Streamroot announces new seed funding for video streaming developments

Streamroot​ has announced that it has raised $2.5m in seed funding led by Partech Ventures and with the participation of Walnut Venture Associates, Cherrystone Angel Group, Jean-David Blanc and the French BPI. Streamroot will use this funding to secure its position in the US and European markets and achieve its multi-device ambitions.

The startup aims to help broadcasters overcome one of the biggest challenges facing the web today: the explosion of video traffic. Video content represents over 60% of worldwide internet traffic, and with the growing use of mobile devices, this figure is set to jump to​ 90% by 2018.

Current media distribution models have begun to reach their limits. Big name video broadcasters are already struggling with network over-capacity, buffering and poor quality of service, especially during widely viewed broadcasts such as show premieres and sporting events. System failures demonstrate that existing client-server infrastructures are in dire need of a shakeup and that new, more reliable means of delivering content are needed.

As an answer to this problem, Streamroot has created a unique peer-accelerated video streaming solution. While online video delivery was traditionally based on one-to-one connections between the viewer and the host server, Streamroot harnesses an often untapped piece of the video streaming chain: the device itself.

Using the latest peer-to-peer protocols, the system connects users watching the same stream, allowing them to obtain content from the source that can provide it the fastest – whether it be from the server or another viewer. With this additional delivery layer, broadcasters can reach their audiences more efficiently, ensure better quality of service, and multiply the capacity of their servers without having to invest in additional infrastructure.

Streamroot aims to bring the industry a more robust, reliable and flexible streaming architecture that can scale to millions of viewers watching video content across the world.

“As video continues to grow, innovative distribution solutions are needed to both help publishers remain profitable and to keep video from ‘breaking’ the internet,” says Jeroen Wijering, creator and co-founder of JW Player, who has followed the company closely from its infancy. “Streamroot’s delivery optimization technology is a key piece of that puzzle; they have the industry-leading implementation, as well as a bright, forward-looking team.”

“We are extremely pleased that our investors have as much faith in our solution as we do,” said Pierre-Louis Theron, CEO and co-founder at Streamroot. “On a daily basis, we handle streams with up to 50,000 simultaneous viewers and will use this capital to help the biggest broadcasters deliver high-quality content throughout the world. Next time you tune in to the Olympic Games or the Super Bowl, we want Streamroot to be powering your video.”

Streamroot is the first and leading plugin-free, peer-accelerated streaming technology leveraging WebRTC. It is designed to integrate seamlessly into broadcasters’ existing video workflow and offer total security. Streamroot already enjoys a varied customer base of live and video on-demand platforms, including tier-one media companies. The startup has allowed its clients to deliver up to 90% of their traffic using the Streamroot network, while offering faster streams and higher resolutions.