Media Excel
Media Excel provides video encoding and transcoding software via its HERO platform and DIVA AI encoding, serving Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific with enterprise-grade live, VOD, and 4K/UHD workflows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Media Excel does
Media Excel Inc is a privately held, Austin, Texas-based provider of video encoding and transcoding software founded around 1999-2000. The company develops the HERO platform family, which includes HERO Live for adaptive bitrate multiscreen delivery, HERO File for VOD transcoding, HERO Event Encoder for remote on-location broadcasts, HERO Synchronizer for multi-camera timecode alignment, and the HERO Management System for remote control of IPTV, MobileTV, and VoD workflows. The HERO 6000 platform supports high-capacity deployments of nearly 200 linear channels, and the proprietary DIVA Encoding module provides AI-driven orchestration that claims to reduce bandwidth usage by 30% or more and improve streaming efficiency by 20%+ while supporting codecs from MPEG-2 through HEVC/H.265 and VVC, as well as ultra-low latency streaming and ad processing via ESAM, SCTE-35, and SCTE-104.
The company sells enterprise encoding solutions to Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, with named customers including Space Norway, AT&T U-verse, Verizon, LG U+, Deutsche Glasfaser, Turksat, INSIGHT TV, SK Broadband, Red Bee Media, Arqiva, VRT, the European Parliament, and the US Department of Defense. Revenue is generated through three streams: subscription-based software licenses for on-premise and cloud encoders, one-time hardware appliance sales (HERO 6000, HERO 4K), and usage-based cloud transcoding through Microsoft Azure and Akamai partnerships. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by system integrators and channel partners (Garland, VUALTO), cloud marketplace distribution, and OEM/embedded deals with partners such as Simplestream and LG Electronics.
Media Excel employs 11-50 people, is founder/management-owned with no disclosed venture capital backing, and is led by CEO Narayanan Rajan, who assumed the role in 2024. The company is consistently recognized in analyst rankings such as Divitel's Video Delivery Technology Landscape and Streaming Media Magazine's Top 100, and maintains active participation in NAB Show, IBC, and other major industry events.
Media Excel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Media Excel
- Legal name
- Media Excel Inc
- Website
- https://mediaexcel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Media Excel provides video encoding and transcoding software via its HERO platform and DIVA AI encoding, serving Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific with enterprise-grade live, VOD, and 4K/UHD workflows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Media Excel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Encoding and Transcoding Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise/Creator Video Hosting & OTT SaaS Platforms (MPACAAAL)
Keywords
Where Media Excel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Media Excel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Video Encoding/Transcoding Software Licenses: On-premise and cloud-based video encoding solutions sold as software licenses to Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators. The HERO product line includes Live, File, Event encoders and Management Systems.
- Hardware Appliances: Sale of HERO hardware encoding platforms including the HERO 6000 for premium video distribution
- Cloud-based Encoding Services: Burst encoding and cloud transcoding services through Microsoft Azure and Akamai partnerships
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise licensing based on deployment scale and requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Media Excel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Media Excel develops and sells the HERO platform, a video encoding and transcoding software suite for live and Video-On-Demand (VOD) workflows. Products are deployed on-premise, as virtual machines, or in the cloud, and serve Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators globally. The portfolio includes specialized encoders (HERO Live, File, Event, 4K OTT Encoder, 4K HEVC Decoder, HERO 6000), a HERO Management System for remote orchestration, and the AI-driven DIVA Encoding technology for real-time video quality and bandwidth optimization.
Product overview
Media Excel offers a unified HERO platform family for video encoding and transcoding, comprising core products (HERO Live for adaptive bitrate multiscreen delivery, HERO File for VoD workflows, HERO Event Encoder for remote on-location events) supported by management infrastructure (HERO Synchronizer for multi-source timecode sync, HERO Management System for remote control). The portfolio includes specialized 4K solutions (HERO 4K OTT Encoder, HERO 4K HEVC Decoder) and the HERO 6000 platform for high-capacity broadcast deployments. AI capabilities are delivered through DIVA Encoding, an AI-native orchestration module that optimizes bandwidth usage by 30%+ while improving video quality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HERO: Primary video encoding/transcoding platform product line including HERO Live, HERO 4K, HERO 6000, and HERO Event Encoder (HERO EE)
- DIVA Encoding
- HERO Management System
Products and services
- HERO Live
- HERO File
- HERO Event Encoder (HERO EE) HERO Event Encoder (HERO EE) is a low-latency, multi-channel, multi-format, multi-screen remote on-location encoding solution designed for broadcast of important events regardless of venue, used by event producers and broadcasters.
- HERO Synchronizer HERO Synchronizer is a timecode embedder that modulates timecode into a sub-audio track so it can propagate like regular video/audio, enabling multi-camera synchronization even when each source has a different delay. Used for live sports and multi-camera productions.
- HERO Management System HERO Management System is a remote management platform providing complete visibility and control over IPTV, MobileTV, and VoD transcoding services for enterprise operators.
- HERO 6000 HERO 6000 is a high-capacity hardware/software encoding platform for premium video distribution, capable of delivering nearly 200 linear channels with broadcast-grade reliability and AI-powered optimization. Targeted at large broadcast and Pay-TV operators.
- HERO 4K OTT Encoder HERO 4K OTT Encoder is a high-quality 4K Ultra HD HEVC encoding solution for OTT and broadcast workflows, supporting live events with broadcast-grade MCR for remote production. Used by global broadcasters and Pay-TV operators.
- HERO 4K HEVC Decoder HERO 4K HEVC Decoder is a 4K Ultra HD HEVC decoder that powers high-profile UHD content delivery workflows for broadcasters and content distributors globally.
