Key Takeaways:
- Blackbird plc has raised £2 million in a fully subscribed funding round to accelerate elevate.io.
- elevate.io is a browser-based, professional-grade video editor enabling real-time and async collaboration.
- The product addresses inefficiencies in traditional editing tools and is designed for the $500B creator economy.
- Paid subscriptions launched in February 2025 show early traction and product-market fit.
- The raise will support scale-up operations, go-to-market, and continued innovation.
Blackbird plc, developer of cloud-native video tools, announced the successful completion of a £2 million top-up fundraising round to support the expansion of its browser-based video editor, elevate.io. The fully subscribed round is aimed at accelerating the platform’s transition from validated product to scale-up phase. As of this writing, this raise is equivalent to $2.73 million.
Described by Blackbird executives as “the Figma for video,” elevate.io is engineered to bring desktop-quality editing to the browser, enabling real-time and asynchronous collaboration without the burden of traditional video production software. The investment strengthens Blackbird’s position in the growing creator economy, which is projected to hit $500 billion globally by 2027.
Redefining Online Video Editing
elevate.io combines high-performance editing capabilities with browser-native flexibility. Built on Blackbird’s patented cloud technology, the platform is fully hardware-agnostic and requires no installations or heavy processing power. Users can access frame-accurate playback and editing from any browser, removing longstanding barriers such as large file transfers, software compatibility issues, and time-consuming render steps.
This architecture is particularly compelling for creators and brands seeking to streamline content production workflows across distributed teams or agencies. Unlike many existing cloud editors that trade performance for accessibility, elevate.io aims to deliver both.
Executive Perspective
Ian McDonough, Executive Chair of Blackbird plc, highlighted the platform’s potential:
“We believe elevate.io will do for video editing what Figma did for design — unlocking collaborative workflows for millions of creators and brands. With our experienced team and proven technology, this raise puts us in an excellent position to scale up.”
The company began monetizing elevate.io in February 2025 with the launch of a paid Creator Plan. Since then, the product has gained a growing subscriber base, providing clear signs of product-market fit.
A Targeted Market Opportunity
While elevate.io is accessible to all creators, the company is focused on a serviceable addressable market currently estimated at $6.9 billion. By targeting freelance creators, media teams, social media managers, and digital-first brands, elevate.io is positioning itself as a tool of choice for those looking for the power of professional editing without the complexity or cost of legacy systems.
With video becoming central to every content strategy—from TikTok to YouTube Shorts to internal brand storytelling—the demand for collaborative editing tools continues to surge. elevate.io’s browser-first approach may help it leapfrog both desktop incumbents and lower-performance web apps.
Backed by IP and Experience
At the core of elevate.io’s performance is Blackbird’s proprietary cloud video engine, originally developed to serve broadcasters and professional video teams. That same IP underpins the responsiveness and editing precision elevate.io offers in-browser—a competitive edge difficult for newer startups to replicate.
Blackbird also continues to license its core technology under the “Powered by Blackbird” model, allowing other video companies to integrate advanced cloud editing into their own platforms.
Conclusion
With its latest round of funding, elevate.io is poised to capitalize on a rapidly expanding creator economy that increasingly demands speed, accessibility, and collaboration. If the product continues to gain adoption among creators and digital-first teams, it could define a new category of browser-native video tooling—bridging the gap between pro-level functionality and mainstream usability.
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Aside from his role as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW Feb 10-12, 2026, Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative (investment banker) with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). He handles capital/debt raises as well as M&A. RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.
The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the participants. While believed to be reliable, the information has not been independently verified for accuracy. Any broad, general statements made herein are provided for context only and should not be construed as exhaustive or universally applicable.
Portions of this article may have been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which may have contributed to ideation, content generation, factual review, or editing
