Whatscine

Whatscine, founded in Madrid in 2013, emerged from a collaboration between private enterprise and the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid. The company was established by Jose Ramon R. , with key leadership including Ángel García Crespo from the university, and José Ramón Riera and Fernando Villamanta as President and CEO respectively. The venture aimed to commercialize accessibility technology initially developed at the university for theatrical performances. A significant milestone was a 2016 equity crowdfunding campaign on the La Bolsa Social platform, which raised €300,000 from 69 investors to fund international expansion. While the company had notable achievements, it has since been designated as deadpooled.

The company developed a mobile application-based platform designed to make cinema and television accessible for individuals with visual or auditory impairments. Its clients were primarily movie theaters and television broadcasters, such as Movistar+, who integrated the technology into their services. The business model involved partnering with content producers and distributors to create accessible versions of films and shows, and then providing the technology to theaters and broadcasters. The service was free for the end-user, with revenue generated from the service agreements with these business partners.

The core product was a free mobile application for iOS and Android that delivered accessibility features directly to a user's smartphone or tablet. In a theater, the user would connect to a dedicated, closed Wi-Fi network which would then sync the selected accessibility feature to the film being shown. The platform uniquely integrated three key accessibility systems into a single application: audio description for the visually impaired, adapted subtitles for the hearing impaired, and a sign language interpreter video. The app's software could recognize the audio of the content being played and launch the chosen feature at the exact, synchronized point. For home use with television, the system operated via a standard home Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.

Keywords: cinema accessibility, assistive technology, audio description, subtitling, sign language interpretation, movie accessibility, accessible television, visual impairment aid, hearing impairment aid, university spin-off, Madrid startup, Movistar+, La Bolsa Social, equity crowdfunding, social impact technology, inclusive entertainment, adaptive technology, mobile accessibility app, synchronized accessibility, cultural access