Sure Languages

What Sure Languages does

Sure Languages Ltd is a UK-based private language services company founded in April 2007 by Paul and Francesca in Bath and now operating from offices in Exeter (Devon) and Edinburgh (Scotland). The firm delivers professional human translation in 100+ languages, 24/7 telephone interpreting in 140 languages, AI-assisted human-edited transcription with timecoded captions, multilingual desktop publishing (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint), studio voiceovers, and certified translation of legal/official documents.

Underlying technology combines computer-assisted translation tools (TRADOS, DéjàVu), a translation memory database reused across client projects, InDesign localisation that flows translated text directly into layout files, and a Plunet-powered SL Client Portal for quoting, ordering, project tracking and secure file exchange. An AI component is applied to first-pass transcription before human editing.

Revenue is generated on usage-based pricing: per-word translation (£0.10-0.16 per word depending on language pair), per-minute telephone interpreting (£1.50 + VAT), tiered per-page certified translation (£90-£215), and project-based fees for voiceover and multilingual creative. GTM combines enterprise field sales supported by multilingual project managers in Exeter and Edinburgh with inside sales via online quote request and self-serve portal ordering. The customer base spans charities and NGOs (primary segment, including Oxfam since 2007, British Red Cross, Tate Britain), global enterprises (Marriott, Dell, Volkswagen, Morrisons, Mitie, Flybe, GWR), universities (University of Exeter), and individuals needing certified translations. The in-house team numbers approximately six people; service delivery is scaled through a 700+ linguist freelance network spanning 35 countries.

Name

Sure Languages

Legal name

Sure Languages Ltd

Website

https://sure-languages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sure Languages is a UK-based private language services firm delivering human translation in 100+ languages, 24/7 telephone interpreting in 140 languages, transcription, voiceover, multilingual DTP, and certified translation, primarily serving charities, NGOs, and global enterprises from offices in Exeter and Edinburgh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Localization, Translation & Multilingual Publishing Tools (EDAFAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multilingual Multimedia Localization (Subtitling, Dubbing, Voiceover) (MPAAANAH), Speech Translation & Multilingual Speech Tech (HDAAAFAE)

Keywords

• Professional translation services
• Telephone interpreting
• Certified translation
• Multilingual desktop publishing
• Transcription services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Document Translation Services: Per-word pricing for professional human translation services. Industry-standard rates ranging from £0.10 to £0.16 per word depending on language combination and complexity. Discounts available for high-volume and repetitive content through translation memory technology.
2. Certified Translation: Per-page pricing for official certified translations of legal and official documents. Pricing tiers: 1-2 pages £90, 3 pages £140, 4 pages £180, 5 pages £215. Simple online ordering process.
3. Telephone Interpreting: Per-minute billing at £1.50 plus VAT. Available 24/7/365 in 140 languages. No contract or minimum usage required. Charging begins only when interpreter joins the call.
4. Localisation Services: Per-word pricing for localisation services, ranging from £0.10 to £0.14 per word depending on target languages. Includes cultural adaptation beyond translation.
5. Multilingual Creative / DTP: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and PowerPoint localisation in any language. Often bundled with translation/localisation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sure Languages is a UK-based language services provider offering professional human translation in over 100 languages, 24/7 telephone interpreting in 140+ languages, AI-powered human-edited transcription, multilingual desktop publishing for InDesign/Illustrator/Photoshop/PowerPoint, studio-recorded voiceovers, and certified translation of legal and official documents. Services are managed by in-house multilingual project managers based in Exeter and Edinburgh and delivered through a global network of 700+ freelance linguists across 35 countries, supported by a Plunet-based client portal.

Product overview

Sure Languages is a language services company offering a comprehensive suite of professional communication services. The core offerings include Translation Services (100+ languages), Telephone Interpreting (140+ languages, 24/7), Transcription Services (AI-powered, human-edited), Multilingual Creative (InDesign/Illustrator/Photoshop/PowerPoint localisation), Voiceover Services, and Certified Translation. Supporting modules include Website Translation with SEO, Localisation for cultural adaptation, Subtitling and Captioning, Social Media Translation, and Large Translation Projects management. All services are supported by the SL Client Portal platform built on Plunet technology for project management, quote requests, order submission, and progress tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SL Client Portal: Online portal for requesting quotes, submitting orders, and tracking translation project progress.

