco and Seoul. The company's core proposition is to automate the most labor-intensive prep work that precedes the creative edit in long-form video production. Cutback sells two complementary products: Selects, a standalone desktop application (macOS and Windows) that performs multi-cam synchronization, silence and filler word removal, speaker-aware camera switching, transcript generation, topic chunking, and rough cut assembly before exporting native project files to Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve; and Premiere Assistant, an Adobe Premiere Pro extension that delivers automated captioning, silence removal, trim, animated captions, and AI image editing inside the NLE. Cutback is an Official Adobe Video Partner, and the Selects MCP (Model Context Protocol) extends the platform by connecting third-party AI agents (Claude, Codex, OpenClaw) to indexed footage for natural language programmatic editing.
The technology stack combines proprietary AI applied to audio and video (MFCC-based multicam sync, 10ms-precision silence and filler detection, 97-98% speaker diarization, scene detection, topic segmentation) with deep NLE interoperability that preserves timeline-specific structures such as Final Cut Pro's magnetic timeline and connected clips. Revenue is generated almost entirely through SaaS subscriptions: Premiere Assistant tiers run from a free Starter plan through Lite ($8/month), Basic ($13/month), Pro ($30/month), and Enterprise (custom); Selects tiers run from a $16/month Starter through Pro Max ($80/month), Team ($800/month for 5+ seats), and Enterprise. A 20% recurring affiliate program and influencer/creator testimonials form the primary community-led acquisition layer on top of a self-serve, product-led growth motion with direct download.
Cutback raised approximately USD 2.6 million in seed funding in July 2025, co-led by BASS Ventures and Kakao Ventures, with stated use of funds for platform enhancement and global expansion. The company debuted Selects at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas, its first major US broadcast-industry trade show appearance. Named customers are predominantly individual creators and small studios, with a handful of mid-market references (EO Studio, a top YouTube entrepreneurship channel) and one enterprise-adjacent logo (Studio MODAK producing content for Netflix). Cutback is led by co-founders Tom Kim (CEO), JK, Chan, and Jay Kim, and operates with a team described as fewer than 10 employees drawn from leading tech companies.
Cutback firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cutback
- Legal name
- Cutback Corporation
- Website
- https://cutback.video
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cutback is an AI video pre-editing platform offering Selects (desktop app) and Premiere Assistant (Adobe Premiere Pro extension) that automate multi-cam sync, silence removal, speaker-aware camera switching, and rough cut assembly for individual video editors, YouTubers, production studios, and studios producing content for streamers such as Netflix.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cutback industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video editing software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Picture Editing (Offline/Online, Conform) (MPADAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dialogue Editing & Cleanup (De-noise, De-click, De-plosive) (MPAHAEAA), AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
Keywords
Where Cutback is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cutback business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Selects Subscription: SaaS subscription for the Selects desktop application. Plans include Starter ($16/month annual or $20/month), Pro Max ($80/month annual), Team ($800/month for 5+ seats), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Revenue is subscription-based with recurring monthly/annual billing.
- Premiere Assistant Subscription: SaaS subscription for the Adobe Premiere Pro extension. Plans include Starter (free), Lite ($8-9/month), Basic ($13-15/month), Pro ($30-35/month), and Enterprise (custom). Revenue is subscription-based with recurring monthly/annual billing.
- Affiliate Referrals: Affiliates earn 20% recurring commission for one year per new customer. Also offers one-time referral bonuses of up to $60 per referral through the affiliate program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Starter: Free tier for small projects |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro Max: Higher limits for heavy editing |
| Subscription | Annual | Team: For productions, studios, in-house teams |
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise: Custom advanced features |
| Subscription | Annual | Lite: Small projects and shortform videos |
| Subscription | Annual | Basic: Daily video editing creators and individuals |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro: Heavy editing professionals and small teams |
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise: Organizations requiring control and advanced features |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cutback product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cutback develops AI-powered video editing tools that automate the most time-consuming phases of post-production. Its flagship product Selects is a desktop application that syncs multi-cam footage, generates transcripts with speaker labels, removes silence and filler words across all audio tracks, and produces rough cut drafts exported as native projects to Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. Premiere Assistant is an Adobe Premiere Pro extension that adds automated captioning, silence removal, and AI-assisted editing inside the NLE. Selects MCP connects AI agents like Claude to footage for natural language video editing.
Product overview
Cutback offers an AI-powered post-production workflow platform with two core products: Selects (standalone desktop app for automated footage preparation and multi-cam editing) and Premiere Assistant (Adobe Premiere Pro extension for in-NLE automation). Selects handles the front-end prep work—multi-cam sync, transcription, silence removal, filler word cuts, speaker-aware camera switching, and AI rough cut generation—before footage reaches any NLE. Premiere Assistant operates inside Adobe Premiere Pro, providing caption automation, silence removal, and editing tools. Both products share AI capabilities including transcript generation, speaker detection, and automated editing. Selects MCP enables AI agents like Claude to control Selects for natural language video editing. The company is an Official Adobe Video Partner.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Selects: AI-powered post-production workflow platform that transforms raw multi-cam footage into structured first drafts before editors enter their NLE. Handles sync, transcription, silence removal, and rough cut assembly.
