Name

Forbidden Technologies plc

Legal name

Blackbird plc

Website

https://Forbidden.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

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

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Licensing/Subscription: Enterprise-grade cloud video editing platform offered as a subscription or licensing model to media organisations
2. Technology Licensing: Powered by Blackbird technology licensing enables third-party platforms like elevate.io to embed Blackbird's video editing capabilities
3. Professional Services: Implementation, integration, and production support services for enterprise deployments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forbidden Technologies plc (trading as Blackbird plc) develops and sells a cloud-native, browser-based video editing platform that enables media organisations to perform frame-accurate editing, rapid multi-platform publishing, and remote collaborative production of complex live and multi-source video workflows. The company monetises the platform through enterprise subscriptions, a 'Powered by Blackbird' technology licensing programme for white-label embedding, and the elevate.io sub-brand creative platform.

Product overview

Forbidden Technologies plc (operating as Blackbird plc) offers a cloud-native video editing platform ecosystem. The core product is the Blackbird platform, an enterprise-grade browser-based video editing solution. Supporting products include Soundbites (for rapid clip and highlight editing), elevate.io (a sub-brand creative platform for SMBs and creators), and the 'Powered by Blackbird' technology licensing programme for enterprise partners seeking to embed the editing engine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blackbird

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 4 times faster editing than on-premise editors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EVScoreTechnology or IntegrationEVS launched IPD-VIA Create web-based editing application powered by Blackbird technology. This represents a significant integration partnership bringing Blackbird's cloud editing capabilities to EVS's live production ecosystem.
• elevate.iocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partnerelevate.io is the next-gen creative platform for founders, entrepreneurs, small businesses and creators, powered by Blackbird's technology. White-label licensing arrangement.
• AWScoreTechnology or IntegrationAmazon Web Services is listed as a technology partner and customer. AWS provides cloud infrastructure for Blackbird's platform deployment.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Azure is listed as a technology partner providing cloud infrastructure for platform deployment.
• DeltatrecoreTechnology or IntegrationDeltatre is a major sports media technology provider. Group CTO Jon Hanford provides testimonial endorsement: 'Blackbird is best-of-breed'. Partnership in sports media workflow solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blackmagic Design: Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve is a professional editing, colour, and finishing platform used across broadcast and post. It competes for the same professional video editing workloads Blackbird targets and offers a strong alternative to cloud-native editing for cost-conscious media buyers.
• Frame.io (Adobe): Frame.io is a cloud-native video collaboration and review platform now owned by Adobe. It overlaps directly with Blackbird's cloud-based collaborative production capabilities and represents the most well-funded direct competitor in collaborative cloud video workflows.
• EVS Broadcast Equipment: EVS is the dominant live broadcast production infrastructure provider and a strategic partner of Blackbird via IPD-VIA Create. Both serve live sports and broadcast workflows with adjacent technology stacks, making EVS both a competitor in live editing and a distribution channel.

Emerging players

• Wochit: Wochit is a video creation platform focused on rapid content production for news and media organisations. It overlaps with Blackbird's value proposition of fast clip creation and publishing, though it focuses on templated automation rather than frame-accurate professional editing.
• Deltatre: Deltatre is a major sports media technology provider that partners with Blackbird (per Group CTO testimonial). It serves overlapping sports media customers and could build or integrate competing editing technology, making it both a partner and a potential competitive threat.
• Vidyard: Vidyard is a video creation and hosting platform serving business and enterprise users. It overlaps with Blackbird's enterprise media segment around cloud-based video production and distribution, though it skews toward corporate communications rather than live broadcast.

Broad incumbents

• Vimeo: Vimeo is a broad video platform offering creation, hosting, and collaboration tools. While more SMB/creator focused than Blackbird, it competes in cloud video editing for business users and represents a scaled incumbent in the broader online video tooling market.
• Adobe: Adobe is the dominant professional creative software provider with Premiere Pro for video editing and Frame.io for cloud collaboration. It competes directly with Blackbird in cloud-based video editing for media organisations and significantly outsizes it in resources, distribution, and installed base.
• Avid Technology: Avid's Media Composer is the entrenched editing standard for broadcast television and post-production, directly comparable to Blackbird's enterprise broadcast customer base. Both target complex multi-source workflows for major media organisations, though Avid's footprint is on-premise-led and far larger.

Regional players

• Telos Alliance: Telos Alliance provides broadcast audio and workflow solutions primarily in North American broadcast markets. While more audio-focused than Blackbird, both serve broadcast production workflows and could converge as broadcast workflows move toward unified cloud platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForbiddenTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForbiddenTechnologies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forbidden-technologies-plc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Forbidden Technologies plc