Upload
Upload (operating via Bytescale Ltd) is an API-first media platform providing file uploads, image/video/audio processing, and a 700+-location CDN for developers and performance-focused teams via usage-based pricing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Upload does
Upload (upload.io) is a US-origin developer-focused media API platform founded in 2014 and now operating with a 26-person team headquartered under Bytescale Ltd in London, UK. The platform combines three core product lines: a file Upload API with drop-in widgets and SDKs (JavaScript, Node.js, React, Angular, Vue, jQuery); a Media Processing API covering image, video, and audio transformations via URL commands (including resize, crop, convert, optimize, watermark, transcoding, adaptive bitrate, HLS streaming, and BlurHash/WebP/AVIF/H.264/H.265 codec support); and a global CDN with permanent caching across 700+ edge locations delivering ~8 ms latency on cache hits and up to 90% file-size reduction. Built-in storage is SOC 2 Type II compliant, GDPR-compliant, and CCPA-compliant, with optional reverse-proxy support for external storage on AWS S3, Azure Storage, Google Cloud Storage, Cloudflare R2, and DigitalOcean Spaces. Authentication is JWT-based with signed URLs for private asset control, and a built-in antivirus API screens uploads.
Upload firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upload
- Legal name
- Bytescale Ltd
- Website
- https://upload.io
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Upload (operating via Bytescale Ltd) is an API-first media platform providing file uploads, image/video/audio processing, and a 700+-location CDN for developers and performance-focused teams via usage-based pricing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upload industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Media Processing Platform
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Processing at the Edge (Transcoding, Packaging, DRM at Edge) (HDABAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Origin & Media Storage Services (MPAHAIAB), Edge Compute & Edge Caching Platforms (MPAHAIAC), Streaming Transport Protocols & Low-Latency Delivery (HLS/DASH/CMAF, WebRTC, SRT) (MPAHAIAE), Storage Virtualization & Software-Defined Storage (SDS) (HDABAEAF)
Keywords
Where Upload is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upload business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- API Usage-Based Pricing: Bytescale charges based on processing time for media transformations. Users control costs through image compression, quality, output format, and dimensions. Example: $0.31 per 1000 images based on 600ms processing time per 4000x3000 JPEG thumbnail.
- Free Trial and Freemium: 14-day free trial with no credit card required. No monthly re-billing for image optimizations already performed, unlike competitors who charge per optimized image request.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based pricing starting at $0.31 per 1000 source images |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Upload product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bytescale is an all-in-one media API platform that combines file storage, media processing APIs (image, video, and audio transformations), and a global content delivery network for developers and performance-focused teams. The platform enables user file uploads, on-demand media transformations via URL commands, and low-latency optimized content delivery across 700+ edge locations, with optional integration to external storage providers.
Product overview
Bytescale is an all-in-one media API platform that provides file storage, media processing APIs, and content delivery for developers. The platform consists of three core product lines: (1) the Bytescale Upload API with widget and SDKs (JavaScript, Node.js, React, Angular, Vue, jQuery) for handling file uploads with built-in antivirus scanning; (2) the Bytescale Media Processing API covering image, video, and audio processing with real-time transformations via URL commands; and (3) the Bytescale CDN with permanent caching across 700+ global locations. The platform supports external storage integration with AWS S3, Azure, Google Cloud Storage, Cloudflare R2, and DigitalOcean Spaces, and includes a management dashboard for monitoring usage. Pricing is consumption-based at approximately $0.31 per 1000 source images.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bytescale Media Processing API API product providing comprehensive on-demand transformations, optimizations, and format conversions for images, videos, and audio accessible via simple URL commands, used by developers building media-processing workflows into their applications.
- Bytescale Image Processing API Image transformation API for resizing, cropping, converting, optimizing, and watermarking images with support for BlurHash, WebP, AVIF, GIF, PNG, and JPG formats, intended for developers integrating image optimization into web and mobile applications.
- Bytescale Video Processing API Video transcoding and delivery API with adaptive bitrate streaming, HLS support, and codec optimization across H.264, H.265, VP8, and VP9, intended for developers delivering video content at scale.
- Bytescale Audio Processing API Audio transcoding, conversion, and optimization API with adaptive bitrate streaming and HLS delivery for AAC, MP3, and WAV formats, used by developers integrating audio playback and streaming into applications.
- Bytescale Upload API API for ingesting user file uploads with SDK support across multiple frameworks and built-in virus scanning via the Bytescale Antivirus API, used by developers to add secure upload functionality to their applications.
- Bytescale Upload Widget Drop-in upload widget for JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue, and jQuery that installs in seven lines of code, intended for developers needing a fast, pre-built UI for user file uploads.