Products and services

• Translation Services Professional human translation services in over 100 languages for documents, reports, websites, InDesign artwork, presentations, and code text, primarily serving enterprises, charities, and NGOs with per-word usage-based pricing.
• Telephone Interpreting Instant on-demand telephone interpreting service available 24/7/365 in over 140 languages, priced at £1.50+VAT per minute with charging starting only when the interpreter joins the call, targeted at businesses, charities, and public sector organisations.
• Transcription Services AI-powered transcription with human editing that converts audio and video to text, including full timecoding capability for on-screen captions and subtitles, suitable for media, corporate, and accessibility use cases.
• Multilingual Creative Desktop publishing and creative localisation in any language for InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and PowerPoint assets, producing publication-ready translated artwork without manual copy-paste, for marketing teams, publishers, and design agencies.
• Voiceover Services Studio-recorded voiceovers in all major languages by native-speaking voice talents, including full workflow from transcription and translation of source audio through editing and post-production, for media, e-learning, and corporate communications buyers.
• Certified Translation Professionally certified translations of legal and official documents such as birth, marriage, and degree certificates for visa applications, immigration, marriages, and legal proceedings, sold online directly to individuals with per-page unit pricing.
• SL Client Portal Plunet-based password-protected client portal allowing enterprise clients to request quotes, submit orders, track project progress, upload and download files of any size, store glossaries and style guides, and view invoices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved Oxfam £15,000 through translation memory technology on a 300,000-word project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Smartling: Translation management system and LSP offering cloud-based localization technology plus managed services. Partial overlap with Sure Languages on website translation and InDesign-type creative localization, but with a stronger technology-platform focus.

Direct peers

• Lionbridge: Global LSP offering translation, localization, interpretation, and AI data services across 350+ languages. Comparable to Sure Languages across the full multi-service language stack, with particular overlap in translation, interpretation, and content localization for enterprise.
• LanguageWire: European-headquartered LSP offering translation, interpretation, and language technology with strong TM and platform capabilities. Comparable in size and structure to Sure Languages, with similar multi-service language offerings and enterprise focus.
• Day Translations: Full-service LSP providing translation, interpretation, voiceover, and certified translation across 100+ languages. Comparable mid-sized peer with similar service breadth and emphasis on 24/7 availability.
• LanguageLine Solutions: The largest telephone and video interpreting provider in the world, offering on-demand interpretation in 200+ languages alongside translation and localization. Most directly comparable to Sure Languages on the 24/7 telephone interpreting service and broader enterprise language services portfolio.
• Rev: AI-powered transcription, captioning, and translation services provider. Directly comparable to Sure Languages on the AI-powered human-edited transcription and certified translation lines, with a more productized, self-service model.
• TransPerfect: One of the world's largest language service providers, offering translation, interpretation, transcription, multimedia, and certified translation services globally. Directly comparable across virtually every service Sure Languages provides, with a much larger enterprise footprint.
• Welocalize: Mid-to-large LSP providing translation, localization, interpretation, and multilingual content services to enterprise clients. Strong overlap with Sure Languages in telephone interpreting, certified translation, and creative/DTP multilingual services.

Broad incumbents

• RWS (formerly SDL): Global language and content solutions provider owning the Trados CAT platform that Sure Languages uses. Combines technology (Trados, MultiTrans) with managed translation services, representing both a tooling supplier relationship and a broader incumbent competitor.

Others

• Phrase (formerly Memsource): Cloud-based translation management platform provider. Not a direct service competitor, but represents the category of TMS technology that competes with the Plunet-based SL Client Portal workflow that Sure Languages has built.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/surelanguages
• Facebookfacebook.com/surelanguages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sure Languages