Simon Says
Simon Says is an AI-native transcription, translation, and subtitle platform that serves professional video editors by embedding directly into Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer across 100+ languages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Simon Says does
Simon Says Inc. is a privately held, founder-led AI company founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, building browser-based, AI-powered transcription, translation, and subtitle tooling for professional video production. The core product ingests audio and video files, transcribes and translates them across 100+ languages using proprietary machine learning models, and exports frame-accurate subtitles and transcripts directly into the four dominant non-linear editors: Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer. Supporting surfaces include a native macOS application, an iPhone app, and an on-premise Mac/PC deployment for organizations with data-residency or compliance requirements (CCPA and GDPR).
The company operates on a product-led growth motion with self-serve signup, no credit card required to start, and usage-based pricing at approximately $0.05 per minute of audio/video processed. Customer logos span large media and technology enterprises (BBC, Sony, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Vice, Microsoft, Uber, Square) as well as independent video producers, content creators, and academic researchers, suggesting a horizontal SaaS distribution model atop a deeply vertical professional use case. Differentiation is concentrated in NLE-native integration, multi-language coverage, frame-accurate synchronization, and the optional on-premise deployment, rather than in disclosed foundational model research.
Simon Says appears bootstrapped aside from a 2021 funding event involving Village Global and Founders, Inc., with a headcount in the 1-10 band and no disclosed ARR or revenue. Roderick Hodgson serves as CTO. The product positioning is collaborative video assembly (sometimes described as "Figma for video editing"), with claimed workflow speedups of roughly 5x relative to manual transcription and subtitling.
Simon Says firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simon Says
- Legal name
- Simon Says Inc.
- Website
- https://simonsays.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Simon Says is an AI-native transcription, translation, and subtitle platform that serves professional video editors by embedding directly into Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer across 100+ languages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Simon Says industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Video Transcription and Subtitling Software
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Video Creation, Editing & Publishing Tools (Creator Software) (MPACABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multilingual Multimedia Localization (Subtitling, Dubbing, Voiceover) (MPAAANAH), Content-Aware/AI Media Processing (Per-Title Encode, Scene Detection) (MPAHAHAH)
Keywords
Where Simon Says is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Simon Says business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Usage-based transcription and translation: Cost is based on audio/video duration at rates as low as 5 cents per minute. Users upload files, pay based on duration, and receive transcription/translation within minutes. No subscription required - pay per use model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based pricing starting at $0.05/minute |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
Simon Says product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simon Says provides an AI-powered transcription, translation, and subtitle generation platform purpose-built for video production professionals. Users upload audio or video files and receive frame-accurate, multilingual transcripts and subtitles within minutes, which can then be edited and exported directly into professional non-linear editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer. The platform supports over 100 languages and offers web, macOS, iPhone, and on-premise deployment options with usage-based pricing starting at $0.05 per minute.
Product overview
Simon Says offers a unified suite of AI-powered transcription, translation, and subtitle products designed for video production workflows. The core offering is the web-based Transcribe & Assemble platform complemented by native macOS desktop and iPhone mobile applications. The product family includes extensions/plugins for major video editing software including Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, and DaVinci Resolve, enabling direct export integration. An on-premise deployment option is available for enterprise security requirements. All products leverage AI for speech-to-text transcription, multi-language translation, and subtitle generation with frame-accurate sync capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transcribe & Assemble (Web Platform) Cloud-based AI transcription, translation, and subtitle platform accessible via web browser. Enables upload of audio/video files, AI-powered transcription and translation in 100 languages, collaborative editing, and export to professional video editing software. Targeted at video production professionals, media companies, and content creators.
- macOS Application Native macOS desktop application providing AI transcription, translation, and subtitle generation with direct integration into Final Cut Pro and Adobe workflows. Designed for Apple-based video professionals who prefer a desktop experience.
- Adobe Premiere Pro Extension Native plugin/extension for Adobe Premiere Pro that enables direct export of AI-generated transcripts and subtitles into Premiere Pro projects without manual file transfer. Targeted at professional video editors using Adobe's ecosystem.
- Final Cut Pro Extension Native plugin/extension for Apple Final Cut Pro X that exports AI-generated transcripts and subtitles directly into FCPX timelines. Targeted at Apple-based professional video editors.
- DaVinci Resolve Extension Native plugin/extension for Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve that enables direct export of AI-generated transcripts and subtitles into Resolve timelines. Targeted at colorists and editors using the DaVinci Resolve ecosystem.
