AJA Video System
AJA Video Systems is a US-based, privately held manufacturer founded in 1993, designing professional video interface, conversion, recording, and streaming hardware (mini-converters, Ki Pro recorders, KONA I/O cards, BRIDGE IP streaming) for broadcasters, post-production facilities, live event producers, and ProAV integrators worldwide via a global reseller and regional distributor channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersGrass Valley, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AJA Video System does
AJA Video Systems, Inc. is a privately held US manufacturer of professional video interface, conversion, recording, routing, color management, and streaming hardware, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Grass Valley, California. The company designs and manufactures its products domestically, spanning an ecosystem of more than 30 product lines including Mini-Converters (FiDO fiber, Hi5/HA5 HDMI, ROI scan converters, IP/analog converters), Digital Recorders (Ki Pro Ultra 12G, Ki Pro GO2, Ki Pro Rack), Mobile I/O (Io Xpand, Io 4K Plus, T-TAP Pro, U-TAP), Desktop I/O (KONA 5, KONA X, KONA IP25), Color management (ColorBox, FS-HDR, HDR Image Analyzer 12G), Streaming (BRIDGE LIVE, BRIDGE LIVE IP, HELO Plus), openGear rack infrastructure, KUMO SDI routers, KiStor/PAK recording media, and developer/OEM products (Corvid, KONA XM). The technical foundation covers SDI, HDMI, fiber, Thunderbolt, SMPTE ST 2110, NDI, Dante AV, and AES67 protocols, with proprietary technology including Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR recording, HDR/WCG color transformations, and high-density multichannel IP encode/decode/transcode.
AJA serves professional broadcasters, OB truck operators, live event production companies, post-production facilities, film production houses, ProAV integrators, and educational institutions worldwide. Its revenue model is hardware sales: products are sold one-time/perpetual at MSRPs ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per unit, distributed through an extensive global channel of authorized resellers and systems integrators, with regional distributors in Korea, China, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Latin America, France, Germany, and Spain. Named customers include TNDV Television (operating 100+ Ki Pro recorders across a 12-truck fleet), Czech Philharmonic (UltraHD HDR broadcast production), Sterling Event Group (UK event rental), VLAST (K-pop arena tours), Sun Broadcast Group, and the Basel Academy of Art and Design. In April 2026 AJA announced the acquisition of Comprimato to extend into software-defined encoding for cloud and virtualized production workflows, marking the company's first disclosed M&A.
AJA Video System firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AJA Video System
- Legal name
- AJA Video Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://aja.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- AJA Video Systems is a US-based, privately held manufacturer founded in 1993, designing professional video interface, conversion, recording, and streaming hardware (mini-converters, Ki Pro recorders, KONA I/O cards, BRIDGE IP streaming) for broadcasters, post-production facilities, live event producers, and ProAV integrators worldwide via a global reseller and regional distributor channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AJA Video System industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Video Equipment
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220)
- SIC
- Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hardware Encoders & Transcoders (Appliances, FPGA/ASIC) (MPAHAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Production Switching & Routing (Vision Mixers, Routers) (MPAHAKAE), Playout Infrastructure & Hardware (Servers, Storage, SDI/IP Gateways) (MPAHAKAJ)
Keywords
Where AJA Video System is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grass Valley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AJA Video System business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: AJA generates revenue through the sale of professional video hardware products including converters, digital recorders, I/O devices, routers, color management tools, streaming solutions, and frame sync equipment. Products are sold through channel partners (resellers and integrators) globally. Pricing is typically one-time purchase with MSRP ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per unit depending on product complexity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | OG-ROI-SDI openGear Scan Converter |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | OG-HA5-4K openGear HDMI to 3G-SDI Converter |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels10 records
AJA Video System product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AJA Video Systems designs and manufactures professional video interface, conversion, digital recording, and IP streaming hardware for broadcast, production, post-production, and ProAV markets. Its portfolio includes mini-converters (SDI/HDMI/fiber/IP), Ki Pro digital recorders, KONA PCIe I/O cards, Io and T-TAP Thunderbolt devices, frame synchronizers, HDR color management tools, SDI routers, and BRIDGE LIVE streaming appliances. Products are built in Grass Valley, California and sold globally through authorized resellers and integrators.
