Signtel

What Signtel does

Signtel Inc., founded in January 1999 and headquartered in North Haven, Connecticut, is a privately held assistive-technology company that develops speech-to-sign-language and sign-language translation software and hardware for deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, and visually impaired individuals. Its core product, the Signtel Interpreter, uses Philips Speech Recognition combined with proprietary lexical-analysis and image-processing modules to translate spoken or typed English into seamless American Sign Language video in real time, supported by a 30,000+ word dictionary, 1,400+ idioms and phrases, and disambiguation of multiple-meaning words, numerical systems, and proper names. The same translation engine powers the Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System (EAS), a first-of-its-kind deployment installed at Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston in 2006, with a broader 2013 patent extending the concept to malls, airports, and bus stations.

The company's portfolio extends beyond sign language into adjacent disability-assistance patents, including the eCane electronic navigation device for the blind, TV accessibility for deaf-blind users, the Touch Language tactile communication system, and an Internet Address Expander for visually impaired users. Signtel monetizes through one-time software licenses (consumer Interpreter priced at $499.95), quote-based enterprise EAS installations, IBM ThinkPad hardware bundles, and a Sign Language Video Clips service for websites and presentations. The company is led by founder Dr. Raanan Liebermann (Oxford PhD, ex-CERN/NASA/DuPont/Yale) and has historically employed 100+ deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing individuals as product developers and linguists. It sells primarily through direct phone sales, website ordering, industry events (ADA Conventions, AAC/NEAT Expos), and an affiliate referral program, with distribution concentrated in the US education, government, corporate, and consumer accessibility markets.

Name

Signtel

Legal name

Signtel Inc.

Website

https://signtelinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Signtel Inc. is a privately held assistive-technology company, founded in 1999 in North Haven, Connecticut, that develops patented speech-to-sign-language translation software (Signtel Interpreter) and Sign Language Public Address/Emergency Alert Systems for deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, and blind individuals across US education, government, and enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistive Technology Software

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM), Assistive Listening & Accessibility AV Infrastructure (Hearing loops, captioning hardware) (EDAEAHAN), Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Assistive technology software
• Sign language translation
• Speech to sign
• Accessibility communication tools
• Emergency alert systems

Headquarters

HQ city

North Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Sale of Signtel Interpreter software products including consumer version at $499.95. Software available with or without laptop hardware.
2. Enterprise Sales: Direct sales of Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System to schools, government agencies, and corporations. Quote-based pricing for enterprise installations.
3. Sign Language Video Clips Service: Service enabling businesses to purchase video clips that sign desired sentences for websites or presentations (announced November 2001).
4. Hardware Sales: Bundled hardware sales including IBM ThinkPad notebooks pre-loaded with Signtel Interpreter software.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Signtel develops and sells patented assistive technology software and systems that translate English speech and text into American Sign Language video for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and visually impaired individuals. The flagship product is the Signtel Interpreter software (available in Voice Recognition VR and Text-Only versions), paired with the Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System (EAS) that delivers emergency alerts and public announcements in sign language to public spaces such as schools and airports.