- On-Premise AI Transcription Enterprise on-premise deployment option for Mac/PC providing private, confidential AI transcription with machine transcription only, ensuring data sovereignty and security for sensitive content. Targeted at media organizations with strict data residency or compliance needs.
- iPhone App Mobile iOS application providing on-the-go access to Simon Says AI transcription capabilities on iPhone devices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transcribe, translate, and subtitle videos in minutes - editing video 5x faster
Companies that use Simon Says
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Simon Says technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Simon Says partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AdobecoreNative integration partnership with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition. Simon Says provides AI-powered transcription and subtitle generation directly within Adobe editing workflows. Users can export transcripts and subtitles directly to Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition.
- ApplecoreNative integration with Apple Final Cut Pro X. Simon Says extension available on Mac App Store for seamless transcription workflow within Final Cut Pro X.
- Blackmagic DesigncoreNative integration with DaVinci Resolve. Simon Says provides transcription and subtitle services directly accessible within the DaVinci Resolve editing environment.
- Avid TechnologycoreNative integration with Avid Media Composer. Simon Says exports directly to Avid SubCap format, enabling professional broadcast workflows.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Simon Says competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Descript: AI-powered collaborative audio/video editing platform with built-in transcription and subtitle generation. Competes with Simon Says in the same prosumer/professional creator segment and shares the transcript-driven editing workflow.
- Rev: Transcription, captioning, and localization services for video creators and enterprises. Direct competitor in machine and human transcription/subtitling, including integration with professional video workflows.
- Otter.ai: AI meeting and conversation transcription platform expanding into video captioning and content workflows. Comparable AI speech-to-text technology and usage-based pricing model targeting professional users.
- Trint: AI transcription and translation platform with collaborative editing and export to professional video editing tools. Direct overlap on transcript-to-subtitle workflows for media and broadcast customers.
- Sonix: Automated transcription, translation, and subtitling platform serving video producers, marketers, and researchers. Closely comparable feature set including multilingual support, subtitle editing, and editing-tool integrations.
- Happy Scribe: AI and human transcription/subtitling service with multi-language support and integrations for video workflows. Comparable pricing model and target customers in media, education, and enterprise localization.
Emerging players
- Speechmatics: Enterprise speech-to-text engine offering multilingual transcription APIs used by media and broadcast customers. Competes on underlying accuracy and on-prem deployment, similar to Simon Says' positioning for security-sensitive buyers.
- Veed.io: Browser-based collaborative video editing platform with auto-subtitles and translation. Overlaps with Simon Says in captioning and localization for short-form and social video creators.
- Kapwing: Collaborative browser-based video creation tool with AI-powered subtitle and translation features. Comparable 'Figma-for-video' framing for creator and team workflows.
Others
- OpenAI Whisper: Open-source foundation model for multilingual speech recognition widely used by developers as a low-cost alternative. Represents a downstream commoditization risk for Simon Says' core transcription capability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Simon Says social profiles
Digital presenceSimon Says compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Simon Says financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simon Says leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Simon Says funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simon Says 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 Simon Says
What does Simon Says do?
Simon Says provides an AI-powered transcription, translation, and subtitle generation platform purpose-built for video production professionals. Users upload audio or video files and receive frame-accurate, multilingual transcripts and subtitles within minutes, which can then be edited and exported directly into professional non-linear editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer. The platform supports over 100 languages and offers web, macOS, iPhone, and on-premise deployment options with usage-based pricing starting at $0.05 per minute.
Is Simon Says a public or private company?
Simon Says is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Simon Says founded?
Simon Says was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Simon Says based?
Simon Says is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Simon Says make money?
One revenue line is on record: usage-based transcription and translation.
Who are Simon Says's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Descript, Rev, Otter.ai, Trint, Sonix and Happy Scribe. Emerging players are Speechmatics, Veed.io and Kapwing. OpenAI Whisper is listed as an others.
Does Simon Says have an API?
No public API is recorded for Simon Says.
What industry is Simon Says in?
Simon Says's product category is AI Video Transcription and Subtitling Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACABAD, Video Creation, Editing & Publishing Tools (Creator Software), with a secondary code of MPAAANAH, Multilingual Multimedia Localization (Subtitling, Dubbing, Voiceover). Its NAICS code is 512.