What proDAD does

proDAD GmbH is a privately held German software developer founded in 1990 and headquartered in Immendingen, Germany, specializing in video effects, stabilization, and optimization software for professional and prosumer video creators. The company offers a portfolio of more than ten SKUs including Mercalli (video stabilization), VitaScene (transition effects and filters with 1,700+ effects), ProDRENALIN and DEFISHR (action-cam and fisheye correction), HIDE and DISGUISE (object removal and privacy masking), ReSpeedr (slow-motion/timelapse), Heroglyph (video titling), and an SDK for third-party integration. Its flagship product, Mercalli V6 SAL launched in 2022, is proDAD's first Artificial Intelligence Application (AiA) for CMOS/rolling-shutter correction, supplemented by NVIDIA GPU acceleration across the portfolio.

proDAD's go-to-market is sales-led through direct online sales, free trial downloads, and a network of plug-in distribution partnerships covering the seven dominant non-linear editing platforms (Adobe Premiere, MAGIX, Grass Valley EDIUS, DaVinci Resolve, Boris FX VEGAS, Pinnacle Studio, Corel Video Studio) and the OFX standard, with localized distribution in Japan via Flashback Japan Co., Ltd. The revenue model is almost entirely perpetual software licensing (one-time purchase) for end users, supplemented by SDK/OEM royalties from developers, with no disclosed subscription pricing. Customers include professional production companies, ambitious amateur filmmakers, YouTubers and content creators, and a wholly-owned subsidiary (proDAD Forensic) serves law-enforcement and security services with specialized video-analysis software.

The company operates globally with localized support in English, German, French, and Japanese. It has been active for over three decades without disclosed external funding, is owned by its founders/management, and shows no record of M&A, leadership turnover, or capital-markets activity in the supplied data.

Name

proDAD

Legal name

proDAD GmbH

Website

https://prodad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

proDAD GmbH is a German software developer, founded 1990, that builds video stabilization, effects, and optimization tools (Mercalli, VitaScene, ProDRENALIN, ReSpeedr, Heroglyph) for professional producers, prosumer filmmakers, content creators, and law-enforcement forensic users, sold via perpetual licenses and plug-ins for major NLEs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Post-Production Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Form Video Creation, Editing & Templates Apps (MPACAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Developer Tooling & SDK Platforms (BPAMAOAD)

Keywords

• Video stabilization software
• Video editing plugins
• Post-production effects
• Action camera optimization
• Video titling software

Headquarters

HQ city

Immendingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: ProDAD sells perpetual software licenses for their video effects, stabilization, and optimization products. Customers can purchase full versions through their online shop after testing with free demo versions. Pricing varies by product.
2. Plugin Sales: Sale of plug-in versions for popular non-linear editing (NLE) solutions including Adobe Premiere, MAGIX, Grass Valley EDIUS, DaVinci Resolve, Boris FX VEGAS, Pinnacle Studio, and Corel Video Studio.
3. SDK Licensing: SDK solutions for developers allowing third-party integration of proDAD technologies into their own products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

proDAD develops and sells professional video editing software focused on stabilization, effects/transitions, action-camera optimization, object removal, privacy masking, slow-motion and titling. Products are delivered as standalone applications (e.g., Mercalli V6 SAL, ProDRENALIN V2 Plus, HIDE V2, DISGUISE V2, ReSpeedr V2, DEFISHR V1, Heroglyph V5) and as plug-ins for major non-linear editors including Adobe Premiere, MAGIX, Grass Valley EDIUS, DaVinci Resolve, Boris FX VEGAS, Pinnacle Studio, Corel Video Studio, and OFX-compatible hosts. The company also licenses an SDK for developers and offers a separate forensic line for law enforcement and security services.

