SignVideo

What SignVideo does

SignVideo, operating through legal entity Significan't UK Limited, is the UK's leading provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) for British Sign Language users. Founded in 2004 by Deaf entrepreneur Jeff McWhinney and headquartered in Glasgow, the company operates a video-intermediation platform that connects Deaf BSL users with qualified interpreters who relay conversations between sign language and voice in real time. Since 2020 the business has operated as the UK video arm of Sign Language Interactions (SLi) Group, itself part of Sorenson Communications, a global language services provider for the Deaf community.

The technology stack centres on the SignVideo App (iOS, Android, Windows), the browser-based SignVideo Web client, the SignDirectory listing 150+ accessible organisations, SignMail for asynchronous messaging, and the SignHub customer portal. Core video contact-centre infrastructure was established through a 2005 partnership with Cisco Systems and Tandberg Solutions. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 14001 certifications, was the first UK VRS provider to achieve BS27001 (2013), and processes over 100,000 BSL video calls per year with average answer time under 45 seconds and 24/7 availability. Geographic scope covers England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland.

The business model is primarily B2B and commissioned-service in nature: organisations — including NHS 111, NHS 119, the Department for Work and Pension, the Scottish Government, and 150+ commercial brands in banking, utilities, telecoms, and retail — pay subscription or managed-service fees to make their services accessible to Deaf customers. The service is free to Deaf end-users, who access it through the consumer app or web client. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales for public-sector and large-corporate contracts, a self-serve consumer app for individuals, and channel partnerships surfaced through the SignDirectory. Individual workplace access is funded through the Access to Work scheme; home use is funded through Direct Payments / Personal Budgets.

Name

SignVideo

Legal name

Significan't UK Limited

Website

https://signvideo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SignVideo is a UK-based Video Relay Service provider that connects Deaf British Sign Language users with qualified interpreters via real-time video calls, serving NHS, government departments, and 150+ commercial partners across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Relay Services / Sign Language Interpretation

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822)

akta.pro primary industry

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Video Conferencing & Meetings (HDAIAHAI), Video Conferencing & Meetings (BPAMACAD)

Keywords

• Video relay services
• Sign language interpretation
• BSL video interpreting
• Accessible communications platform
• Remote interpretation services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business/Corporate VRS/VRI Services: Organisations (businesses, government agencies, NHS, councils, banks, telecoms) pay for SignVideo services to enable their Deaf customers to communicate via BSL interpreted phone calls. These commissioned services are the primary revenue driver.
2. Public Sector Commissioning: NHS 111, NHS 119, Department for Work and Pension, and other public sector bodies commission SignVideo services for Deaf citizens to access essential services.
3. Free to Deaf Users - Organisations Pay: SignVideo is free to Deaf users who make calls; the service is paid for by businesses, GP services, and organisations they contact - enabling equal access to public and private services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SignVideo provides live British Sign Language (BSL) video interpretation services connecting Deaf users with hearing persons via qualified interpreters. The company operates Video Relay Service (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) platforms accessible through mobile apps, web browsers, and a Cisco-powered video contact center, serving UK businesses, government, NHS, banks, telecoms, and utilities, while offering the SignVideo app free to individual BSL users.

