Kaltura acquires eSelf, founded by creator of Snap’s AI, in $27M deal

Kaltura, the New York-based AI video platform, is set to enhance its offerings through the acquisition of eSelf.ai, an Israeli startup specializing in conversational avatars. The deal, valued at approximately $27 million, was officially announced today. Founded in 2023 by CEO Alan Bekker, who previously sold Voca to Snap, and CTO Eylon Shoshan, eSelf.ai has developed an innovative platform that allows users to create and customize photorealistic digital avatars capable of engaging in conversations across more than 30 languages. This integration of eSelf’s technology is expected to allow Kaltura to offer real-time interaction capabilities, empowering avatars to listen, speak, and respond to users’ on-screen activities. Kaltura’s co-founder and CEO Ron Yekutiel emphasized the strategic importance of this acquisition. He noted that eSelf.ai is a leader in real-time conversational technology, boasting advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities. “We evaluated various companies in search of the perfect match and found eSelf to be the best in the field of synchronous conversation,” Yekutiel stated. The acquisition marks a significant step in Kaltura’s evolution from a simple video platform to a comprehensive solution provider for customer and employee experiences, where video serves as an interactive interface. With eSelf.ai’s technology, Kaltura aims to deliver not just video content but also engaging, human-like interactions that can drive measurable business outcomes. Yekutiel also discussed Kaltura’s long-term vision of hyper-personalizing video experiences for users. He explained that the integration of eSelf.ai’s features will allow for the creation of customizable, context-aware video interactions that cater to individual user needs. With a strong client base that includes major corporations like Amazon and IBM, Kaltura is poised to leverage eSelf.ai’s technology across various sectors including education, media, e-commerce, and healthcare. This acquisition is Kaltura’s fourth, following previous purchases that have helped expand its technological capabilities and market reach. Despite media speculation regarding its potential sale or merger at a valuation between $400 million and $500 million, Yekutiel clarified that while the company has explored various strategic opportunities, no concrete transactions were in the works. Kaltura continues to focus on its growth strategy, with plans to launch standalone, embeddable agents for multiple applications in the near future.