Interpretek

What Interpretek does

Interpretek is a U.S.-based, full-service American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting agency founded in 1995 by Michael J. Rizzolo and headquartered in Rochester, NY, with six additional offices across New York, Missouri, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The company supplies on-site, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), and 24/7 on-demand interpreting services — including a HIPAA-compliant web and mobile platform supporting ASL plus 300+ spoken languages — to four primary verticals: healthcare, education, legal, and emergency services. Interpretek differentiates through deep regulatory expertise (ADA, IDEA, Section 1557/ACA), access to nationally certified interpreters including Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs), and niche credentials such as the RID Specialist Certificate: Legal and EIPA certifications.

The company operates a proprietary digital education platform called Online Focus, which delivers continuing education bundles (medical, legal, tax, educational, academic, fingerspelling, deaf storytelling) with optional RID Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) CEU credits. It is also an approved testing site for RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) exams, and partners with Boys Town National Research Hospital for EIPA exam administration. Education and certification services are sold à la carte (course bundles priced $200–$720; individual courses $75–$150) and function as a content/supply-side moat that engages the freelance interpreter workforce.

Interpretek's revenue model is anchored by professional-services fees for interpreting assignments (quote-based, not publicly disclosed), augmented by course/CEU sales (pay-as-you-go), and certification testing fees. Customer concentration skews toward long-tenure institutional accounts, with named anchors such as the Rochester Red Wings (since 2001, 70 games/year), New York State School for the Deaf (15-year sole provider), Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (since 2017), and Seminole County Emergency Management (since 2009). A new affiliate channel with LanguageLine Solutions extends distribution into adjacent enterprise interpreting demand. The company is privately held under parent Communication Services, Inc. and has not taken external institutional capital.

Name

Interpretek

Legal name

Interpretek

Website

https://interpretek.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Interpretek is a U.S. full-service ASL interpreting agency (founded 1995, Rochester NY) delivering on-site, VRI, and 24/7 on-demand interpreting across healthcare, education, legal, and emergency verticals, plus Online Focus continuing education for interpreters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sign Language Interpreting Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM)

Keywords

• Sign language interpreting
• ASL interpreter services
• Video remote interpreting
• Interpreter continuing education
• Deaf accessibility services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interpreting Services: On-site and virtual ASL interpreting services billed per assignment or contract basis. Services include on-site interpreting, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), and on-demand interpreting for healthcare, legal, education, emergency services, and community settings.
2. Online Education/CEU Courses: Sale of online courses and bundles for ASL interpreter continuing education including Medical Focus ($720), Educational Focus ($315), Intro to Legal Interpreting Focus ($300), Tax & Business Focus ($200), and other specialized bundles. Optional RID CEU credits available for additional fees.
3. Certification Testing Services: Interpretek serves as an approved testing site for RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC) Performance exam and CDI Knowledge exam, as well as EIPA written and performance exams. Fees associated with test administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Interpretek delivers in-person and remote American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services to healthcare, education, legal, and emergency services organizations across the United States, complemented by a proprietary digital education platform (Online Focus) that provides CEU-bearing continuing education for ASL interpreters and ASL classes for the general public. The company also operates as an approved testing site for RID National Interpreter Certification and EIPA exams.

Product overview

Interpretek is a sign language interpreter services company offering a unified portfolio of interpreting services and educational products. The core service offerings include On-Site Interpreting Services, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), and On-Demand Interpreting Services (available 24/7 for ASL and 300+ spoken languages). These services are delivered across four primary industry verticals: Healthcare, Education, Legal, and Emergency Services. The company also operates Online Focus, a proprietary digital education platform offering continuing education bundles for interpreters, including Medical Interpreting Focus, Intro to Legal Interpreting Focus, Tax & Business Focus, Medical Focus, Educational Focus, Fingerspelling Focus, Deaf Storytelling Focus, and Academic Focus. Additional offerings include ASL Classes (taught by Deaf instructors across six proficiency levels), RID Certification Maintenance Program sponsorship, certification exam administration (NIC, CDI, EIPA), and independent contractor opportunities. The company maintains 7 locations across the US (Rochester NY headquarters, Rome NY, Kansas City MO, Atlanta GA, Bloomsburg PA, Orlando FL, Jacksonville FL) and operates as part of Communication Services, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Online Focus: Interpretek's proprietary digital continuing education program providing CEUs for ASL interpreters online

Quantifiable outcome

• Interpreting services provided nationwide for all 70 Rochester Red Wings home games annually since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Atlanta Area School for the DeafflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Top agency partner since 2017 providing ASL interpretation for external events and family engagement activities. Interpretek serves as a top-rung sponsor enabling creative programming for nonacademic activities, including the annual Fall Festival attracting 600-700 attendees.
• Seminole County Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership since 2009 for ASL interpreters at emergency press conferences and public service announcements. Interpretek provides immediate response capability for crisis communications including during hurricanes and pandemic events.
• Rochester Red WingsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Long-standing partnership since 2001 providing ASL interpreters for all 70 home games annually. Interpretek manages interpreter lineup and is a sponsor of the Red Wings annual yearbook. Partnership enables accessible experiences for Deaf and hard-of-hearing fans at every game.
• LanguageLine SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partnership where LanguageLine refers ASL interpreting needs to Interpretek, benefiting from Interpretek's ASL insight and government licensing expertise to ensure clients receive correctly qualified ASL interpreters.
• New York State School for the DeafcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSole provider of ASL interpreters for 15 years supporting the school's day-to-day educational programming.
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterpretek is an approved RID testing site for NIC Performance exam and CDI Knowledge exam, and approved sponsor for RID's Certification Maintenance Program.
• Boys Town National Research HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for EIPA (Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment) written and performance exam administration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sorenson Communications: Largest U.S. provider of ASL interpreting services and Video Remote Interpreting, serving Deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers nationwide. Competes directly with Interpretek in VRI and on-demand ASL interpreting across healthcare, education, and community settings, but at significantly greater scale.
• Purple Communications: Major provider of Video Relay Services and VRI for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Directly competes with Interpretek's on-demand and VRI offerings, with broader national coverage and brand recognition.
• Convo Communications: Provider of on-demand VRS, VRI, and scheduled ASL interpreting services to Deaf consumers and businesses. Direct competitor to Interpretek's VRI and on-demand interpreting lines with similar customer segments.
• ZP Better Together (Z Services): ASL interpreting and VRI provider focused on Deaf community services across multiple industries. Comparable scale and service mix to Interpretek with overlapping healthcare, education, and community interpreting offerings.
• Sign Language Services: Regional ASL interpreting agency offering on-site and VRI services across multiple U.S. markets. Most directly comparable in scale and service offering to Interpretek, competing for the same enterprise and institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• LanguageLine Solutions: The largest language services provider in the U.S., offering interpretation across 300+ spoken languages. Interpretek is a referral partner for LanguageLine's ASL needs, but LanguageLine is also an indirect competitor as it expands ASL capacity internally.
• CyraCom: Large-scale provider of phone and video interpretation primarily across spoken languages, with growing presence in healthcare interpretation. Overlaps with Interpretek in healthcare interpreting and is a competitor for healthcare system contracts.

Emerging players

• Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): Nonprofit social enterprise providing ASL interpreting, VRI, and Deaf-led programs. Competes with Interpretek in VRI and interpreting services while operating community programs that overlap with Interpretek's nonprofit partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/interpretek
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzb5bKibxL7SM8VDSMvKWqQ?app=desktop
• Facebookfacebook.com/interpretekrocks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interpretek
• Instagraminstagram.com/interpretek_asl

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Interpretek