What Paperheads does

Paperheads is an independent interactive studio founded in the early 2000s in East London, specializing in advanced web design, live video streaming, and bespoke digital production for global brands and agencies. Its core technology is Spotbox, a proprietary video hosting platform offering HD 1080 streaming, multi-user collaborative management, custom branded playlists, password-protected content, and global CDN delivery on infrastructure shared with BBC iPlayer. The studio also developed distinctive proprietary capabilities including a DVR live-streaming player ("Sky+ for the web") enabling pause and rewind of live broadcasts, multi-camera angle switching, and an Interactive Gig Editor letting users re-edit concert footage from nine angles.

The company's offerings extend beyond Spotbox into interactive Facebook Live Streaming Apps with Open Graph social integration, mobile applications (including a Nokia X6 pre-install for the B@TV music platform), branded microsites, voting portals, and full-service event production covering filming, motion graphics, animation, and post-production. Clients have included P&G, Dolce & Gabbana, Smirnoff, Tuborg, Nokia, Manchester City FC, Ministry of Sound, Saatchi & Saatchi, and M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment.

Paperheads operates a bespoke, project-based services model with no self-serve, freemium, or publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise engagements and embedded Spotbox licensing/subscription within those engagements. The company is founder-led (Adrian Eaton, Technical Director; Chris Webb, Creative Director; Phil Tidy, Executive Producer), privately held with no institutional investors, and headquartered at 3 Loughborough Street, London. No public revenue, funding rounds, or post-2012 disclosures are available.

Name

Paperheads

Legal name

Paperheads Ltd

Website

https://paperheads.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paperheads is an independent East London interactive studio building bespoke web, mobile, and live-streaming experiences for global brands, powered by its proprietary Spotbox video hosting platform with global CDN delivery and DVR live-streaming technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bespoke Interactive & Video Production Services: Custom development and production services for interactive video experiences, live streaming apps, Facebook apps, microsites, and video platforms for enterprise clients and brands. Projects include live event streaming, interactive players, voting portals, promotional websites, and mobile applications.
2. Spotbox Video Hosting Platform: Proprietary white-label video hosting platform offered to clients for professional portfolios, film and production industry websites, and advanced streaming services. Revenue likely derived from platform licensing or subscription fees embedded within project engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Paperheads is an independent interactive studio that designs and delivers bespoke interactive video experiences, live streaming applications, Facebook apps, microsites, and promotional websites for enterprise brands and agencies. Their work is powered by Spotbox, a proprietary professional video hosting platform with global CDN delivery (the same infrastructure used by BBC iPlayer). They offer end-to-end in-house production capabilities spanning filming, motion graphics, animation, editing, web design, and live broadcast for clients including P&G, Dolce & Gabbana, Smirnoff, Nokia, Manchester City FC, and Ministry of Sound.

Product overview

Paperheads is an independent interactive studio based in East London, specializing in advanced web design, live video streaming, and production. Their portfolio centers on Spotbox, a proprietary professional video hosting platform that powers most client projects for upload, conversion, and global streaming of HD video content. Beyond the core platform, they offer live streaming services for events with multi-camera capabilities, interactive Facebook applications with DVR functionality for real-time and on-demand viewing, mobile app development, branded microsites, voting portals, and comprehensive creative production services spanning direction, filming, animation, and motion graphics. Their client base includes major brands such as M&C Saatchi, Procter & Gamble, Dolce & Gabbana, Manchester City FC, Ministry of Sound, and Smirnoff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spotbox: High quality professional video hosting platform that allows users to upload, edit and modify content online, featuring HD 1080 video streaming, password protected content, collaborative site management, and global content distribution through CDN. Used for professional portfolios, film and production industry websites, and advanced streaming services.

Products and services

• Spotbox Video Hosting Platform Proprietary professional video hosting platform enabling upload, management, and global distribution of moving image content. Supports HD 1080 streaming, multiple format uploads with automatic conversion, custom playlists, password-protected content, collaborative multi-user access, and mobile device compatibility via HTML5. Includes a Management Console for content administration and global CDN-based delivery.
• Interactive Facebook Live Streaming App Facebook application enabling live streaming of events with DVR functionality. Allows users to rewind live streams and watch recorded sessions on-demand. Features real-time timeline comments, track ID suggestions with voting, and Open Graph API integration for social sharing. Launched for the WMC 2012 conference.
• Digital Video Recording Live Stream Player A distributable video player described as 'Sky+ for the web' that enables users to rewind live streams, watch recordings immediately after events end, and pause/resume playback. Supports multiple camera angles and timeline comments that can be shared to Facebook.
• Live Streaming Production Services End-to-end live streaming production including multi-camera angle streaming, satellite connections for reliability, real-time motion graphics mixing, and global CDN delivery for worldwide audience reach.
• Mobile Applications and Mobile Web Custom iPhone application development and mobile web experiences with HTML5 compatibility for iPhone and iPad viewing without requiring app downloads. Includes video content production, multilingual support, and promotional website development.
• Microsites and Promotional Websites Custom branded microsites and promotional websites featuring animated invitations, RSVP functionality, press kit portals, product information delivery, and social media integration for brand launches and events.
• Voting Portals Custom-built online voting platforms enabling submissions, nominations, and judging workflows for award ceremonies with user accounts, content uploads, and real-time voting capabilities.
• Event Production Services Full-service event production including 360-degree animated visuals, live show filming, award ceremony branding, pre-show video content production, and post-event editing and web delivery.
• Creative Production Services Comprehensive creative services including art direction, filming, motion graphics, animation, live action production, and copywriting for video and web content.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64,000+ simultaneous online viewers for a single live streaming event
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/_paperheads_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Paperheads