- DIVA Encoding DIVA Encoding is an AI-native video encoding technology that dynamically optimizes video quality and bandwidth usage in real time, improving existing broadcasting environments and providing more efficient encoding and streaming across edge and cloud.
- VP9/WebM Live Encoding Support Carrier-grade support for WebM live encoding and VP9/DASH publishing of live streams to YouTube, allowing broadcasters to deliver pristine-quality linear video to the industry's largest online platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30% bandwidth reduction with AI-driven orchestration
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Media Excel
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Media Excel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Media Excel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Space NorwaycoreSpace Norway selected Media Excel's HERO 6000 platform to deliver nearly 200 linear channels with broadcast-grade reliability and AI-powered optimization. The deployment utilizes AI-enabled DIVA for real-time video quality and bandwidth optimization.
- Skandha Media ServicescoreStrategic partnership where Skandha Media Services leverages cloud technology, automation, AI, and machine learning combined with Media Excel's encoding solutions to serve Tier-1 broadcasters, operators, and content platforms.
- Akamai TechnologiescoreCollaboration leveraging Media Excel's DIVA Encoding technology in Akamai's GPU-enabled cloud instances for efficient video processing.
- Six Floor SolutionsminorStrategic collaboration to provide compelling solutions to the media industry by combining strengths to deliver high-quality, real-time video content and customized highlights.
- VUALTOcoreOver 10-year collaboration expanded to include regional sales and support services. Media Excel's HERO encoding is tightly integrated within VUALTO's orchestration, video delivery and monitoring solution (VUALTO CONTROL HUB) spanning live, VOD, Live2VOD, and VOD2Live workflows.
- Microsoft AzurecoreBurst 4K encoding on Azure Kubernetes Service, enabling cloud scaling of HERO encoding workloads. Partnership enables 3-second end-to-end latency streaming with Net Insight integration.
- Net InsightcorePartnership to provide end-to-end ultra-low latency live streaming on Microsoft Azure, achieving 3 seconds end-to-end latency with one-click streaming workflow inclusive of transcoding.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Media Excel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Harmonic: Harmonic is a leading provider of video delivery infrastructure, including encoding, transcoding, and stream processing for Pay-TV operators and broadcasters. It is one of Media Excel's closest direct competitors in the carrier-grade video encoding market.
- Ateme: Ateme offers video compression, transcoding, and delivery solutions for broadcasters, Pay-TV operators, and OTT platforms, with a strong focus on HEVC, VVC, and AI-based encoding. It competes directly with Media Excel in tier-1 broadcast and OTT encoding deployments.
- Imagine Communications: Imagine Communications delivers video infrastructure, playout, and compression solutions for broadcasters and Pay-TV operators globally. Its encoding portfolio overlaps directly with Media Excel's HERO platform for broadcast and multiscreen workflows.
- Bitmovin: Bitmovin provides cloud-based video encoding, player, and analytics infrastructure widely used by OTT platforms and streaming services. It competes directly with Media Excel's HERO Live/File/VOD products for enterprise streaming customers.
- MainConcept: MainConcept develops video and audio codec SDKs (HEVC, VVC, AVC, AV1) used by encoding vendors, broadcasters, and post-production houses. Its codec IP is comparable to the compression core underlying Media Excel's HERO platform.
- Wowza Streaming Engine: Wowza provides streaming server and transcoding software widely used by broadcasters, enterprises, and OTT operators. It competes with Media Excel in adaptive bitrate live and VOD encoding deployments.
Broad incumbents
- AWS Elemental (Amazon Web Services): AWS Elemental provides cloud-native and on-premise video encoding/transcoding (MediaConvert, MediaLive) as part of a much broader cloud and media services portfolio. It is a broad incumbent competing with Media Excel especially in cloud-burst encoding workflows.
- Telos Alliance: Telos Alliance offers broadcast audio, video processing, and infrastructure solutions for TV and radio broadcasters. It is a broad incumbent in broadcast technology with overlapping customer relationships to Media Excel's Tier-1 broadcaster base.
Emerging players
- Mux: Mux offers cloud-native video infrastructure including encoding, streaming, and analytics for OTT and developer-oriented customers. It represents a more developer-focused emerging competitor to Media Excel's enterprise encoding stack.
Regional players
- Net Insight: Net Insight provides media networking, contribution, and ultra-low-latency live video transport solutions, and is a strategic partner of Media Excel for end-to-end 3-second latency streaming on Azure. Its contribution and transport footprint makes it an adjacent peer in live video workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Media Excel social profiles
Digital presenceMedia Excel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Media Excel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Media Excel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Media Excel 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 Media Excel
What does Media Excel do?
Media Excel develops and sells the HERO platform, a video encoding and transcoding software suite for live and Video-On-Demand (VOD) workflows. Products are deployed on-premise, as virtual machines, or in the cloud, and serve Online Video Platforms and Pay-TV operators globally. The portfolio includes specialized encoders (HERO Live, File, Event, 4K OTT Encoder, 4K HEVC Decoder, HERO 6000), a HERO Management System for remote orchestration, and the AI-driven DIVA Encoding technology for real-time video quality and bandwidth optimization.
When was Media Excel founded?
Media Excel was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Media Excel based?
Media Excel is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Media Excel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Video Encoding/Transcoding Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are hardware Appliances and cloud-based Encoding Services.
Who are Media Excel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Harmonic, Ateme, Imagine Communications, Bitmovin, MainConcept and Wowza Streaming Engine. Broad incumbents are AWS Elemental (Amazon Web Services) and Telos Alliance. Mux is listed as an emerging player. Net Insight is listed as a regional player.
Does Media Excel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Media Excel.
What industry is Media Excel in?
Media Excel's product category is Video Encoding and Transcoding Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAAAL, Enterprise/Creator Video Hosting & OTT SaaS Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.