CAPTEL INC.
CapTel Inc., a subsidiary of Ultratec, develops captioned telephones and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel app that display real-time speech-to-text captions during phone calls for individuals with hearing loss in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CAPTEL INC. does
CapTel Inc. is a Madison, Wisconsin-based private company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Ultratec, Inc. that develops and distributes captioned telephone solutions for individuals with hearing loss in the United States. Its portfolio includes multiple dedicated hardware models (CapTel 840i, 2400i, 880i, 800, 840, 200, and Braille CapTel) and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel app for iOS and Android, all of which display real-time captions of the remote caller's speech on a built-in screen or mobile device. The core technology is automatic speech recognition that transcribes inbound audio into text captions during live telephone calls, supplemented by live communications assistants who correct transcripts and add call details; the underlying IP is covered by 28 granted US patents and the registered CapTel trademark.
CAPTEL INC. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CAPTEL INC.
- Legal name
- CapTel, Inc.
- Website
- https://captel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- CapTel Inc., a subsidiary of Ultratec, develops captioned telephones and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel app that display real-time speech-to-text captions during phone calls for individuals with hearing loss in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CAPTEL INC. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Captioned Telephones
- NAICS
- Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (33421)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Input & Mobility Access (Alternative Keyboards/Mice, Switch Access, Eye Gaze) (EDAFAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Subtitling & Captioning Services (Timed Text, SDH/CC) (MPAHAFAA)
Keywords
Where CAPTEL INC. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CAPTEL INC. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: CapTel sells captioned telephone hardware to consumers. Internet-based CapTel phones are available at no cost to eligible individuals with hearing loss through state programs and federally funded initiatives. The company generates revenue from the sale of phones to qualified users and replacement units under warranty.
- Captioning Service: CapTel captioning service is funded through a federally administered fund. There is a cost per minute for captions generated, which is paid from this fund rather than passed on to the CapTel user. The service is intended exclusively for individuals with hearing loss.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Internet-Based CapTel Phone at No Cost |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
CAPTEL INC. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CapTel designs, assembles, and distributes captioned telephones (models 840i, 2400i, 880i, 800, 840, 200, and Braille CapTel) and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel mobile app, which use automatic speech recognition (backed by live communications assistants) to display real-time captions of telephone conversations. Internet-based CapTel phones are provided at no cost to eligible individuals with hearing loss through a federally funded program, and the captioning service is reimbursed on a per-minute basis from an FCC-administered fund.
Product overview
CapTel Inc. offers a unified portfolio of captioned telephones designed specifically for individuals with hearing loss. The core product line consists of hardware-based captioned telephone models (CapTel 840i, 2400i, 880i, 800, 840, 200) that display real-time captions of phone conversations on built-in screens. These models range from traditional-style phones (840i, 840) to touch-screen devices (2400i) and accessibility-focused units (880i, Braille CapTel). The company also provides Mobile CapTel via the Hamilton Mobile app for iOS and Android, extending captioning services to smartphones and tablets. An optional 2-Line CapTel service adds on-demand caption control and advanced calling features. All products leverage automatic speech recognition technology to generate captions, with captioning service costs covered by a federally administered fund for registered users with hearing loss.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CapTel: Captioned telephone solutions for people with hearing loss, including phone models 840i, 2400i, and 880i.
- Hamilton Mobile CapTel
Products and services
- CapTel 840i Traditional-style captioned telephone with a large easy-to-read display and built-in answering machine, designed for users comfortable with standard telephone interfaces who have hearing loss.
- CapTel 2400i Touch-screen captioned telephone with a large colorful display, dial-by-picture capability, and a built-in answering machine for users who prefer modern touchscreen technology.
- CapTel 880i Captioned telephone designed for users with low vision, featuring extra large font sizes and customizable display options for easy reading of captions.
- CapTel 800 Standard captioned telephone model that works with the CapTel Captioning Service over the telephone line to display real-time captions during calls.
- CapTel 840 Captioned telephone model supporting both 1-line and 2-line modes with built-in answering machine functionality.
- CapTel 200 USB-enabled captioned telephone model designed to work with standard analog telephone lines and computers.
- Braille CapTel Captioned telephone offering designed for visually impaired users, providing accessibility features including Braille support for individuals with combined hearing and vision loss.
- Hamilton Mobile CapTel Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables users to see captions during mobile phone conversations, bringing captioned telephone service to smartphones and tablets at no cost to individuals with hearing loss.
Quantifiable outcome
- CapTel service at no cost to eligible individuals with hearing loss through federally funded program
Companies that use CAPTEL INC.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CAPTEL INC. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
CAPTEL INC. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)coreCapTel serves as a Hear for Life partner and key sponsor of the Walk4Hearing program, which has raised over $20 million over 24 years to support people living with hearing loss. CapTel President Robert Engelke serves as the 2026 national honorary chair of Walk4Hearing. The partnership involves sponsorship across 18 cities in the United States.