Product overview
AJA Video Systems is a manufacturer of professional video interface, conversion, and recording technologies. The product portfolio is organized into several product families: Mini-Converters (FiDO fiber converters, Hi5/HA5 HDMI converters, ROI scan converters, IP converters, scaling converters, infrastructure products like distribution amplifiers and audio embedders/disembedders); Digital Recorders (Ki Pro family including Ki Pro Ultra 12G, Ki Pro GO2, and Ki Pro Rack for ProRes/DNxHR recording); Mobile I/O (Io Xpand, Io 4K Plus, Io X3, T-TAP Pro, U-TAP devices for Thunderbolt-connected capture/playback); Desktop I/O (KONA PCIe cards including KONA IP25 for ST 2110 IP, KONA X, KONA 5 supporting 8K workflows); Color Management (ColorBox and OG-ColorBox for HDR/LUT transforms, FS-HDR frame synchronizer with HDR/WCG conversion, HDR Image Analyzer 12G); Streaming (BRIDGE LIVE IP for ST 2110 IP streaming, BRIDGE LIVE for SDI/IP streaming, HELO Plus for H.264 streaming); IP Video/Audio (BRIDGE NDI 3G for NDI integration, Dante audio embedders/disembedders); openGear Rack Solutions (card-based converters and infrastructure in rackmount form factor); Routers (KUMO SDI routers from 16x16 to 64x64); Recording Media (KiStor and PAK SSD storage); Developer Products (Corvid cards and KONA cards for OEM integration); and Software Tools (AJA Control Room, Data Calc, Mini-Config, Mini-Matrix, System Test).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- openGear: AJA's rack-based conversion and distribution solutions product line featuring cards compatible with the openGear standard.
- Ki Pro
- KONA
- FiDO
- BRIDGE
- Io
Products and services
- FiDO Series Fiber Optic Converters Fiber optic converters that extend SDI signals over single-mode or multi-mode fiber cables up to 10km. Includes transmitters, receivers, and transceivers with LC, ST, and SC connector options supporting 3G-SDI and 12G-SDI formats for professional video transmission.
- Hi5 Series SDI to HDMI Converters SDI to HDMI mini-converters including Hi5-12G (12G-SDI to HDMI 2.0), Hi5-4K-Plus, Hi5-Plus, and Hi5-Fiber variants for converting professional SDI signals to HDMI displays and monitors.
- HA5 Series HDMI to SDI Converters HDMI to SDI mini-converters including HA5-12G, HA5-4K, HA5-Plus, and HA5-Fiber for converting HDMI sources to professional SDI formats for broadcast workflows.
- OG-ROI-SDI Scan Converter openGear 3G-SDI to 3G-SDI/HDMI scan converter with Region of Interest scaling, aspect ratio and frame rate conversion for incorporating SDI source extractions into video feeds.
- OG-ROI-HDMI Scan Converter openGear HDMI to 3G-SDI scan converter enabling high-quality conversion of computer and HDMI signals to professional video with ROI scaling capabilities.
- Ki Pro Ultra 12G Digital Recorder 12G-SDI 4K/UHD/HD recorder and player with Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR support. Features 8K playback capability using 4x units with RS-422 control and 12G-SDI quad-link configuration.
- Ki Pro GO2 Multi-Channel Recorder Next generation digital recorder featuring HEVC encoding with up to 4-channel simultaneous HD/SD recording to USB drives and network storage with redundant recording capabilities.
- Ki Pro Rack Recorder/Player HD/SD ProRes and DNxHD rackmount recorder/player for facility installations requiring multi-channel recording and playback.
- Io Xpand Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis Thunderbolt 5 PCIe expansion chassis for KONA and Corvid PCIe I/O cards, enabling connectivity expansion for mobile video workflows.
- Io 4K Plus Thunderbolt I/O Device Thunderbolt 4K/UHD/HD/SD I/O device with 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 connectivity supporting HDR workflows, High Frame Rate, and deep color content over a single cable.
- T-TAP Pro Thunderbolt Output Device Thunderbolt 12G-SDI/HDMI 2.0 output device for mobile monitoring with support for up to 4K/UltraHD 60p video, deep color, high frame rate, SDR and HDR output.
- KONA 5 PCIe I/O Card Advanced 8K/4K/HD/SD PCIe I/O card with 4x bidirectional 12G-SDI ports supporting 8K playout and acquisition with real-time 8K to 4K down conversion for monitoring.
