Fastforward

What Fastforward does

FastForward is a privately held Danish company founded in 2013, headquartered in Copenhagen, that designs, manufactures, and sells the Hero® 16mm Film Scanner — a proprietary hardware-plus-software film digitization system built specifically for 16mm film preservation. The system combines custom hand-crafted optics produced by Copenhagen Optical Company (COC, specialists in satellite optics) with a Windows-based workflow manager, delivering 4K optical resolution at 80 LP/mm, variable scanning speeds up to 130 fps, dual-track 192 kHz audio capture, and output across all standard broadcast formats (ProRes, H.264, H.265, JPEG 2000, FFV1, XDCam, DNxHD, DPX/TIFF). Its product philosophy emphasizes 'complete capture' — preserving original material without pre-emptive enhancement — and short operator ramp-up (training in hours, single-operator use).

The company sells directly to enterprise customers — primarily film archives and major public broadcasters — through two package tiers (Standard and Premium) that bundle the scanner, professional workstation, software suite, on-site installation and training, and multi-year warranty/support. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, varying by region and configuration. Founded by individuals who built the technology through their experience at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and collaborations with international public-service broadcasters, FastForward counts the BBC, Danish Broadcasting Corporation, and other major broadcasters worldwide as adopters, with the company reporting approximately 300,000 reels of 16mm film digitized across its installed base. Marketing and sales rely on direct email contact, the company website, and a LinkedIn presence; the firm has not raised any disclosed outside funding.

Name

Fastforward

Legal name

FastForward®

Website

https://ffw.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FastForward is a Danish company that designs, builds, and sells the Hero® 16mm Film Scanner, a proprietary high-speed digitization system used by film archives and major public broadcasters worldwide to preserve and digitize legacy 16mm film collections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Digitization Equipment

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Document Scanners (Sheetfed/Flatbed) (HDACAEAI)

Keywords

• Film digitization equipment
• 16mm film scanning
• Broadcast archive preservation
• Film heritage conservation
• Media digitization hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (Scanner Systems): Sale of Hero 16mm Film Scanner with Standard or Premium package configurations, including hardware, software, workstation, and installation/training services
2. Professional Services: Installation and training services included in Standard (2 days on-site) and Premium (advanced training workshop, custom workflow consultation) packages
3. Support and Maintenance: Warranty and technical support services; Standard includes 1-year warranty, Premium includes extended 3-year warranty and priority support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

FastForward designs, manufactures, and sells the Hero 16mm Film Scanner, a proprietary hardware-and-software film digitization system that scans 16mm film at variable speeds of 4-130 fps with 4K optical resolution (80 LP/mm) and supports dual-track 192 kHz audio capture. The system is sold directly to film archives, broadcasters, and institutions worldwide in Standard and Premium packages that bundle the scanner, workstation, software suite, installation, training, and warranty/support services.

Product overview

FastForward offers a single unified product: the Hero 16mm Film Scanner, a specialized hardware and software system for professional film preservation and 16mm film digitization. The Hero scanner is available in Standard and Premium package configurations, both including the complete hardware system, professional workstation, software suite, and training. The Premium Package adds extended warranty, priority support, software updates, and workflow consultation services for high-volume institutional operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hero®: Hero is a game-changing 16mm film scanner combining breakthrough digitization technology with intuitive operation. Features include 4K optical resolution (80 LP/mm), 130 fps scanning speed, 192 kHz audio recording, and speeds up to 4-5 times nominal rate. The system supports up to 2,500 ft film length per reel and is marketed for professional film preservation.

Products and services

• Hero 16mm Film Scanner A proprietary hardware-and-software system for professional film preservation that digitizes 16mm film with 4K optical resolution (80 LP/mm), variable scanning speeds from 4-130 fps, and dual-track audio recording up to 192 kHz. Targeted at film archives, broadcast media organizations, and institutions with legacy 16mm film collections requiring high-volume in-house digitization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32x faster than traditional film scanning workflows
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Copenhagen Optical Company (COC)coreTechnology or IntegrationCopenhagen Optical Company (COC) specializes in precision optics for satellite applications and crafts the optical lenses for the Hero 16mm scanner. These hand-crafted optics represent the pinnacle of precision engineering, setting a new standard for clarity and detail in film scanning. This is a core technology partnership essential to the product's competitive advantage.
• Major Broadcasters WorldwideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFastForward partnered with visionary broadcasters around the world to develop the Hero scanner. BBC and major public broadcasters have adopted the Hero scanner for their film digitization needs. This co-development partnership was instrumental in creating a solution that meets the demanding requirements of professional broadcast archives.
• Danish Broadcasting CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe founding team learned through their experience at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and from collaborating with international leaders in public service broadcasting. This experience shaped the company's understanding that 'USE = VALUE' and led to the development of the Hero digitization solution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sondor: Sondor manufactures professional film scanners and sound recording equipment for the broadcast and archive industry, including 16mm scanners. It serves an overlapping customer base with FastForward's broadcasters and institutions.
• Lasergraphics: Lasergraphics manufactures high-end film scanners (e.g., the Archive Lasergraphics Scanner series) used by major film archives and broadcasters for 16mm, 35mm, and other formats. It is a direct competitor to FastForward in the institutional film-preservation segment.
• Cintel (Blackmagic Design): Cintel, owned by Blackmagic Design, manufactures professional film scanners (Cintel Scanner G2, etc.) widely used by broadcasters and film archives for 16mm and 35mm digitization. It is the most direct competitive product to Hero in the film preservation scanner market.
• Northlight (formerly Filmlight-related imaging): Northlight produces professional film scanning and restoration hardware for the archive and post-production market. It competes with FastForward in high-resolution 16mm/35mm scanning for broadcasters and film archives.
• MWA Nova: MWA Nova designs and manufactures professional 16mm and 35mm film scanners (the 'Nova' line) used by archives, broadcasters, and post-production houses. It competes head-to-head with Hero in speed, optical quality, and broadcaster workflows.

Broad incumbents

• ARRI: ARRI is a major incumbent in professional cinematography and imaging equipment and has historically produced high-end film scanners (ArriScan). While ARRI's core focus is cameras and lighting, its imaging expertise and broadcaster relationships make it a broad competitive reference for FastForward.

Others

• Boris FX / Digital Vision: Boris FX (owner of Digital Vision) provides restoration and post-production software widely used by broadcasters and archives. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant in the film preservation workflow rather than a direct scanner competitor to Hero.
• Diamant Film: Diamant Film provides high-end film restoration and color grading services and tools (Diamant Film Restoration software). While primarily a software/services company rather than a scanner manufacturer, it is thematically adjacent — both serve the same film-preservation buyer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fastforwardintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Fastforward