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North East video commenting innovators pitch to Thinking Digital audience

A team of North East-based developers who aim to revolutionise the way people interact with, and discuss, video have pitched to an international audience of technology industry figures.

Newcastle-based ReframedTV pitched to a 500-strong audience at this week’s Thinking Digital Conference, where they showcased their idea for ‘second screen’ commenting on videos.

The start-up, an alumnus of the Ignite100 accelerator programme, have developed an integrated system that allows users to comment on, and share, exact moments in online video.

Co-founders Kev Price and Jo York worked with developers Isaac Lara and Adrian Gordon on the product, which has so far attracted the attention of broadcasters like ITN.

The pair originally started a web development agency in the midst of recession, but became increasingly frustrated with the lack of identity and creativity they were afforded.

Kev explained to Bdaily: “We saw this opportunity to apply for Ignite100 back in August 2013. Initially, the idea was very ambitious and was filled with all sorts of huge ideas - like drawing together citizen journalists in warzones.

“To our amazement, Ignite100 accepted our application and we started on this route which progressed the project rapidly.

“We learnt more in those three months than we did across the whole six years previously. Going into Ignite, and Campus North, we basically found ourselves surrounded by geniuses.”

Following a successful pitching round in this year’s Thinking Digital Startup Competition, ReframedTV’s Kev was invited to the stage at Sage Gateshead.

Kev told the audience how ReframedTV have now received a Twitter “card” - a move that will allow the firm to become part of the social network’s ecosystem, and will closely align ReframedTV’s technology with Twitter’s enormous user base.

Kev added: “The product we have now was spawned from an initial idea around being able to comment on conference proceedings.

“We got some equity investment at the end of the accelerator programme which allowed us to employ Isaac - who is a fantastic designer and really understands our direction, and Adrian - who was CTO at mobile commerce firm Mobicart.

“My aim was to employ people better than me. I just don’t see the point otherwise. Isaac has been able to bring it on leaps and bounds, and Adrian has helped us become scalable.”

Although Kev and his team narrowly missed out on the overall crown for this year’s Thinking Digital Startup Competition, to stable-mates Zipcube, he is full of enthusiasm for the future.

Kev added: “So far we’ve been really amazed at how willing some of these big companies, like KPMG, Twitter and Channel 4, have been willing to welcome us in and talk.

“They’ve seen the start-ups progress to big things, and that’s why they’re so encouraging. They know success is possible, whereas us at the bottom - we just hope it’s possible!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .