D-ID, a platform specializing in video generation and editing, announced on Tuesday its acquisition of Berlin-based Simpleshow, a B2B platform for video creation. The financial details of the transaction were not revealed by either company.
According to D-ID CEO Gil Perry in a statement to TechCrunch, Simpleshow’s services will now operate under the D-ID brand, with plans for the two platforms to eventually become one.
Founded in 2008, Simpleshow has secured more than $20 million in investment, according to Crunchbase.
The company has locations in Berlin, Luxembourg, London, Miami, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. With the merger, D-ID stated that the offices will be consolidated to Berlin, Tel Aviv, and sites in the United States. While D-ID did not specify the current size of Simpleshow’s workforce, it noted that the merged company will have 140 staff members.
“Simpleshow reached out to us initially about a strategic partnership. We recognized a strong alignment in our management teams and product offerings,” Perry explained. “We realized we needed to accelerate our efforts to capture a significant share of the enterprise avatar video market, and acquiring Simpleshow would help us achieve that goal.”
Both organizations anticipate digital avatars will play a major role in various types of video content, such as those for training, marketing, and sales. D-ID already provides its customers with a range of AI-driven interactive avatars.
Karsten Boehrs, CEO of Simpleshow, shared that when he joined the firm over ten years ago, the business was primarily an agency making videos for corporate clients.
“In order to grow and serve a broader global customer base, we shifted to develop a SaaS-oriented technology platform,” Boehrs told TechCrunch. “Back in 2017, we introduced one of our first offerings—a text-to-video tool for our users.”
Boehrs also mentioned that with the advancement of AI in recent years, Simpleshow began exploring partnership opportunities with companies like Synthesia, which ultimately led to the acquisition by D-ID.
Simpleshow brings with it a portfolio of more than 1,500 enterprise customers, including notable names like Adobe, Audio, Airbus, Microsoft, Bayer, HP, T-Mobile, McDonald’s, eBay, and Deutsche Bank. Perry of D-ID stated this influx of clients will strengthen the company’s financial position and move it closer to profitability.
Looking ahead, D-ID aims to develop interactive training videos where users can pause an avatar-led video to ask questions or complete quizzes.
In the enterprise market for digital avatars, D-ID faces substantial competition from companies like Synthesia and Soul Machines. Additionally, firms such as Google and McKinsey are working on their own digital avatar solutions for clients.
So far, D-ID has raised $60 million in total funding. The company stated it has secured financing to support the acquisition, but did not reveal the amount.