Product overview

proDAD is a German video effects, optimization, and forensic software company offering a comprehensive suite of professional video editing and processing tools. The product portfolio includes video stabilization solutions (Mercalli V6 SAL and plug-ins for Adobe, MAGIX, EDIUS, DaVinci Resolve, Boris FX VEGAS, Pinnacle Studio, Corel Video Studio, and OFX), video effects and transitions (VitaScene V5 PRO with 1,700 effects, Vitascene OFX with 1,972 effects, and Adorage), video tools (HIDE V2 for object removal, DISGUISE V2 for privacy protection, ReSpeedr V2 for slow-motion/timelapse), mobile/action camera solutions (ProDRENALIN V2 Plus, DEFISHR V1 for fisheye correction), video titling (Heroglyph V5/V4), SDK solutions for developers, and specialized forensic products for law enforcement. The company collaborates with top brands including Adobe, Corel, Grass Valley, MAGIX, Pinnacle, Blackmagic Design, and Boris FX to deliver professional video editing plugins. With over three decades of experience, proDAD serves professional production companies, ambitious filmmakers, and hobbyists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mercalli: Professional video stabilization software with CMOS/Rolling-Shutter correction
• VitaScene
• Adorage
• Heroglyph
• ProDRENALIN
• DEFISHR
• ReSpeedr
• DISGUISE
• HIDE

Products and services

• Mercalli V6 SAL Standalone application providing professional video stabilization with AI-powered processing and CMOS/Rolling-Shutter correction for professional video editors and filmmakers.
• Mercalli V6 Plug-Ins MAGIX Video stabilization plug-in for MAGIX Video deluxe and Video Pro X with CMOS/Rolling-Shutter correction for MAGIX-based video editors.
• Mercalli V6 Plug-Ins ADOBE Video stabilization plug-in for Adobe Premiere (Windows) with CMOS/Rolling-Shutter correction for video editors using Adobe tooling.
• Mercalli OFX Plug-Ins Video stabilization plug-ins for OFX-compatible editing interfaces, enabling proDAD stabilization inside hosts such as DaVinci Resolve and other OFX-capable NLEs.
• Mercalli V5 Suite for EDIUS Video stabilization plug-in suite for Grass Valley EDIUS non-linear editing, providing Mercalli stabilization tools inside the EDIUS workflow.
• VitaScene V5 PRO Standalone library of 1,700 professional transition effects and video filters for video editors and filmmakers wanting broadcast-grade effects inside or outside an NLE.
• Vitascene OFX OFX plug-in version of VitaScene delivering 1,972 professional transition effects and video filters for OFX-compatible editing hosts such as DaVinci Resolve.
• Adorage All-in-One Effect Library Comprehensive all-in-one transition effects library for video production, providing video editors with a broad catalog of ready-made effects.
• HIDE V2 Standalone tool that automatically removes unwanted objects from video using super-fast tracking, for video editors and content creators who need quick clean-up without manual frame-by-frame work.
• DISGUISE V2 Privacy protection tool for video offering super-fast tracking for pixelation, blur, and mosaic effects to mask faces or sensitive areas, for content creators, broadcasters and law enforcement users.
• ReSpeedr V2 Standalone application that produces super slow-motion, timelapse and long-exposure effects in video, leveraging NVIDIA GPU acceleration for fast processing, targeted at action-cam and creative video producers.
• ProDRENALIN V2 Plus Mobile and action-camera video optimization suite offering stabilization, fisheye removal, rolling-shutter correction, color correction, image stabilization and a storyboard function for action-cam, drone and smartphone footage creators.
• DEFISHR V1 Standalone automatic fisheye lens correction tool for video and photo, compatible with all cameras, removing optical distortions such as horizon bending and curved edges from wide-angle footage.
• Heroglyph V5 Professional video titling solution for creating titles, lower thirds, outros, trailers, route animations and handwriting animations, for video editors and producers who need broadcast-quality motion graphics.
• SDK Solutions for Developers Software development kits for Windows and Linux enabling third-party developers to integrate proDAD's image stabilization, fisheye correction and intelligent optimization technologies into their own applications, sold via OEM/embedded licensing.
• proDAD Forensic Products Specialized forensic video analysis software offered through a dedicated prodad-forensic.de domain for police and security services performing video analysis and evidentiary processing.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• AdobecoreTechnology or IntegrationAdobe is a key technology partner. ProDAD creates plug-ins for Adobe Premiere including Mercalli V6 Plug-Ins for Adobe (Windows) and other Adobe-compatible products.
• MAGIXcoreTechnology or IntegrationMAGIX is a key technology partner. ProDAD creates plug-ins for MAGIX Video deluxe and Video Pro X through Mercalli V6 Plug-Ins for MAGIX.
• Grass Valley (EDius)coreTechnology or IntegrationGrass Valley is a key technology partner. ProDAD offers Mercalli V5 Suite for EDIUS and Mercalli plug-ins for EDIUS.
• Blackmagic Design (DaVinci Resolve)coreTechnology or IntegrationBlackmagic Design is a key technology partner. ProDAD offers Mercalli OFX Plug-Ins for OFX interfaces which are compatible with DaVinci Resolve.
• Boris FX VEGAScoreTechnology or IntegrationBoris FX VEGAS is a key technology partner. ProDAD creates plug-ins compatible with Boris FX VEGAS.
• CorelcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorel is a key technology partner. ProDAD creates plug-ins for Corel Video Studio.
• Pinnacle StudiocoreTechnology or IntegrationPinnacle Studio is a key technology partner. ProDAD creates plug-ins for Pinnacle Studio.
• Flashback Japan Co., Ltd.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Japanese distributor for proDAD products. Flashback Japan Co., Ltd. handles distribution and sales in the Japanese market.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Adobe: Adobe ships Premiere Pro and Creative Cloud with native stabilization, transitions, and effects. As proDAD's largest plug-in partner, Adobe is both a critical distribution channel and a broad incumbent whose in-product capabilities compete directly with Mercalli and VitaScene.
• Blackmagic Design (DaVinci Resolve): Blackmagic Design offers DaVinci Resolve with built-in stabilization, Fusion effects, and color tools, and is also a proDAD plug-in partner. It is a broad incumbent in professional video whose native features compete with proDAD's plug-in value proposition.
• Magix (MAGIX Software): MAGIX is a major NLE vendor (Video deluxe, Video Pro X, VEGAS Pro) and one of proDAD's deepest plug-in partners. While it operates a broader consumer/prosumer video editing portfolio, its bundled effects and titling overlap meaningfully with proDAD's VitaScene and Heroglyph offerings.
• Corel (VideoStudio / Pinnacle Studio): Corel markets consumer/prosumer editing suites (VideoStudio, Pinnacle Studio, WinDVD) and is one of proDAD's listed plug-in partners. Its bundled effects and titling overlap with proDAD's Heroglyph and VitaScene, and its platforms anchor a meaningful share of proDAD's distribution.
• Grass Valley (EDIUS): Grass Valley's EDIUS NLE is widely used in broadcast and pro video. EDIUS hosts Mercalli plug-ins (Mercalli V5 Suite for EDIUS), and Grass Valley's broader broadcast workflow portfolio competes for the same professional buyer proDAD serves.