- Premiere Assistant
Products and services
- Selects AI-powered desktop application that automates footage preparation for video editors. Handles multi-cam sync, silence and filler word removal, speaker-aware camera switching, transcript generation, topic chunking, and rough cut assembly before footage reaches the non-linear editor. Exports native project files compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve.
- Premiere Assistant Adobe Premiere Pro extension that adds automated captions, silence removal, trim, animated captions, AI image editing, auto multi-cam switching for up to three cameras, and caption translation directly inside the Premiere Pro workflow. Designed for individual editors, YouTubers, and small teams.
- Selects MCP Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes Selects footage indexes (camera angles, audio tracks, scene changes, transcripts) to AI agents such as Claude, Codex, and OpenClaw. Enables natural language video editing where AI agents can make cuts, preview results, and run multiple edits in parallel.
Quantifiable outcome
- Editing 8 hours of raw video: Manual takes 6h 30m; Selects takes 20 min total (multi-cam sync + chunk into topics + color label + delete unnecessary clips)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cutback
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cutback technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability10 records
Feature8 records
Cutback partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AdobecoreCutback is an Official Adobe Video Partner. Premiere Assistant is distributed as an Adobe Premiere Pro extension. The partnership provides access to Adobe's video editing user base and integration certification.
- Anthropic (Claude)coreSelects MCP integrates with Claude (and Claude Code, Claude Desktop) for natural language video editing. Enables AI agents to access and edit real footage through Selects' analysis capabilities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cutback competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Opus Clip: AI tool that auto-clips long-form video into short-form for social platforms, with speaker detection and virality scoring. Overlaps with Cutback's topic chunking and b-roll search capabilities for the same creator buyer.
- TimeBolt: Specialized silence/filler removal and jump-cut tool for Premiere Pro, Resolve, and Final Cut. Closest direct competitor on the silence-and-filler feature that anchors Cutback's Premiere Assistant.
- Captions: AI-driven video editor focused on talking-head creators, offering auto captions, silence/filler removal, and AI edits. Targets the same SMB creator segment as Cutback's Premiere Assistant with a similar feature surface.
- VEED.io: Browser-based AI video editor with auto subtitles, silence removal, and text-based editing. Competes with Cutback's Premiere Assistant for SMB creators and marketing teams that want quick, AI-assisted edits.
- Descript: AI-powered video and podcast editing platform with transcript-based editing, filler-word removal, and multicam-style workflows. Directly competes with Cutback on AI-assisted editing for long-form creators and SMB studios.
- Simon Says: Transcript-based video assembly tool that turns raw footage into edited timelines via AI. Closely comparable to Cutback Selects' value proposition of automated rough-cut assembly from transcripts.
Emerging players
- Runway: AI-native video platform spanning generation and editing. Different emphasis (generative video) but overlapping buyer (creators, studios) and underlying model-based editing narrative, making it a strategic adjacent.
- Riverside.fm: Cloud-based podcast and video recording platform expanding into AI editing. Targets the same long-form interview/podcast workflow that Cutback's multicam and silence-removal features are built for.
Broad incumbents
- CapCut (ByteDance): Mass-market AI video editor with auto captions, silence removal, and multicam-style tools, free or low-cost under ByteDance. Competes for the same individual creator and SMB segment as Cutback with substantial distribution and capital.
- Adobe (Premiere Pro / Adobe Sensei): Incumbent NLE vendor (Premiere Pro) and partner of Cutback via Official Adobe Video Partner. Same end-user base and increasingly overlapping AI feature set (transcription, silence removal, multicam), making it both the primary distribution channel and the largest competitive threat.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cutback social profiles
Digital presenceCutback financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cutback leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cutback funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cutback 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 Cutback
What does Cutback do?
Cutback develops AI-powered video editing tools that automate the most time-consuming phases of post-production. Its flagship product Selects is a desktop application that syncs multi-cam footage, generates transcripts with speaker labels, removes silence and filler words across all audio tracks, and produces rough cut drafts exported as native projects to Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. Premiere Assistant is an Adobe Premiere Pro extension that adds automated captioning, silence removal, and AI-assisted editing inside the NLE. Selects MCP connects AI agents like Claude to footage for natural language video editing.
Is Cutback a public or private company?
Cutback is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cutback founded?
Cutback was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cutback based?
Cutback is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Cutback make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Selects Subscription is the primary driver. The others are premiere Assistant Subscription and affiliate Referrals.
Who are Cutback's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Opus Clip, TimeBolt, Captions, VEED.io, Descript and Simon Says. Emerging players are Runway and Riverside.fm. Broad incumbents are CapCut (ByteDance) and Adobe (Premiere Pro / Adobe Sensei).
Does Cutback have an API?
Yes. Selects MCP (Model Context Protocol) connects AI agents to video footage, enabling Claude, Codex, OpenClaw, and other compatible agents to access camera angles, audio tracks, frames, and project data. The MCP is an open protocol that lets AI agents control the software. Selects indexes and makes searchable every angle, track, scene change, and transcript. Free API key with 60-second setup.
What industry is Cutback in?
Cutback's product category is Video editing software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAGAA, Picture Editing (Offline/Online, Conform), with a secondary code of MPAHAEAA, Dialogue Editing & Cleanup (De-noise, De-click, De-plosive). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.