Product overview

Signtel Inc. offers a portfolio of assistive technology products centered on the Signtel Interpreter platform, a patented speech/text-to-sign-language translation software. The core offering is the Signtel Interpreter (available in Voice Recognition VR and text-only versions), which translates spoken or typed English into seamless sign language video using artificial intelligence, lexical analysis, and speech recognition. This same translation engine powers the Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System (EAS) for public safety applications. Supporting products include the Internet Address Expander (URL accessibility tool), Touch Language (a free eBook-based tactile language for deaf-blind individuals), Sign Language Video Clips (a web integration service), and several patented devices including the Telephone for the Deaf, eCane (electronic navigation cane), and TV accessibility technology. The company was established in January 1999 and is headquartered in North Haven, Connecticut.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signtel Interpreter VR (Voice Recognition) A patented software application (commercial/business version) that translates spoken English (via Philips Speech Recognition with proprietary modules) and typed text into seamless sign language video in real time. Features 30,000+ word dictionary, 1,400 idioms and phrases, multiple-meaning word differentiation, numerical system handling, lip-reading support, and adjustable signing speed (25%-300%). Quote-based pricing for commercial users.
• Signtel Interpreter (Text-Only Version) Text-only consumer version of the Signtel Interpreter for home or classroom use. Translates typed text into sign language video with computer-generated voice. Priced at $499.95. Identical features to VR version except speech recognition.
• Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System (EAS) Patent-pending system that delivers sign language public address and emergency alerts to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in schools, airports, workplaces, and public spaces. Uses the Signtel Interpreter translation engine to translate messages entered by voice or keyboard into sign language video, text, and voice, transmitting to remotely located display units. Quote-based enterprise pricing.
• Internet Address Expander Patented technology that expands the URL window in an Internet Browser with a single right-click of the mouse, making web addresses easier to see for people with visual impairments. The expanded window is positioned at center of screen for easy typing and reading.
• Touch Language Free eBook language designed as a communication tool for persons who are blind or deaf-blind. Based on concepts articulated by positions of hands and fingers via electronic gloves that communicate through pecking and vibrations. Patented and intended for public domain use.
• Sign Language Video Clips Service A service enabling businesses or individuals to purchase sign language video clips for their websites or Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. Webmasters submit text and receive video clips ready for integration. Transaction-fee revenue model with referral commissions.
• Telephone for the Deaf Patented technology enabling communication between deaf and hearing persons. The deaf person communicates in sign language and the hearing person in voice, with the system translating between the two languages using artificial intelligence. Mobile version reissued in 2009.
• eCane (Electronic Cane) Patent-issued electronic assistive device for navigation of blind persons. The eCane communicates with its holder and directs them to desired destinations through verbal communication or tactile Morse code vibrations. Enables face-to-face communication between hearing persons and those who are blind, deaf, or cannot speak.
• TV for Deaf and Blind Patent-issued technology enabling deaf-blind persons to enjoy TV broadcasts together with others. User wears electronic gloves that impinge tactile impacts and vibrations, with the palm serving as a facsimile of the TV screen for tactile communication.

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Maricor Group New England, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2006Strategic alliance for installation of Sign Language Public Address and Emergency Alert System. The Maricor Group of Boston, Massachusetts, led by Matt Stelmach and Hani Mardini, performed hardware installation at Horace Mann School for the Deaf.
• IBMminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerIBM ThinkPad notebooks bundled with Signtel Interpreter software for sale. Signtel Interpreter housed on IBM ThinkPad computers.
• NEAT MarketplaceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNEAT (New England Assistive Technology) Marketplace is a resource for people with disabilities. Signtel exhibited at AAC Expo hosted by NEAT Marketplace, demonstrating products to consumers and professionals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Ava: AI-powered live captioning and transcription service for accessibility and meeting inclusion; comparable to Signtel in the speech-to-text/speech-to-accessibility space, though Ava focuses on text captions rather than sign language video output.
• ClearCaptions: Provides telephone captioning services and mobile captioning apps for hard of hearing users; an emerging alternative to legacy captioned-telephone hardware, comparable to Signtel in targeting the same hearing-loss communication-access need.

Direct peers

• Hamilton CapTel: Provides captioned telephone services and related accessibility solutions for the deaf and hard of hearing, with both hardware and mobile/web delivery; comparable to Signtel's telephone and communication-access products.
• Convo (now part of ZP Better Together): Video relay and on-demand sign language interpretation service for deaf and hard of hearing users; competes with Signtel in the broader communication-access category, particularly for enterprise and educational customers needing ASL interpretation.
• Sorenson Communications: Largest U.S. provider of video relay services (VRS) and interpreter services for the deaf and hard of hearing; directly comparable to Signtel as a communication-access provider serving the same deaf community with bridging technology between sign language and spoken English.
• CaptionCall (by Sorenson): Captioned telephone service for people with hearing loss, providing real-time text captions of phone calls; directly comparable to Signtel's Telephone for the Deaf in providing assistive communication for hearing-impaired end users.
• ZVRS (now ZP Better Together): Video relay service provider offering on-demand ASL interpretation via videophone, mobile, and web; comparable to Signtel in providing technology-mediated ASL communication services to deaf and HoH end users and institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Google Live Transcribe / Project Shuwa: Google's Live Transcribe and ongoing sign language research (Project Shuwa) provide real-time speech-to-text and emerging sign-language translation at scale; a broad incumbent whose accessibility R&D competes with Signtel's interpreter and EAS products on technology, distribution, and price (free).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/signtel-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Signtel