Regional players

• CyberLink (PowerDirector): CyberLink's PowerDirector is a leading consumer/prosumer video editor, particularly strong in Asia Pacific. It competes with the same action-cam and enthusiast use cases that drive demand for proDAD's ProDRENALIN, DEFISHR, and Mercalli products.

Direct peers

• FxFactory: FxFactory is a marketplace and distributor for high-quality video effects plug-ins across Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve. It competes for the same plug-in shelf space as proDAD's Mercalli, VitaScene, and Heroglyph plug-ins among professional editors.
• Boris FX: Boris FX develops professional visual effects plug-ins (Sapphire, Continuum, Mocha) for the same major NLEs (Adobe, Avid, DaVinci Resolve, VEGAS). Like proDAD, it sells perpetual plug-in licenses to video editors and is explicitly listed as a partner ecosystem that proDAD plugs into, making it a directly comparable VFX/effects peer.
• NewBlueFX: NewBlueFX sells video effects, transitions, and titling plug-ins for Adobe, Avid, DaVinci Resolve, and VEGAS. The product mix (effects libraries, title design, stabilization-adjacent tools) and licensing model are closely aligned with proDAD's VitaScene, Heroglyph, and Mercalli product lines.
• RE:Vision Effects: RE:Vision Effects builds advanced video plug-ins (Twister, ReelSmart Motion Blur, DE:Flicker) for Adobe, Avid, DaVinci Resolve, and Nuke. It targets the same professional post-production buyer as proDAD with specialized, plugin-based image processing tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/proDAD/235830739800879
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prodad-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 proDAD