What 4by4 does

4BY4 Inc. is a South Korea-based, KOSDAQ-listed content technology company founded in 2017 that builds AI-powered tools for creating, enhancing, and distributing ultra-high-definition digital content. Its core product is PIXELL, an AI-driven video enhancement solution using deep learning for real-time super-resolution, denoising, deblurring, and sharpening during live broadcasts, enabling 4K/8K streaming at reduced bitrate. The company operates a four-part content ecosystem: content creation through KEYCUT Visual and the 2022-acquired VFX house Mad Pictures; visual quality advancement through PIXELL; distribution through the KEYCUT Stock platform; and audience engagement via the 2023 SPOTV sports IP collaboration under the Pobai4 platform. Additional 2023 acquisitions of 4RX (offline content experience design) and SBXG (gaming content) extend the company into adjacent content verticals.

The company sells primarily to enterprise B2B customers — broadcasters, OTT services, and streaming platforms — through direct field sales supported by industry exhibitions such as Inter BEE 2025 (Japan) and CES Innovation Awards recognition. Revenue streams include recurring PIXELL subscriptions, professional services via KEYCUT Visual, and marketplace commission on KEYCUT Stock. 4BY4 holds multiple patents covering super-resolution deep neural networks, image quality correction, and L0 smoothing edge enhancement, and maintains an affiliated research institute plus an R&D cooperation agreement with Chung-Ang University. Dolby Vision certification (2021) and CES Innovation Awards (2024) provide third-party validation of technical capability.

4BY4 is venture-backed with a 190 billion KRW pre-IPO round in 2021 from strategic investors JYP Entertainment and Lotte Home Shopping, followed by a KOSDAQ listing in 2022. The company employs 51–100 people at its Seoul headquarters. Its growth strategy combines organic PIXELL product commercialization with M&A-driven vertical and horizontal expansion across the content value chain, while extending go-to-market beyond Korea into Japan.

Name

4by4

Legal name

4BY4 Inc.

Website

https://4by4inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

4BY4 is a KOSDAQ-listed South Korean content technology company that builds AI-powered PIXELL video enhancement software for broadcasters, OTT services, and streaming platforms, and operates a four-part content ecosystem spanning creation (KEYCUT Visual, Mad Pictures), AI enhancement (PIXELL), stock distribution (KEYCUT Stock), and audience engagement (SPOTV sports IP).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Video Enhancement Software

NAICS

Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Processing at the Edge (Transcoding, Packaging, DRM at Edge) (HDABAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Video Player SDKs & Playback Apps (Web/Mobile/CTV) (MPAHAJAD), VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs) (MPAHABAL), Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)

Keywords

• AI video enhancement
• Live streaming software
• Broadcast media technology
• Video super-resolution
• Content creation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. PIXELL Solution: AI-powered video enhancement solution sold to broadcasters, OTT services, and streaming platforms for real-time media processing.
2. KEYCUT Visual: Visual content creation services for ultra-high-definition digital content.
3. KEYCUT Stock: Stock platform for distributing and licensing high-quality visual content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

4BY4 develops and sells AI-powered video enhancement technology (PIXELL Solution / PIXELL Live Streaming) that performs real-time super-resolution, denoising, deblurring, and sharpening for live broadcasts, enabling high-quality 4K/8K streaming with reduced bitrate. It complements this with KEYCUT Visual (UHD content creation services), KEYCUT Stock (a content licensing/distribution platform), and acquired VFX, content experience design, and gaming content capabilities. The offering targets enterprise broadcasters, OTT services, and streaming platforms seeking AI-driven video quality improvements.

Product overview

4BY4 operates as a content technology company with a fourfold approach: content creation, advancement solutions (visual quality enhancement), stock platform distribution, and audience engagement. The core product portfolio centers on PIXELL Solution for AI-powered video enhancement, KEYCUT Visual for content creation, and KEYCUT Stock for content licensing and distribution. The company has expanded through acquisitions including Mad Pictures (VFX), 4RX (offline content experience design), and SBXG (gaming content), forming a comprehensive content ecosystem spanning creation, enhancement, and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KEYCUT Visual: Visual content solution under the Business & Solution segment.
• KEYCUT Stock
• PIXELL Solution
• PIXELL Live Streaming