- Bytescale CDN Global content delivery network with permanent caching, edge cache response times as low as 8ms, and 700+ locations worldwide, intended for serving optimized media assets at low latency with multi-zone redundancy.
- Bytescale Audio CDN Specialized CDN optimized for audio delivery, with HTTP standard streaming and HLS support for efficient buffering and seeking, intended for audio-heavy applications requiring low-latency playback.
- Bytescale Dashboard Web-based management interface for monitoring bandwidth and storage usage with analytics dashboards showing usage patterns and trends, used by Bytescale customers to track consumption and platform activity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 90% smaller file sizes for images, videos, and audio
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Upload
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Upload technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature7 records
Upload partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Amazon Web Services, Inc.coreCloud infrastructure provider where Bytescale data is primarily stored, processed and hosted. AWS provides the underlying compute and storage infrastructure for Bytescale's media processing platform.
- Paddle Payments LimitedcorePayment infrastructure provider handling payment processing for Bytescale's subscription and usage-based billing.
- Thoropass, Inc.coreSOC 2 compliance and auditing partner conducting annual security certifications for Bytescale.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Upload competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Filestack: Filestack provides a file upload API with integrated image/video transformations and CDN delivery, directly competing with Bytescale's Upload API and media processing APIs for developer-facing media workflows.
- Uploadcare: Uploadcare is a file upload, processing, and delivery platform offering image transformations and CDN. It serves the same developer persona and competes head-to-head with Bytescale on the upload + transform + deliver stack.
- Cloudinary: Cloudinary is the category-leading image and video API platform with upload, transformation, and CDN capabilities. It is the most direct competitor to Bytescale, serving the same developer persona with overlapping transformation features and usage-based pricing.
- imgix: imgix is a real-time image processing and delivery API combined with a CDN, serving the same developer use cases as Bytescale's image API plus permanent caching. Both companies focus on URL-based image transformations delivered at the edge.
- Mux: Mux is a video API platform for upload, encoding, and streaming delivery with HLS/ABR. It overlaps with Bytescale's video processing API and CDN for streaming-heavy use cases targeting developers.
- ImageKit: ImageKit offers image and video optimization, transformations, and a CDN aimed at developers, with usage-based pricing. It is a direct comparison point for Bytescale on the media API + delivery product line.
Broad incumbents
- Fastly Image Optimization: Fastly provides image optimization and edge delivery as part of its broader CDN platform. It competes with Bytescale's CDN + image processing capabilities within a larger enterprise edge cloud suite.
- Cloudflare Images: Cloudflare Images is part of Cloudflare's broader CDN and developer platform, offering image storage, transformation, and delivery. It competes with Bytescale as a bundled offering within a much larger network/cloud suite.
- AWS Elemental MediaConvert: AWS MediaConvert is a broadcast-grade video transcoding service that pairs with CloudFront and S3. It is the hyperscaler incumbent that Bytescale competes against for video processing workloads, typically as part of a larger AWS commitment.
- Akamai Image & Video Manager: Akamai's Image & Video Manager is a media optimization and delivery service within its larger CDN platform. It competes with Bytescale for enterprise media workloads at a different scale of operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Upload social profiles
Digital presenceUpload compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Upload financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upload leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Upload funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upload M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upload
What does Upload do?
Bytescale is an all-in-one media API platform that combines file storage, media processing APIs (image, video, and audio transformations), and a global content delivery network for developers and performance-focused teams. The platform enables user file uploads, on-demand media transformations via URL commands, and low-latency optimized content delivery across 700+ edge locations, with optional integration to external storage providers.
Is Upload a public or private company?
Upload is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Upload founded?
Upload was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Upload based?
Upload is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Upload make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. API Usage-Based Pricing is the primary driver. The others are free Trial and Freemium.
Who are Upload's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Filestack, Uploadcare, Cloudinary, imgix, Mux and ImageKit. Broad incumbents are Fastly Image Optimization, Cloudflare Images, AWS Elemental MediaConvert and Akamai Image & Video Manager.
Does Upload have an API?
Yes. Bytescale offers comprehensive APIs for file uploads and media processing. The Upload API handles user file uploads with virus scanning via the Bytescale Antivirus API. The File Processing APIs support image processing (resize, crop, convert, optimize, watermark), video processing (transcoding, adaptive bitrate, HLS streaming), and audio processing (conversion, optimization, transcoding). All APIs are accessible via simple URL commands for real-time processing. SDKs are provided for JavaScript and Node.js, with upload widgets available for React, Angular, Vue, and jQuery. Developer documentation is at www.bytescale.com/docs.
What industry is Upload in?
Upload's product category is Cloud Media Processing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAGAD, Media Processing at the Edge (Transcoding, Packaging, DRM at Edge), with a secondary code of MPAHAIAB, Origin & Media Storage Services. Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 7372.