Description
Synthesia
What is Synthesia?
Synthesia is the world's leading AI video creation platform, specializing in realistic avatars that speak in over 140 languages. Founded in 2017 in London by Victor Riparbelli (CEO), Steffen Tjerrild (COO), Prof. Matthias Niessner (TU Munich), and Prof. Lourdes Agapito (UCL), the company has revolutionized corporate video production.
With over 60,000 customers including 60%+ of Fortune 100, Synthesia has reached a valuation of $4B (October 2025) and is the UK's most valuable generative AI media company.
Company and Funding
| Data | Information |
|---|---|
| Company | Synthesia Limited |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| CEO | Victor Riparbelli |
| COO | Steffen Tjerrild |
| CTO | Peter Hill (since January 2025, ex-Amazon) |
| Academic co-founders | Prof. Matthias Niessner, Prof. Lourdes Agapito |
| Valuation | $4B (October 2025) |
| Total Funding | ~$536M - $538M |
| Employees | ~400-600+ |
| Customers | 60,000+ (1M+ users) |
Revenue:
- 2023: $42.8M
- 2024: $62M (~£58.3M)
- 2025: $100M+ (April 2025)
Investors: GV (Google Ventures), NEA, Accel, Kleiner Perkins, NVIDIA (NVentures), Adobe Ventures, Atlassian Ventures, FirstMark, MMC Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, World Innovation Lab (WiL), PSP Growth, Mark Cuban
Funding Rounds:
- Seed (2019): $3.1M
- Series A (April 2021): $12.5M
- Series B (December 2021): $50M (Kleiner Perkins, GV)
- Series C (June 2023): $90M ($1B val. - Unicorn)
- Series D (January 2025): $180M ($2.1B val.)
- Series E (October 2025): $200M ($4B val., led by GV)
Acquisition Offer: In April 2025, Synthesia rejected an acquisition offer from Adobe valued at ~$3B.
Pricing and Plans (December 2025)
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Video Minutes | Avatars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free/Basic | $0 | $0 | 3 min/mo | 9 stock |
| Starter | $29/mo | $22/mo ($264/yr) | 10 min/mo | 70+ |
| Creator | $89/mo | $67/mo ($804/yr) | 30 min/mo (360/yr) | 240+ |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | All + custom |
Credit System
Credits are the unified currency for all features:
- Avatar videos: Based on duration
- AI Dubbing: Per translated minute
- Veo 3/Sora 2 clips: 48 credits/asset (8 sec)
- Avatar with action (B-roll): 96 credits/asset
Plan Details
Free/Basic
- 3 video minutes/month
- 9 stock avatars
- 140+ languages and voices
- Watermark included
- Limited resolution
Starter ($29/mo)
- 10 video minutes/month
- 70+ avatars
- 140+ languages
- No watermark
- Video download
- AI Dubbing
- 1 personal avatar (annual plan)
- Getty Images and Icons8 library
Creator ($89/mo)
- 30 min/mo (360/yr)
- 240+ avatars (including Express-2)
- Personal avatar included
- Voice cloning
- API access (360 min/yr)
- Branded share pages
- Interactive videos
- Custom fonts
- Advanced integrations
Enterprise
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited custom avatars
- SSO/SAML
- Brand kits
- Team spaces
- AI Screen Recording
- Mass personalization
- Advanced compliance
- Dedicated onboarding
- LMS integration (35+ systems)
Add-ons
- Custom Studio Express-1 avatar: $1,000/year (annual plans only)
- Professional studio avatars: Custom pricing
Avatar Types
Stock Avatars (240+)
- Diversity of ethnicities, ages, and professions
- Performances recorded with consent
- Actors compensated per use
Express-2 Avatars (2025)
- Latest generation
- Full body visible
- Expressive body language
- Script synchronization
- Natural micro-expressions
Personal Avatars
- Your "digital twin"
- Created with webcam or phone
- Consent video required
- Ready in 24 hours
- Voice cloning included
Studio Avatars
- Professional production
- Maximum quality
- 2-4 week process
Main Features
Video Generation
- Text-to-video with avatars
- 140+ languages and accents
- Natural voices with narration styles
- Realistic lip-sync
- Facial expressions (emotions)
Editing and Templates
- 300+ pre-designed templates
- Presentation-style editor
- Real-time collaboration
- Media library (Getty, Pexels, Icons8, Soundstripe)
- Custom branding
Localization
- 1-click translation to multiple languages
- Automatic AI Dubbing
- Subtitles in 39+ languages
- Local pronunciation adaptation
Integrations
- 35+ LMS systems
- PowerPoint plugin
- REST API
- Zapier
- Veo 3 and Sora 2 integration
External Models Available
- Google Veo 3 / Sora 2: For 8-second clips (48 credits)
Notable Customers
Fortune 100 (60%+):
- Zoom
- Amazon
- Reuters
- BBC
- Heineken
- Bosch
- Merck
- SAP
- Mondelez
- Tiffany & Co.
