Qencode
Qencode is an API-first cloud video infrastructure platform that provides transcoding, live streaming, storage, content delivery, playback, DRM, and AI-powered video intelligence to startups and enterprises building video products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Qencode does
Qencode, Corp. is a privately held, Los Angeles-headquartered cloud video infrastructure company founded in 2017 that sells an API-first platform for transcoding, live streaming, storage, content delivery, and playback to companies building video products. Its core offering spans five tightly integrated services — Video Transcoding (supporting H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9, WebM, HLS, MPEG-DASH, MP4), Live Streaming (RTMP/WebRTC/SRT input to HLS/CMAF/DASH output), Media Storage (S3-compatible), Content Delivery (global CDN), and a customizable Video Player — augmented by add-on modules for per-title encoding, multi-DRM packaging (BuyDRM, EZDRM, DoveRunner), and a TwelveLabs-powered Video Intelligence layer plus a proprietary AI Detection capability that scores synthetic content at encoding time.
The platform is engineered for performance and global reach: Qencode claims 10x-faster-than-realtime encoding, no request limits, sub-20-second queue times, NVIDIA GPU acceleration, and presence in nine datacenters spanning North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC. The technology stack is deeply integrated with hyperscalers (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean), object storage providers (Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Cloudflare R2, Azure Blob, AWS S3, GCS), a CDN partner (Fastly), a headless CMS (Contentful), and the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), where Qencode is a Promoter Member contributing to four standards working groups.
Qencode monetizes via a freemium-plus-usage-based model: 500 free credits per month for self-serve signup, with pay-as-you-go API billing, volume discounts, and direct enterprise sales for larger customers. The customer base spans startups to large enterprises on a horizontal segmentation approach, with no public logos disclosed. Marketing is a mix of organic social, content marketing, developer relations, and industry events (notably NAB Show 2026 alongside Backblaze), and distribution flows through cloud marketplaces as well as direct sales.
Qencode firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Qencode
- Legal name
- Qencode, Corp.
- Website
- https://qencode.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Qencode is an API-first cloud video infrastructure platform that provides transcoding, live streaming, storage, content delivery, playback, DRM, and AI-powered video intelligence to startups and enterprises building video products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Qencode industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Video Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Encoding & Transcoding Services (SaaS/PaaS) (MPAHAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Streaming Ingest & Contribution Networks (Encoder-to-Origin, Backhaul) (MPAHAIAI), Video Streaming & OTT Delivery (Live/VOD, Low-Latency) (HDABAGAC), Content-Aware/AI Media Processing (Per-Title Encode, Scene Detection) (MPAHAHAH), Video Understanding & Content Moderation (HDAAAEAF)
Keywords
Where Qencode is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Qencode business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Cloud Video Processing Services: Usage-based and subscription pricing for video transcoding, live streaming, storage, and content delivery services. API access with consumption-based billing and volume discounts for enterprise customers.
- Free Tier / Freemium: 500 free credits per month for new accounts to trial the platform. Designed to support evaluation and proof-of-concept before scaling to paid tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Tier with 500 monthly credits |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go usage-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Qencode product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Qencode operates an API-first cloud video processing platform that enables companies to transcode, live stream, store, deliver, and play video at scale. The platform supports modern codecs including HLS, MPEG-DASH, MP4, H.264, H.265, WebM, VP9, and AV1, and adds AI-powered video intelligence, AI-generated content detection, per-title encoding, and multi-DRM content protection on top of the core transcoding and delivery stack.
Product overview
Qencode is a cloud-based video processing platform providing a fully integrated suite of video services built for companies developing serious video products. The platform comprises six core services: Video Transcoding (with support for H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9 codecs), Live Streaming (RTMP/WebRTC/SRT input), Media Storage (S3-compatible), Content Delivery (global CDN), and Video Player. These core services are enhanced by add-on modules including Per-Title Encoding for optimization, Video Intelligence (powered by TwelveLabs) for AI-driven video understanding, AI Detection for synthetic content identification, and DRM integration with BuyDRM, EZDRM, and DoveRunner. The platform is API-first, with complete integration between services and third-party cloud providers including AWS S3, Google Cloud, Azure, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, and Contentful CMS.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Video Transcoding
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x faster encoding than realtime
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Qencode
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Qencode technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability9 records
Feature8 records
Qencode partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- BackblazeflagshipJoint showcase at 2026 NAB Show featuring integrated solutions for media workflows. Qencode partnered with Backblaze to demonstrate cloud-based video processing combined with Backblaze B2 storage. Part of Backblaze's partner ecosystem for media professionals.
- Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)coreQencode joined AOMedia as a Promoter Member in February 2026. Contributes to Video Codec Working Group, Storage and Format Working Group, Software Implementation Working Group, and Audio Codec Working Group. Focuses on practical AV1 adoption, real-world interoperability, and deployment simplification for developers.
- TwelveLabscoreVideo Intelligence powered by TwelveLabs integrated directly into Qencode's encoding pipeline. Enables AI-powered video understanding across video, audio, speech, and on-screen text with timestamped search results in five modes: description, categorization, moderation, custom, and search.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)flagshipLaunch Qencode workloads on AWS using EC2/EKS for compute, Amazon S3 for origin storage, and Amazon CloudFront for global delivery. Integrated cloud infrastructure partnership.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA GPU acceleration for high-density H.264/HEVC/AV1 transcoding. NVENC-powered pipelines reduce per-title cost and time-to-publish without sacrificing visual quality.
