CaptionCall
CaptionCall, a Sorenson Communications product line, provides federally funded captioned telephone services to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States via a home phone device and mobile app, reimbursed under the FCC IP CTS program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CaptionCall does
CaptionCall provides captioned telephone services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States. The product portfolio centers on two offerings: the CaptionCall Home Phone, a physical landline/internet-connected device with a large display and hearing-loss-customized audio amplification, and CaptionCall Mobile, an iOS and Android app delivering captioned calls on smartphones and tablets. The underlying technology combines live captioning agents with advanced voice recognition to produce real-time text captions displayed during phone conversations, supplemented by saved transcripts, voicemail captioning, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Sound Off Project extends the service to Veterans and service members with hearing loss through partnerships with veteran organizations.
The service is operated by Sorenson Communications, LLC, a privately held Utah-incorporated parent, with CaptionCall functioning as a product line under that entity. Revenue mechanics are tied to the FCC's Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program, mandated under the Americans with Disabilities Act; CaptionCall is reimbursed from a federally administered Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) fund on a per-minute basis for captioned call minutes delivered to self-certified users with hearing loss. Eligible end users receive the service and devices at no cost, and physical phones remain Sorenson property to enable ongoing service, support, and upgrades.
Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer sign-up via website and phone, mobile app store self-serve onboarding, complimentary in-home installation (the 'Red Carpet' service), and a healthcare-provider referral channel targeting audiologists and hearing health professionals. The company is US-only, has a headcount in the 1001-5000 band blended with the Sorenson parent, and is led by CEO R. Scott Wood. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or revenue figures are disclosed in available sources.
CaptionCall firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CaptionCall
- Legal name
- Sorenson Communications, LLC
- Website
- https://captioncall.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- CaptionCall, a Sorenson Communications product line, provides federally funded captioned telephone services to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States via a home phone device and mobile app, reimbursed under the FCC IP CTS program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CaptionCall industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Telecommunications (517), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Subtitling & Captioning Services (Timed Text, SDH/CC) (MPAHAFAA), AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB)
Keywords
Where CaptionCall is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CaptionCall business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Federally Mandated IP CTS Service: CaptionCall operates under the FCC's Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program, part of the Americans with Disabilities Act mandate. The service is provided at no cost to eligible users with hearing loss. Funding comes from fees collected by the FCC from telecommunications companies, which reimburses providers for each minute of caption call service. CaptionCall phones and the mobile app remain property of Sorenson to provide ongoing support, service, and upgrades.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Free service for eligible users with hearing loss |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
CaptionCall product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CaptionCall provides real-time captioned telephone service to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through a dedicated home phone device and a mobile app, displaying live text captions of phone conversations. The service is provided at no cost to eligible users under the FCC's Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program and combines live captioning agents with advanced voice recognition technology for accurate transcription.
Product overview
CaptionCall is a unified captioned telephone service portfolio for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, consisting of two main products: CaptionCall Home Phone (a physical captioned telephone for home use with hearing loss customization features) and CaptionCall Mobile (a smartphone/tablet app available on iOS and Android). The service is provided at no cost to users as part of the federal Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program mandated under the ADA. CaptionCall also includes the Sound Off Project, a specialized program offering no-cost caption phone services specifically for Veterans and service members. All products use a combination of live captioning agents and advanced voice recognition technology to display real-time text captions during phone calls.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CaptionCall Home Phone A captioned telephone for home use that displays real-time text captions of phone calls on a large, easy-to-read screen. Features hearing loss customization with adjustable volume and frequency amplification, and connects via landline, internet, or smartphone. Provided at no cost to qualifying individuals with hearing loss.
- CaptionCall Mobile App A mobile application for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets that provides captioned phone calls on the go. Features inconspicuous captioning that resembles a regular speakerphone call, Bluetooth connectivity, caller ID, call forwarding, and saved call transcripts.