Product overview

SignVideo is a BSL-led video relay service provider offering a unified platform of communication accessibility solutions. The core offering consists of the SignVideo App and SignVideo Web for deaf users to make VRS calls, complemented by SignDirectory (a directory of 150+ partner organisations), SignHub customer portal, and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) for on-site consultations. The company also provides BSL/English Translation services and operates government-commissioned services including NHS 111 and NHS 119. Founded in 2004 by Jeff McWhinney, SignVideo is now part of the SLI Group under Sorenson Communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SignVideo App (BSL Video Relay Service) Mobile application (iOS, Android, Windows) providing free 24/7 live BSL/English video relay interpretation for Deaf users to call hearing individuals and businesses. Connects to interpreters in under 45 seconds and integrates with the SignDirectory of accessible organisations.
• SignVideo Web Browser-based version of the SignVideo VRS/VRI platform that lets Deaf BSL users and hearing contacts connect to a live BSL/English interpreter from any modern web browser, used by individuals and businesses.
• Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) On-demand BSL/English video interpreting for organisations that need a Deaf BSL user, a hearing person, and a remote interpreter connected in a single live session — typically used by businesses, NHS clinics, councils, and customer-service teams.
• NHS 111 BSL Service Commissioned live BSL interpretation service for the NHS non-emergency 111 health helpline, enabling Deaf BSL users to contact NHS 111 via a BSL interpreter integrated into the contact center flow.
• NHS 119 BSL Service Commissioned BSL interpretation service supporting the NHS 119 booking line, originally introduced for vaccination appointments and extended to other NHS booking journeys, accessed by Deaf users through the SignVideo app.
• contactSCOTLAND-BSL Scottish Government-commissioned BSL video interpreting service operated by SignVideo, providing Deaf BSL users in Scotland with 24/7 access to public services and essential contacts via live BSL interpreters.
• SignDirectory Online directory of 150+ partner brands and organisations that are accessible to the Deaf BSL community via SignVideo, allowing Deaf users to find and contact accessible businesses and public services.
• SignHub Customer portal that lets organisations manage their SignVideo service, monitor usage, view reporting, and administer accessibility settings for their teams.
• BSL/English Translation Service Document and content translation service converting written English into BSL video and vice versa, offered to organisations that need to produce accessible BSL content for Deaf audiences.
• SignVideo for Interpreters / Sign Academy Recruitment, contracting, and training programme for BSL/English interpreters, including flexible working hours, holiday pay, pension, free DBS checks, and the Sign Academy for professional development, positioning SignVideo as the largest employer of BSL/English interpreters in the UK.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 BSL video calls conducted per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• SignHealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020SignHealth deaf health charity selected as SignVideo's Charity of the Year 2020-23. Partnership focused on deaf health access and supporting the Deaf community.
• Sign Language Interactions (SLi)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020SignVideo became the video element of Sign Language Interactions in 2020, joining the SLi Group. SignVideo and InterpreterNow merged under the SignVideo brand.
• Sorenson CommunicationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020SignVideo joined the Sorenson Communications family in 2020 as part of the SLi Group acquisition. Sorenson is a global language service provider and leading communication service provider for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
• Scottish GovernmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Launched contactSCOTLAND-BSL in 2016, a Scottish Government video relay interpreting service for Scotland's public authorities and voluntary organisations.
• DeafAction and LexiconcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership with DeafAction and Lexicon in 2011 for delivering interpreting services and supporting deaf community initiatives.
• Cisco SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005Partnership agreement with Cisco Systems in 2005 for the establishment of a video contact centre platform to deliver VRS services.
• Tandberg SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005Partnership agreement signed with Tandberg Solutions in 2005 for supply of videoconferencing units to support VRS service delivery.
• Action-DeafnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation supporting deaf community access and services in the UK.
• Becoming-VisibleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organisation providing visibility and accessibility services for deaf community.
• Lipspeaker UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation for lipspeaking services complementing BSL interpretation services.
• Nottinghamshire Deaf SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal deaf society partner providing community support and services.
• SafeHands InterpretingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInterpreting services partner providing additional interpreter capacity and support.
• SignHealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeaf health charity partner focused on healthcare access for deaf people. Selected as Charity of the Year 2020-23.
• Sorenson CommunicationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and key stakeholder. Global language service provider and leading communication service provider for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
• Sign Language Interactions (SLi)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent group company. SignVideo is the video element of Sign Language Interactions' business.
• nWisecoreTechnology or IntegrationKey stakeholder and technology partner providing video relay service technology solutions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Purple Communications: Major US-based VRS provider offering real-time video relay interpretation for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Directly comparable business model: subscription/interpreter-mediated video relay between sign language users and voice callers.
• ZVRS (Z Video Relay Service): One of the largest FCC-certified VRS providers in the United States, offering on-demand ASL video interpreting. Closely comparable technology stack, customer segments, and 24/7 on-call interpreter model.
• Sign Solutions: UK-based BSL interpreting and translation provider offering face-to-face and remote BSL services. Comparable as a UK competitor in BSL interpretation with overlapping enterprise and public-sector customers.
• Convo Relay: US-based VRS provider specialising in ASL video relay and Deaf community communications. Comparable as a Deaf-led, mission-driven competitor offering enterprise-grade sign language interpreting services.

Regional players

• DA Languages: UK-based language services provider offering BSL, spoken-language, and translation services to public and private sectors. Comparable in BSL interpretation offerings and public-sector client overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Sorenson Communications: Parent company and global leader in VRS and video interpreting services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Most directly comparable as SignVideo's owner and the dominant US-based VRS provider serving a parallel market.
• LanguageLine Solutions: Global leader in on-demand interpretation and translation services across spoken and signed languages. Comparable as a broader language-access incumbent spanning video, phone, and in-person interpretation across multiple verticals.

Others

• Sign Language Interactions (SLi): Parent group that houses SignVideo as its video element following the 2020 acquisition by Sorenson. Comparable as the corporate umbrella combining video relay, on-site interpreting, and broader sign language services.
• Action Deafness: UK charity supporting Deaf community access to services and named SignVideo partner. Comparable as an adjacent Deaf-ecosystem organisation enabling Deaf access to public services alongside SignVideo.

Emerging players

• nWise: Nordic-headquartered technology provider of video relay and accessibility solutions, named in SignVideo's own partnerships. Comparable as a smaller VRS technology peer overlapping with SignVideo in the broader accessibility ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SignVideoUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/signvideo
• Xx.com/signvideo

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SignVideo