Zoom has acquired real-time translation firm Kites GmbH.
Karlsruhe, Germany-based Kites was founded in 2015 and specialises in real-time translation solutions to improve meeting productivity and efficiency.
Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering at Zoom, said: “We are continuously looking for new ways to deliver happiness to our users and improve meeting productivity, and MT solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe.
“With our aligned missions to make collaboration frictionless – regardless of language, geographic location, or other barriers – we are confident Kites’ impressive team will fit right in with Zoom”
Kites was born out of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology where its two founders, Dr Alex Waibel and Dr Sebastian Stüker are faculty members.
It says its mission is to break down language barriers and make seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life.
The team of 12 will remain in Germany, where Zoom said it is considering setting up an R&D facility. Zoom also said it will invest in growing the Kite team.
Waibel and Stüker said in a joint statement: “Kites emerged with the mission of breaking down language barriers and making seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life, and we have long admired Zoom for its ability to easily connect people across the world.
“We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine.”
