videogram

Videogram, formerly known as Cinemacraft, operated as a media technology firm focused on video discovery and monetization. The company was established by Founder, CEO, and CTO Sandeep Casi, along with Co-founder Rahul Golecha. The venture originated in Tokyo, Japan, before relocating to Silicon Valley to join the 500 Startups accelerator program, eventually setting up its headquarters in Mountain View, California.

The core of Videogram's business was a platform designed to enhance how users engage with video content. Instead of relying on a single static thumbnail for video previews, its technology generated a dynamic pictorial summary. This presented videos in a visually engaging, comic-book style format where the size of each image thumbnail was determined by an algorithm that analyzed user engagement and other factors. This approach aimed to make video content as browsable and discoverable as photos, providing multiple entry points into a single video. The primary clients were video publishers and digital marketers who used the platform to increase audience interaction, boost the shelf-life of their content, and integrate social engagement features directly into the video player. Revenue was likely generated through licensing this technology to publishers.

The company successfully secured between $6.3 million and $8.32 million in funding across several rounds from 2012 to 2016. Key investors included notable firms such as 500 Global, Samsung Ventures, and NTT DOCOMO Ventures. Despite its initial traction and backing, Videogram eventually ceased operations.

Keywords: video discovery, content monetization, video engagement, media technology, pictorial summary, video thumbnail, Sandeep Casi, Cinemacraft, 500 Startups, video analytics, digital media platform, user engagement, mobile video, video marketing, ad-tech, video player technology, content discovery platform, interactive video, rich media, visual search