What Starfish Technologies does

Starfish Technologies is a Reading, UK-headquartered media technology company that builds software for transport stream processing in the international broadcast industry. Founded in 2000 and operating as Starfish Technologies Limited (a private limited company in England and Wales), the firm serves TV broadcasters, pay-TV operators, accessibility specialists, and government media institutions with a portfolio organised around its patented, software-based TS Splicer. The technology manipulates MPEG-2, H.264 and HEVC/H.265 encoded broadcast streams without leaving the compressed domain, enabling frame-accurate or GOP boundary switching that supports advertising insertion, regional programme replacement, slating, parental control marker processing, station logos, and watermark overlay on COTS hardware running Windows or Linux.

The product portfolio extends beyond splicing into TS Switch (software-based switching across 20+ HD or SD services per server), TS Watermark Inserter, the Isis subtitle QC and subtitle comparison services, the Verify multi-channel compliance recording system with auto-failover, the Advantage audio description workstation, and the cloud-targeted Vinyasa Origin Server announced in 2023 for OTT streaming media delivery. European and US patents on TS Splicer techniques were granted in August 2020, providing formal IP protection for the company's flagship product. Starfish holds ISO 9001 certification, operates with a net positive carbon footprint offset through UK tree planting, and has cumulatively deployed more than 1,000 licences of its transport stream processing technology into live broadcast channels worldwide.

The company monetises primarily through one-time software licences, with quotes obtained via direct contact rather than published pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led: direct sales in the United Kingdom combined with a network of roughly 16 named regional channel partners and distributors covering Mainland Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. Marketing relies on industry trade shows (NAB and IBC), press releases, and contributed articles in broadcast trade publications. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range and named customers span Sky TV (20+ premium OTT channels), Levira, Captionmax, TV4 Sweden, MTV Networks International, Deluxe Studios, Dogan TV, Rogers Cable Canada, Canal Plus Belgium and the Swedish National Library.

Name

Starfish Technologies

Legal name

Starfish Technologies Limited

Website

https://starfish.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starfish Technologies is a Reading, UK-based broadcast software company that develops patented transport stream processing solutions, including splicing, ad insertion, compliance recording, audio description, and subtitle QC products, for international TV broadcasters and media companies on COTS hardware.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Software

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)

akta.pro primary industry

Ad Insertion & Monetization (SCTE-35, DAI/SSAI) (MPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Stream Processing (Ingest, ABR Packaging, Just-in-Time Packaging) (MPAHAHAD), Live Production Switching & Routing (Vision Mixers, Routers) (MPAHAKAE), Ingest, Recording & Capture Systems (MPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Transport stream processing
• Broadcast software solutions
• Advertising insertion systems
• Audio description technology
• Compliance recording systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Sale of software licenses for Transport Stream processing technology including TS Splicer, TS Switch, and related products. Products run on COTS hardware with multiple services on same server.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Starfish Technologies develops and licenses software-based transport stream processing solutions for international TV broadcasters and media companies. Its products enable clean switching of encoded MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC/H.265 broadcast streams for advertising insertion, regional content replacement, compliance recording, audio description, and subtitling workflows, running on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Linux or Windows servers rather than proprietary hardware.

Product overview

Starfish Technologies is a media technology and broadcast software company offering a comprehensive suite of transport stream processing solutions. The product portfolio is organized around core transport stream splicing and processing technology, with specialized modules for advertising insertion, compliance recording, audio description, captioning/subtitling, and encoding/transcoding. Key products include the TS Splicer for clean switching of encoded transport streams, Transport Stream Processing systems, Regional Insertion/Ad Insertion Systems, Compliance Recording (Verify), Audio Description/Video Description (Advantage), Captioning & Subtitling (Isis), Encoding & Transcoding, plus add-on modules such as TS Watermark Inserter, TS Switch, and the cloud-based Vinyasa Origin Server. The technology processes MPEG-2, H.264, and HEVC/H.265 encoded media and runs on both Windows and Linux operating systems on COTS hardware.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Isis: Subtitle QC and file processing software
• TS Splicer
• TS Switch
• TS Watermark Inserter
• Advantage
• Verify

Products and services

• TS Splicer (Transport Stream Splicing) Software-based solution for clean switching of encoded transport streams used by broadcasters for media switching and content replacement, including advertising insertion and slating. Supports MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC/H.265 encoded media with low propagation delay and frame-accurate or GOP boundary splicing, covered by European and US patents granted in August 2020.
• Transport Stream Processing Comprehensive transport stream processing technology for manipulating and processing encoded broadcast streams, including replacing and switching live content, adding and removing advertising insertion markers, processing parental control markers, and adding station logos. Supports MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC/H.265 across Linux and Windows COTS servers.
• Ad Insertion / Regional Insertion Systems Regional programme replacement and advertising insertion systems enabling broadcasters to insert local advertising, news and other content into MPEG2, H.264 or HEVC/H.265 transport streams without decoding and re-encoding.
• Compliance Recording (Verify) Multi-channel compliance recording system that records multiple channels of live TV broadcast in a fully managed configuration with auto failover, designed to meet broadcaster and regulatory compliance obligations.
• Advantage Audio Description / Video Description Audio description workstation and linear audio processing technology for accessibility services, enabling visually impaired viewers to understand programming through additional narration provided by TV broadcasters and media companies.
• Captioning & Subtitling (Isis) Subtitle and closed caption file processing solutions for broadcasters, including automated QC detection of errors such as overlapping timecodes or illegal durations, plus a comparison service for verifying similarity across subtitle files for multi-language workflows. Supports EBU .stl, .pac and .srt formats.
• Encoding & Transcoding Media transcoding technology for encoding and transcoding broadcast content across different formats and standards, sold as part of Starfish's systems-build offering to broadcasters and media companies.
• TS Switch Software-based transport stream switching product designed for a wide range of transport stream switching applications for broadcasters, including replacing legacy hardware-based installations. Can switch content from more than 20 HD or SD video services on a single COTS server.
• TS Watermark Inserter Watermark insertion tool that overlays a watermark sequence onto an encoded MPEG2, H.264 or HEVC/H.265 transport stream, integrated as a software solution running on COTS hardware servers for broadcasters requiring content watermarking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple services on same server reduces rack space requirements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, regional and core.

• CobaltstrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2019Partnership announced March 2019 with Cobalt.
• IBISstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2010Working on enhanced MAM (Media Asset Management) feature set. Partnership announced April 2010.
• AmberFinstrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2009Major partnership announced at IBC 2009 for integration and technology cooperation.
• Bridge Digital IncregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distribution partner representing Starfish Technologies in the Americas market. Located in Goodlettsville, TN.
• Ideal Systems S.E.A.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSingapore-based partner covering Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia markets.
• AV Group TechnologiesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralia-based distribution partner for Starfish products.
• MultiVirt India Private LimitedregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndia-based partner for Starfish Technologies products.
• Broadtech LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand-based distribution partner for Starfish products.
• Wecom GlobalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDubai-based partner covering Middle East markets.
• Draco LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsrael-based partner for Starfish Technologies.
• Inala Broadcast (Pty) LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth Africa-based partner covering African markets.
• Broadcast Solutions Nordic OyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinland-based partner covering Nordic markets including Finland.
• Magic HourregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrance-based distribution partner for Starfish products.
• KEM Electronics S.AregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreece-based partner for Starfish Technologies.
• Future Trading Kft.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHungary-based distribution partner.
• Video Signal s.r.l.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItaly-based partner for Starfish Technologies.
• Broadcast Solutions GmbHregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGermany-based partner covering Russian market.
• CENTRON SLOVAKIA, s.r.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlovakia-based partner for Starfish Technologies.
• MTD Electronics d.o.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlovenia and Croatia-based partner.
• Lanlink ABregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSweden-based partner, also involved in cooperation with Kungliga biblioteket (National Library of Sweden) for compliance recording system.
• HPcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHP OEM Partner for hardware used in Starfish compliance recording systems. Generic IT hardware from HP utilized in customer deployments.
• Lanlink Digital BroadcastregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish partner cooperating with Starfish on Kungliga biblioteket (National Library of Sweden) compliance recording system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Harmonic: Harmonic is a major global vendor of video delivery infrastructure, including ad insertion and splicing products for broadcast and OTT. It competes with Starfish at the high end of the broadcast infrastructure market and serves many of the same broadcaster and Pay-TV operator customers, though its portfolio is significantly broader.
• Evertz Microsystems: Evertz supplies a wide range of broadcast infrastructure including routers, switching, and processing platforms. It overlaps with Starfish's TS Switch and transport stream processing capabilities but offers a much broader product line and a global direct sales footprint, serving similar broadcast and media customers.
• Imagine Communications: Imagine Communications provides broadcast playout, ad insertion, and media processing solutions to TV broadcasters worldwide. Its Landmark and Versio product lines overlap directly with Starfish's ad insertion, regional content replacement, and playout-adjacent functionality for similar enterprise broadcaster customers.

Direct peers

• BroadStream Solutions: BroadStream Solutions provides playout automation, graphics, and ad insertion software for broadcasters. Its ad insertion and playout automation capabilities directly overlap with Starfish's regional ad insertion and TS processing products for similar TV broadcaster customers.
• Sencore: Sencore provides broadcast video delivery, transcoding, and monitoring equipment to operators and broadcasters. Its transport stream and contribution product set overlaps with Starfish's encoding, splicing, and ad insertion offerings for similar enterprise broadcast customers.
• TAG Video Systems: TAG Video Systems offers IP-based monitoring, multiviewer, and probing solutions for broadcast workflows. While more focused on monitoring than splicing, it serves the same broadcast technology buyer and increasingly overlaps with Starfish's transport stream and OTT delivery products around IP-based workflows.
• Appear: Appear is a specialist provider of media processing and transport stream switching/encoding platforms for broadcasters and operators. Its products address the same transport stream switching, splicing, and processing use cases as Starfish's TS Splicer and TS Switch, targeting similar broadcast and contribution customers.
• Artel Video Systems: Artel Video Systems delivers broadcast IP transport, processing, and switching solutions. Its transport stream processing portfolio is directly comparable to Starfish's TS Splicer and TS Switch, targeting similar broadcast and media customers with software-defined broadcast infrastructure.
• Net Insight: Net Insight provides media transport and contribution solutions for broadcast, including IP-based transport stream processing. It is comparable to Starfish in addressing transport stream workflows for broadcasters, though with a stronger emphasis on contribution networks than splicing and ad insertion.

Emerging players

• Pebble Beach Systems: Pebble Beach Systems offers playout automation and integrated channel solutions for broadcasters. It is adjacent to Starfish in addressing broadcaster infrastructure needs, with stronger focus on automation/playout while Starfish emphasises transport stream splicing and ad insertion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StarfishTech

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Starfish Technologies