Products and services

• PIXELL Solution AI-powered video enhancement solution providing real-time super-resolution, denoising, deblurring, and sharpening for live broadcasts; enables high-quality 4K/8K streaming while reducing bitrate without compromising visual quality. Sold to broadcasters, OTT services, and streaming platforms.
• PIXELL Live Streaming Live broadcasting variant of the PIXELL AI video enhancement technology, performing real-time super-resolution, denoising, deblurring, and sharpening during live broadcasts for enterprise broadcasting and streaming customers.
• KEYCUT Visual Visual content creation and enhancement service within the 4BY4 content ecosystem, focused on ultra-high-definition digital content production for enterprise customers.
• KEYCUT Stock Stock platform for distributing and licensing high-quality ultra-high-definition visual content created within the 4BY4 ecosystem, expanding the market ground for UHD content.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4K/8K streaming enabled with reduced bitrate without compromising visual quality

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• Chung-Ang UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned industry-academic cooperation agreement with Chung-Ang University for R&D in AI technology for video improvement in 2020.
• Mad PicturescoreOthersAcquired Mad Pictures, a VFX house, in 2022 as part of vertical integration strategy for content creation capabilities.
• 4RXcoreOthersAcquired 4RX (Offline content experience design) in 2023 to expand content experience design capabilities.
• SBXGcoreOthersAcquired SBXG (Gaming Content company) in 2023 to expand into gaming content sector.
• SPOTVsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SPOTV to develop sports IP content, awakening 'sleeping sports IP' through Pobai4 platform in collaboration with Park Ji-sung and Kim Sun-woo.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bitmovin: Bitmovin provides video encoding, player, and analytics infrastructure for OTT and streaming platforms. Directly comparable to 4BY4's PIXELL as both target broadcasters/OTT providers seeking high-quality, low-bitrate video delivery, though Bitmovin leads on encoding while 4BY4 differentiates on AI super-resolution enhancement.
• Mux: Mux offers video infrastructure APIs (encoding, player, streaming, real-time analytics) to streaming platforms and developers. Comparable to 4BY4 as a video infrastructure provider for OTT/streaming customers with overlapping value proposition around quality and developer-friendly delivery.
• V-Nova: V-Nova develops compression and enhancement codecs (LCEVC, PRESIDO) for video streaming and broadcasting. Directly comparable to PIXELL on AI/compression-driven quality improvement for streaming and broadcast use cases, making it one of the closest functional competitors.
• Beamr: Beamr provides video optimization and encoding technology that reduces bitrate while preserving perceptual quality for OTT/video providers. Closely comparable to 4BY4 on the bitrate-vs-quality tradeoff for streaming, positioning both as alternatives for broadcasters managing CDN costs.

Broad incumbents

• Brightcove: Brightcove is an established OTT/video hosting platform serving broadcasters, media companies, and enterprises. Comparable as a streaming platform technology provider; broader portfolio (CMS, player, monetization) overlaps with 4BY4's PIXELL + KEYCUT stack but Brightcove does not specialize in AI enhancement.
• Dolby Laboratories: Dolby is the global leader in HDR (Dolby Vision) and audio quality for cinema, broadcast, and streaming. 4BY4 already holds Dolby Vision certification; Dolby is both an enabler and adjacent incumbent whose ecosystem standards shape the AI enhancement opportunity.
• NVIDIA: NVIDIA provides GPUs, SDKs, and AI models (e.g., Maxine for video conferencing, VPF for processing) used across broadcast/streaming pipelines. Relevant as both a potential infrastructure partner and competitive threat, as NVIDIA's AI video tooling could subsume portions of PIXELL's value proposition.
• Akamai: Akamai operates one of the world's largest CDNs and offers media delivery, packaging, and origin services. Comparable as a video streaming/OTT delivery incumbent; competes with 4BY4's bandwidth-reduction value prop but at the infrastructure layer rather than the enhancement layer.

Regional players

• Tencent Cloud Media Services: Tencent Cloud provides media processing, live streaming, and AI enhancement services primarily across Asia. Comparable in offering AI-driven video processing to OTT/broadcast customers, but operates from a hyperscaler scale and dominant in Greater China rather than Korea/Japan.

Others

• InterDigital: InterDigital is a video and wireless R&D licensor with foundational patents in video compression (HEVC, VVC) and AI-based processing. Relevant as a peer in the IP/patent layer underpinning 4BY4's super-resolution and enhancement technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4by4inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 4by4