- IHG Hotels
- Teleperformance
- Electrolux
Main Use Cases
Training & Learning
- Employee onboarding
- Corporate training
- Compliance training
- Software tutorials
- Policy updates
Marketing & Sales
- Product demos
- Personalized videos
- Multilingual campaigns
- Sales enablement
- Presentations
Internal Communications
- Corporate announcements
- Leadership updates
- Video newsletters
- Virtual town halls
Security and Compliance
- SOC 2 Type II certified
- GDPR compliant
- Public red team test (October 2024, with NIST)
- Content moderation
- Non-consensual deepfake prohibition
- New user screening
History and Achievements
- 2017: Founded in London
- 2018: BBC Click demo (multilingual Matthew Amroliwala)
- 2020: First enterprise customers (Amazon, Tiffany's)
- 2021: Messi Messages campaign with Lay's (Cannes Lion Bronze)
- 2023: Unicorn ($1B valuation)
- 2024: Expressive avatars, 55,000 customers
- January 2025: Series D ($2.1B), Peter Hill CTO
- April 2025: Strategic Adobe partnership, $100M revenue
- October 2025: Series E ($4B valuation)
Controversies
In October 2023, Freedom House reported Synthesia technology being used by governments in Venezuela, China, Burkina Faso, and Russia to create propaganda videos with AI avatars in fake news outlets. The company improved its misuse detection systems and user screening.
Competition
| Competitor | Difference |
|---|---|
| HeyGen | Synthesia: more enterprise, better compliance |
| D-ID | Synthesia: more avatars, better quality |
| Colossyan | Synthesia: more languages, larger scale |
| Runway | Synthesia: avatars vs generative video |
| Hour One | Synthesia: more LMS integrations |
Key Advantages
- Reduces production time by 90%
- Reduces costs vs traditional production
- Global scalability (140+ languages)
- No cameras/studios/actors needed
- Instant content updates
- Brand consistency
Limitations
- Best for "talking head" videos
- Avatars may look AI on close inspection
- Credit system can be expensive
- Limited customization in basic plans
- Some voices may sound robotic
- Moderation process can cause delays
Key Features
240+ diverse realistic AI avatars
Express-2 avatars with full body
140+ native languages and accents
Personal avatars (digital twin)
Voice cloning of your own voice
Automatic text-to-video
Realistic multilingual lip-sync
1-click translation of complete videos
Automatic AI Dubbing
300+ pre-designed templates
Real-time collaborative editor
Getty/Pexels/Icons8 media library
Custom branding and brand kits
Integration with 35+ LMS systems
REST API for automation
Interactive videos
AI Screen Recorder
Subtitles in 39+ languages
SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant
Veo 3 and Sora 2 integration
Use Cases
Corporate training videos
Employee onboarding
Compliance and regulatory training
Software tutorials
Product demos
Multilingual marketing videos
Personalized advertising campaigns
Sales enablement
Internal communications
Leadership announcements
Customer support videos
Educational e-learning content
Corporate video newsletters
Sales presentations
Social media videos
Policy updates
Virtual town halls
Avatar chatbots
Recruitment videos
Scalable multilingual content
Information
Company
Synthesia Limited
Website
www.synthesia.ioUser Reviews
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