Quantifiable outcome
- No-cost service eliminates financial barriers to phone communication access for deaf and hard-of-hearing users
Companies that use CaptionCall
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CaptionCall technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
CaptionCall partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreCaptionCall operates under FCC regulations as part of the Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The FCC administers the TRS fund that reimburses providers for caption call services, making the service no-cost to eligible users with hearing loss.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CaptionCall competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Google Live Transcribe: Google's Live Transcribe provides free real-time speech-to-text captioning on Android devices for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. While not an IP CTS provider, it represents a free platform-level alternative that can substitute for CaptionCall Mobile for non-certified or casual users.
- Sorenson VRS (ntouch): Sorenson VRS is CaptionCall's sister product line within Sorenson Communications, providing video relay service for sign-language users under the FCC VRS program. While functionally different (sign language vs captioned voice), it is operated by the same parent and shares infrastructure, regulatory expertise, and brand in the deaf/hard-of-hearing accessibility market.
Direct peers
- InnoCaption: InnoCaption provides a mobile-first captioned call app for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, including an on-demand live stenographer option. Competes directly with CaptionCall Mobile for the smartphone-native user segment under the same IP CTS reimbursement framework.
- Hamilton CapTel: Hamilton CapTel is the most direct competitor, also providing captioned telephone service for hard-of-hearing individuals under the FCC IP CTS program, with both home phone devices and a mobile app. Competes head-to-head with CaptionCall for the same federally funded per-minute reimbursement and certified user base.
- ClearCaptions: ClearCaptions is an FCC-registered IP CTS provider offering captioned telephone service via a mobile app and home device, directly competing with CaptionCall for certified users and per-minute federal reimbursement.
- CapTel (by Ultratec): CapTel, operated by Ultratec, is a foundational IP CTS captioned telephone provider and one of the original entrants into the federally funded program. Offers captioned phones and a mobile app with overlapping regulatory and feature positioning to CaptionCall.
Emerging players
- Ava: Ava provides real-time captioning for group conversations and meetings, focused on accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. While primarily a meeting/group context tool rather than phone-call captioning, it addresses overlapping accessibility needs and could expand into phone-captioning use cases over time.
- Otter.ai: Otter.ai provides AI-powered real-time transcription and meeting notes. While primarily enterprise/meeting focused, its consumer captioning capabilities overlap with the call-captioning use case and represent a competitive alternative for hearing-accessible communication.
- Convo Relay: Convo provides Video Relay Service and related communication access tools for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. While primarily VRS-focused, it operates in the same federally funded accessibility communications space as CaptionCall and Sorenson.
- ZVRS: ZVRS is a Video Relay Service provider serving sign-language users under the FCC VRS program. Operates adjacent to CaptionCall within the broader TRS-funded accessibility ecosystem and competes indirectly for share-of-wallet among deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CaptionCall social profiles
Digital presenceCaptionCall financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CaptionCall leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CaptionCall funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CaptionCall 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 CaptionCall
What does CaptionCall do?
CaptionCall provides real-time captioned telephone service to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through a dedicated home phone device and a mobile app, displaying live text captions of phone conversations. The service is provided at no cost to eligible users under the FCC's Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) program and combines live captioning agents with advanced voice recognition technology for accurate transcription.
Is CaptionCall a public or private company?
CaptionCall is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CaptionCall founded?
CaptionCall was founded in 2010. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is CaptionCall based?
CaptionCall is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does CaptionCall make money?
One revenue line is on record: federally Mandated IP CTS Service.
Who are CaptionCall's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Google Live Transcribe and Sorenson VRS (ntouch). Direct peers are InnoCaption, Hamilton CapTel, ClearCaptions and CapTel (by Ultratec). Emerging players are Ava, Otter.ai, Convo Relay and ZVRS.
Does CaptionCall have an API?
No public API is recorded for CaptionCall.
What industry is CaptionCall in?
CaptionCall's product category is Assistive Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAC, Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription), with a secondary code of MPAHAFAA, Subtitling & Captioning Services (Timed Text, SDH/CC). Its NAICS code is 517 and its SIC code is 4813.