- Google CloudflagshipRun Qencode across Google Compute Engine or GKE, write outputs to Cloud Storage, and speed delivery with Cloud CDN. Ideal for multi-region, containerized transcoding pipelines.
- DigitalOceanflagshipDeploy Qencode on DigitalOcean Droplets or Kubernetes for cost-efficient encoding stack. Store mezzanine and renditions in Spaces with integrated CDN delivery.
- BuyDRMcoreProtect premium streams by connecting Qencode packaging with BuyDRM's multi-DRM license delivery (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay). Secure VOD and live playback across devices.
- EZDRMcoreEnable secure playback with EZDRM's cloud DRM services. Qencode produces CMAF/HLS/DASH outputs and encryption keys; EZDRM handles license issuance at scale.
- DoveRunnercoreCombine Qencode packaging with DoveRunner's multi-DRM and optional forensic watermarking to deter piracy and trace leaks without disrupting viewer experience.
- WasabiflagshipWasabi delivers high-performance, low-cost cloud object storage. Partnership enables cost-effective media storage with integrated CDN delivery options.
- FastlyflagshipFastly's global edge network caches renditions close to viewers, cuts rebuffering, and creates optimized viewer experiences with real-time CDN capabilities.
- ContentfulflagshipQencode app enables in-platform encoding to MP4, HLS, and DASH within Contentful's headless CMS. Includes AI optimization, smart thumbnails, auto-subtitles, orchestrated through Contentful's content workflow.
- Backblaze B2flagshipPair Qencode with Backblaze B2 for durable, low-cost origin storage of mezzanine files and HLS/DASH renditions. Simple S3-compatible APIs for fast setup.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Qencode competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wowza: Long-standing live streaming and video infrastructure platform with encoding, packaging, and player offerings. Direct competitor in live streaming workflows (RTMP/SRT/HLS/DASH) where Qencode is also investing.
- Dacast: Live and on-demand video streaming platform with transcoding, paywall, and DRM — comparable end-to-end bundle to Qencode, primarily targeting broadcasters and event-driven live workflows.
- Bitmovin: Cloud-based video encoding, player, and analytics SaaS with deep AV1 codec expertise and an AOMedia membership — overlapping Qencode on transcoding, AV1 leadership, and enterprise video infrastructure.
- api.video: API-first video platform offering encoding, hosting, live streaming, and player. Closely comparable to Qencode on developer-led cloud video, with a comparable emphasis on usage-based pricing and global delivery.
- Mux: API-first video infrastructure platform offering video encoding, live streaming, and a player with usage-based pricing. Closest direct peer to Qencode on developer-led cloud video infrastructure, differentiated by Mux's larger funding and broader data/analytics suite.
Broad incumbents
- Brightcove: Established OTT video hosting, encoding, and monetization platform with deep enterprise customers. Competes with Qencode at the upper end of the market on live, VOD, and DRM but at materially higher price points and longer sales cycles.
- AWS Elemental MediaConvert: Hyperscaler-bundled video transcoding service priced within existing AWS contracts. Most consequential competitor due to incumbent cloud spend and 'good enough' positioning for mainstream transcoding workloads.
- Cloudflare Stream: Video transcoding, storage, and delivery bundled into Cloudflare's global edge/CDN platform. Competes with Qencode on encoding and delivery but as one product line within a much broader networking and security suite.
Emerging players
- Vidyard: Video hosting and player platform for sales/marketing use cases with growing API-based infrastructure. Less direct on transcoding depth but a comparable API-driven video delivery model targeting developers and product teams.
Others
- Fastly: Global edge cloud and CDN provider that Qencode integrates with for content delivery. Adjacent rather than directly competing — Fastly's Compute@Edge and media delivery features overlap but Fastly is also a partner ecosystem for Qencode.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Qencode social profiles
Digital presenceQencode financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Qencode leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Qencode funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Qencode 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 Qencode
What does Qencode do?
Qencode operates an API-first cloud video processing platform that enables companies to transcode, live stream, store, deliver, and play video at scale. The platform supports modern codecs including HLS, MPEG-DASH, MP4, H.264, H.265, WebM, VP9, and AV1, and adds AI-powered video intelligence, AI-generated content detection, per-title encoding, and multi-DRM content protection on top of the core transcoding and delivery stack.
Is Qencode a public or private company?
Qencode is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Qencode founded?
Qencode was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Qencode based?
Qencode is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Qencode make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Cloud Video Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are free Tier / Freemium.
Who are Qencode's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wowza, Dacast, Bitmovin, api.video and Mux. Broad incumbents are Brightcove, AWS Elemental MediaConvert and Cloudflare Stream. Vidyard is listed as an emerging player. Fastly is listed as an others.
Does Qencode have an API?
Yes. Qencode provides a REST API for video transcoding, live streaming, content delivery, and video player management. The API supports token-based authentication, webhooks for callbacks, and direct uploads. Available at https://docs.qencode.com/api-reference. The Qencode Video Player SDK is available via npm (qplayer-npm package). Developer documentation is at docs.qencode.com/api-reference.
What industry is Qencode in?
Qencode's product category is Cloud Video Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAHAC, Cloud Encoding & Transcoding Services (SaaS/PaaS), with a secondary code of MPAHAIAI, Live Streaming Ingest & Contribution Networks (Encoder-to-Origin, Backhaul). Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 7370.