AI-powered solution Shade raises $14M to power video search in plain English
Synopsis
New York-based startup Shade has raised $14 million to expand tools that enable plain-English search across video libraries. The platform analyses visual and audio content to identify scenes and dialogue. Rising global video consumption is increasing demand for efficient systems to manage and retrieve digital content.
New York based startup Shade raised $14 million to expand plain-English video discovery tools as demand grows for managing and retrieving large volumes of video content efficiently.
Key Highlights
- Shade raises $14 million to enable plain-English video discovery
- Platform analyses scenes, objects, and dialogue without relying on manual metadata tagging
- Video accounts for over 80% of global internet traffic, increasing need for search tools
- AI investment remains strong in enterprise tools for managing large-scale digital content
AI powered solution startup Shade has raised $14 million to expand its platform that enables users to search large video libraries using plain-English descriptions.
The software analyses visual and audio content to identify scenes, actions, and spoken words, helping teams locate specific clips without relying on manual tags.
The funding will be used to strengthen engineering capabilities and refine the product for enterprise use. The startup is targeting media companies, marketing teams, and production studios dealing with growing volumes of video content.
The New York-based startup is building systems that allow users to type natural-language queries, such as describing a scene or activity to retrieve relevant footage.
This approach addresses long-standing challenges with metadata, which is often incomplete or inconsistently applied.
Growing pressure from video-heavy workflows
The rise in video consumption is driving demand for better search tools. According to Cisco’s Annual Internet Report, video accounts for more than 80% of global internet traffic, with strong consumption across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets.
For content teams, this growth has created operational challenges in managing and retrieving assets quickly. The AI video search startup model is emerging as a solution to handle unstructured video data at scale.
AI investment continues across media tools
The funding comes amid sustained investment in artificial intelligence platforms. Data from the CB Insights State of AI Report shows continued capital flows into enterprise AI, including tools focused on automation and content management.
Companies in adjacent areas, such as video generation and indexing, have also secured large funding rounds in recent years. This reflects broader demand for systems that can process and organise video efficiently.
Product development and next phase
Shade said it plans to improve how its system understands context within videos, including recognising objects, actions, and dialogue more accurately.
The company is also focusing on scaling its platform to support larger datasets and more complex search queries.
The startup intends to expand its team and accelerate development following the funding round.
FAQs
Q1. What does Shade’s platform do?
It allows users to search video libraries using plain-English descriptions instead of manual tags.
Q2. Why is AI video search gaining importance?
Rapid growth in video content makes it difficult to locate clips without automated tools.
Q3. How much funding did Shade raise?
The company secured $14 million to expand its AI-powered video search platform.
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Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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