- KONA IP25 SMPTE ST 2110 PCIe I/O Card SMPTE ST 2110 PCIe I/O card with 25GbE Tx and Rx for broadcast IP workflows.
- ColorBox HDR/LUT Color Management Device In-line HDR algorithmic and LUT color transforms for live production, on-set, post, and delivery color management.
- FS-HDR Frame Synchronizer with HDR/WCG Conversion Frame synchronizer with advanced HDR/WCG conversions supporting real-time color management from ARRI, Sony, Canon, Panasonic cameras. Supports 8K mode with 4x units via SFP expansion ports.
- BRIDGE LIVE IP Streaming Appliance High density SMPTE ST 2110 IP streaming solution for multichannel encode, decode and transcoding in live IP workflows for virtualized and cloud productions.
- BRIDGE LIVE SDI/IP Streaming Appliance High density SDI/IP streaming solutions for broadcast quality, low latency turnkey system for REMI, multi-channel video contribution, remote collaboration and direct-to-audience streaming.
- HELO Plus H.264 Streaming and Recording Device Advanced H.264 streaming and recording device for delivering live content to streaming platforms.
- BRIDGE NDI 3G Conversion Gateway High density 4K/UltraHD/HD NDI/SDI conversion gateway enabling bi-directional conversion between NDI and SDI formats.
- OG-DANTE-12GAM Dante Embedder/Disembedder openGear 12G-SDI/Dante 64-channel embedder/disembedder providing bridge between SDI and Dante audio infrastructures; supports AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30 audio standards.
- FS4 Frame Synchronizer 4-channel 2K/HD/SD or 1-channel 4K/UltraHD frame synchronizer with optional SFP modules for fiber and coaxial connections.
- KUMO SDI Routers SDI routers ranging from 16x16 to 64x64 with 3G-SDI and 12G-SDI variants, controllable via KUMO CP and CP2 control panels. Supports ganged dual link or quad link routing for 8K workflows.
- OG-X-FR openGear Rackframe openGear-compatible 2RU rackframe for housing openGear converter cards with hot-swappable design and optional redundant power supply.
- Corvid 88 Developer/OEM I/O Card High density I/O PCIe card for OEM partners requiring multi-format video input/output in any format.
- AJA Control Room Software Unified ingest, playback and output software for managing video capture and playback workflows with AJA hardware.
- Mini-Config Software Configuration and update utility for AJA mini-converters.
Companies that use AJA Video System
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AJA Video System technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature9 records
AJA Video System partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ComprimatocoreAJA Video Systems entered into an agreement to acquire Comprimato, a live video encoding and processing software provider for virtualized and cloud productions. Comprimato's leadership, development, and operations team will join AJA upon closing while retaining the brand and its European offices. The acquisition aims to unify both companies' development teams behind AJA's Bridge Live IP streaming products, leveraging combined hardware expertise and software innovation to accelerate product development.
- Ross VideocoreAJA's openGear products are compatible with Ross openGear ecosystem, utilizing Ross DashBoard software for configuration, monitoring and control. The openGear standard ensures that AJA cards are compatible with other openGear products from certified openGear partners.
- Audinate (Dante)coreAJA offers multiple products supporting Dante audio networking including OG-DANTE-12GAM, DANTE-12GAM embedder/disembedders, and Dante AV 4K-T/R converters. These products bridge SDI infrastructure with Dante audio networks and support AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30 audio standards.
- Intel (Thunderbolt)coreAJA Io and T-TAP products utilize Thunderbolt technology developed by Intel for high-bandwidth video connectivity. Products support Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) and Thunderbolt 2 (20 Gbps) for professional video I/O.
- ApplecoreAJA I/O products including Io 4K Plus, T-TAP Pro, and Io X3 are designed for compatibility with Apple Mac systems using Thunderbolt connectivity. Products support professional workflows with Final Cut Pro and other Mac-based editing applications.
- NewTek (NDI)coreAJA BRIDGE NDI products enable conversion between NDI (Network Device Interface) and SDI video signals, supporting NDI-based IP video workflows with 4K/UltraHD/HD capability.
- Comprimato (BRIDGE LIVE development)coreBRIDGE LIVE was developed as a collaboration between AJA and Comprimato to deliver the performance, reliability, and ease of use needed for critical live encode, decode, or transcode needs. This collaboration predates the acquisition announcement.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AJA Video System competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Evertz Microsystems: Large incumbent in broadcast routing, IP multiplexing, and processing infrastructure — directly comparable to AJA's routers, IP gateways, and BRIDGE LIVE offerings for tier-1 broadcasters and telecom customers, with far broader scope.
- Grass Valley (Belden): Much larger incumbent broadcaster owned by Belden, offering cameras, production switchers, routing, playout, and IP infrastructure — overlapping with AJA's converters, routers, and BRIDGE LIVE products but as part of a much broader end-to-end portfolio.
- Imagine Communications: Established broadcast infrastructure vendor for routers, playout, compression, and IP conversion — competes with AJA in IP gateways and signal processing for tier-1 broadcasters, with substantially broader scope and scale.
- Ross Video: Major production switcher and broadcast infrastructure vendor; both a technology partner (openGear/DashBoard platform that AJA's openGear cards ride on) and a broader-portfolio competitor in production routing, graphics, and infrastructure.
Emerging players
- BirdDog: Emerging NDI-focused hardware vendor producing NDI converters, PTZ cameras, and AV-over-IP encoders/decoders — partial overlap with AJA's BRIDGE NDI 3G and IP converter lines but primarily focused on the NDI-only IP video ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Ensemble Designs: Long-standing privately held competitor in broadcast video converters, routers, and frame synchronizers — directly comparable to AJA's mini-converter, KUMO router, and FS-HDR/FS4 product families for the same broadcast and mobile production customers.
- Blackmagic Design: Direct competitor across AJA's core lines — mini-converters, capture cards, video I/O, routers, switchers, and live production hardware. Targets the same professional broadcast and post-production customers with a broader, more vertically integrated catalog and aggressive pricing.
- Cobalt Digital: openGear-ecosystem partner and direct competitor within the openGear rackframe, offering conversion, processing and routing cards that sit alongside AJA's openGear converters (FiDO, OG-ROI, OG-ColorBox) in the same frames and Ross DashBoard control system.
- Matrox Video: Spun out of Matrox in 2023, Matrox Video directly competes in broadcast I/O cards, IP conversion (Maevex), and H.264/HEVC encoding — overlapping AJA's KONA, BRIDGE LIVE, and HELO Plus product lines for pro AV and broadcast customers.
- Magewell: Manufactures capture cards, USB capture devices (similar to AJA's U-TAP), and NDI/streaming encoders targeting ProAV, live streaming and education customers — a more cost-disruptive direct peer in the mini-converter and capture device category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AJA Video System social profiles
Digital presenceAJA Video System financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AJA Video System leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
AJA Video System subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AJA Video System funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AJA Video System 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 AJA Video System
What does AJA Video System do?
AJA Video Systems designs and manufactures professional video interface, conversion, digital recording, and IP streaming hardware for broadcast, production, post-production, and ProAV markets. Its portfolio includes mini-converters (SDI/HDMI/fiber/IP), Ki Pro digital recorders, KONA PCIe I/O cards, Io and T-TAP Thunderbolt devices, frame synchronizers, HDR color management tools, SDI routers, and BRIDGE LIVE streaming appliances. Products are built in Grass Valley, California and sold globally through authorized resellers and integrators.
Is AJA Video System a public or private company?
AJA Video System is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AJA Video System founded?
AJA Video System was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is AJA Video System based?
AJA Video System is headquartered in Grass Valley, United States, in the North America region.
How does AJA Video System make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Product Sales.
Who are AJA Video System's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Evertz Microsystems, Grass Valley (Belden), Imagine Communications and Ross Video. BirdDog is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Ensemble Designs, Blackmagic Design, Cobalt Digital, Matrox Video and Magewell.
Does AJA Video System have an API?
Yes. AJA provides an SDK for OEM partners and developer solutions through the Corvid lineup of developer cards and KONA/Io desktop and mobile solutions. The Developer section includes SDK support and enrollment options for partners to integrate AJA hardware and software capabilities. Developer documentation is at www.aja.com/developer/request.
What industry is AJA Video System in?
AJA Video System's product category is Professional Video Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAHAB, Hardware Encoders & Transcoders (Appliances, FPGA/ASIC), with a secondary code of MPAHAKAE, Live Production Switching & Routing (Vision Mixers, Routers). Its NAICS code is 334220 and its SIC code is 3663.