- Hamilton CapTelcoreHamilton CapTel is the Captioning Service provider for CapTel Captioned Telephones. They handle the technical captioning of phone calls using speech recognition technology and live communications assistants for corrections.
- ReSound North AmericaminorCo-sponsor alongside CapTel in the Hear for Life partner program for Walk4Hearing, representing the hearing aid and assistive technology industry.
- Eli LillyminorCo-sponsor alongside CapTel in the Hear for Life partner program for Walk4Hearing.
- T-MobileminorCo-sponsor alongside CapTel in the Hear for Life partner program for Walk4Hearing.
- CaptifyminorCo-sponsor alongside CapTel in the Hear for Life partner program for Walk4Hearing.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CAPTEL INC. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Microsoft (Live Captions / Teams Captions): Microsoft bundles live captioning across Windows, Teams, and other products. As native OS-level captioning becomes more capable, it functions as an indirect platform-level competitor to CapTel's specialized captioned-telephone service.
- Ultratec, Inc. CapTel's parent company and the holder of all CapTel patents and trademarks. Ultratec operates in the broader accessibility and telecommunications relay space and is comparable as the upstream owner of CapTel's IP and the wider assistive-communication portfolio.
- Google Live Captions (Android / Pixel): Google's Android and Pixel devices ship Live Captions for phone calls and media, providing free, on-device speech-to-text captioning. It is a platform-level alternative to CapTel's app-based offering for hearing-loss users on Android.
- Sorenson IP Relay / Video Relay Services: Sorenson and similar operators (e.g., ZP Better Together, Convo) provide IP Relay and Video Relay services that substitute for captioned-telephone service in some hearing-loss use cases. They draw on the same FCC TRS funding pool and compete for the same eligible user base.
Emerging players
- Otter.ai: Otter.ai delivers AI-powered speech-to-text transcription and live captioning across meetings, phone calls (via integrations), and consumer apps. Overlaps with CapTel's underlying speech-recognition technology and adjacent live-captioning consumer use cases.
- Ava: Ava provides real-time captioning for group conversations and meetings, including for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. It overlaps with CapTel on the ASR-driven live-captioning value proposition but focuses on in-person and video meeting use cases rather than telephone calls.
Direct peers
- InnoCaption: InnoCaption provides mobile captioning apps for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, including real-time caption display on smartphones. Directly competes with Hamilton Mobile CapTel on the mobile app side of the captioned-telephone market.
- Sorenson Communications (CaptionCall): Sorenson acquired CaptionCall, the closest direct competitor to CapTel in captioned-telephone hardware and IP-relay captioning service for the hearing-loss community. Operates under the same FCC TRS-funded model and serves the same federal-eligible customer segment.
- ClearCaptions: ClearCaptions provides captioned-telephone service and hardware to hearing-loss users, funded through the same federal TRS program as CapTel. It is one of the few directly comparable captioned-phone providers with overlapping distribution through state equipment programs.
- Hamilton CapTel (CapTel Captioning Service): Hamilton CapTel is the captioning service provider that generates the real-time captions powering CapTel devices and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel app. Operates in the same FCC-funded captioning value chain and is functionally inseparable from CapTel's offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CAPTEL INC. social profiles
Digital presenceCAPTEL INC. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CAPTEL INC. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CAPTEL INC. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CAPTEL INC. 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 CAPTEL INC.
What does CAPTEL INC. do?
CapTel designs, assembles, and distributes captioned telephones (models 840i, 2400i, 880i, 800, 840, 200, and Braille CapTel) and the Hamilton Mobile CapTel mobile app, which use automatic speech recognition (backed by live communications assistants) to display real-time captions of telephone conversations. Internet-based CapTel phones are provided at no cost to eligible individuals with hearing loss through a federally funded program, and the captioning service is reimbursed on a per-minute basis from an FCC-administered fund.
Is CAPTEL INC. a public or private company?
CAPTEL INC. is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CAPTEL INC. founded?
CAPTEL INC. was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is CAPTEL INC. based?
CAPTEL INC. is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does CAPTEL INC. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are captioning Service.
Who are CAPTEL INC.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Microsoft (Live Captions / Teams Captions), Ultratec, Inc., Google Live Captions (Android / Pixel) and Sorenson IP Relay / Video Relay Services. Emerging players are Otter.ai and Ava. Direct peers are InnoCaption, Sorenson Communications (CaptionCall), ClearCaptions and Hamilton CapTel (CapTel Captioning Service).
Does CAPTEL INC. have an API?
No public API is recorded for CAPTEL INC..
What industry is CAPTEL INC. in?
CAPTEL INC.'s product category is Captioned Telephones. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAH, Assistive Input & Mobility Access (Alternative Keyboards/Mice, Switch Access, Eye Gaze), with a secondary code of MPAHAFAA, Subtitling & Captioning Services (Timed Text, SDH/CC). Its NAICS code is 33421 and its SIC code is 4813.