Kite

Kite, a San Francisco, CA-based company, develops a screen recorder that transforms app screen recordings into stunning, Apple-style product demo and launch videos for software companies. The platform aims to enable businesses to create high-quality marketing videos effortlessly without prior experience. Operating on a freemium model, its alpha version is currently available for free on Mac OS, with paid upgrades offered to remove watermarks. The Y Combinator-backed startup, which launched its alpha on Product Hunt, currently operates with a team of two employees. Kite envisions expanding its capabilities to include AI-first video creation, moving beyond just software demonstrations. It was founded in 2023 by Todd Ashley and Derek Feehrer. Its business model centers on freemium model with free access and paid upgrades to remove watermarks.

High-Level Overview

Kite is a screen recording tool designed to help software companies create stunning, Apple-style product demo videos quickly and easily. It supports recording apps on desktop, web, and iPhone, and automatically enhances videos with cinematic 3D animations, cursor tracking, zoom effects, and AI-powered voiceovers. Kite serves software developers, marketers, and product teams who need to produce polished marketing videos for launches, tutorials, social media, and sales demos without requiring video production expertise. By simplifying and automating video creation, Kite addresses the challenge of making high-quality marketing videos that engage users and boost product storytelling, helping companies maintain continuous and professional communication with their audiences[1][2][3][4].

Origin Story

Kite was founded recently by Derek and Todd, who bring deep experience in startup marketing and video production. Derek, having struggled for over a decade with creating marketing videos for his own products and clients, identified the pain points in existing solutions: they were often bland, tedious, or expensive. This motivated the creation of Kite to democratize studio-quality video production for software companies. The idea emerged from the need to make frequent, professional product videos accessible and easy, recognizing that every feature release is an opportunity to relaunch and tell a product’s story. Although Kite has only been in development for a few months, it has quickly gained traction with early users and is continuously evolving to automate more of the video creation process[2].

Core Differentiators

• Automated Cinematic Effects: Kite tracks mouse and keyboard inputs and applies smooth cursor movements, zooms, and 3D mockups automatically, making videos look like high-end commercials without manual editing[1][3].
• Multi-Platform Recording: Supports desktop, web, and iPhone app recordings, enabling versatile use cases across devices[1][2].
• AI Voiceovers and Editing Tools: Integrates state-of-the-art text-to-speech models for voiceovers, plus editing features like speed adjustment, trimming, text annotations, and combining multiple recordings into one video[1].
• No Experience Required: Designed for ease of use so that anyone familiar with basic screen recording (e.g., Loom) can create professional videos quickly[2].
• Export Quality and Presets: Exports videos up to 4K resolution with presets optimized for various platforms, facilitating seamless sharing and distribution[3].
• Branding and Templates: Offers brand kits and templates to maintain consistency and speed up video production for marketing campaigns[1].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Kite rides the growing trend of video-first marketing and product communication in the software industry. As users increasingly prefer video content over text and social media algorithms prioritize video, companies must produce frequent, engaging video content to stand out. The timing is critical because while video demand surges, creating high-quality videos remains complex and costly for many startups and scale-ups. Kite’s automation and ease of use lower this barrier, enabling more companies to leverage video marketing effectively. By empowering startups and software companies to produce polished demo videos continuously, Kite influences the broader ecosystem by raising the standard of product storytelling and marketing sophistication without requiring large budgets or specialized skills[2].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Kite is positioned to become a key tool for software companies aiming to scale their marketing efforts through video. Its future likely involves deeper automation, enhanced AI capabilities, and expanded integrations to further simplify video creation. As video content continues to dominate digital communication, Kite’s influence will grow by enabling startups and established companies alike to maintain a dynamic, visually compelling presence. The company’s focus on removing tedious production steps and democratizing studio-quality videos aligns well with ongoing trends toward self-service, AI-powered creative tools. Investors and users should watch for Kite’s expansion in features and user base, as well as its potential to become a standard in product marketing workflows[2].

Kite’s mission to make every software company’s marketing video look like a polished commercial ties back to its founding vision of transforming how startups tell their stories in a noisy digital world.