SXSW Pitch Finalist: Quicc
The Forrest Four-Cast: January 31, 2020
Make video captioning easier and better in a world where audiences now watch extensively without sound. That’s the mission of Quicc, launched in 2019, in Wichita, Kansas.
In just a year, Quicc has rocketed into the global marketplace and now serves video creators in 84 countries. The system creates automated, burnt in captions (in 11 languages and dialects so far) to ensure maximum accessibility and increased engagement to video content.
One of 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2020, Quicc Co-Founder and CEO Mike Mathia will pitch his company in the category of Entertainment & Content Technology before a live audience and a panel of expert judges (3:30 to 4:30 pm Sunday, March 15).
Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Awards Ceremony, at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 15. SXSW attendees are also invited to Meet the Finalists from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday, March 16. All SXSW Pitch events take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Mathia shared some thoughts about his startup experience — and plugged his pick for the Super Bowl.
What is your top goal for Quicc for 2020?
Reach the 25,000 global user mark!
Tell us your favorite thing about being in Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita entrepreneurs have the perfect blend of creative drive matched with a strong core work ethic. These qualities are placing Wichita in the innovation map.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
How to persevere through adversity, how to value and appreciate the contributions of others to help you reach your business and life goals — no one can ever reach their full professional or personal potential by going it alone.
What’s your super power?
Rallying others to join a vision.
What motto or quote do you live by?
Life is much more rewarding when you risk regretting the things that you were bold enough to try, which didn’t work out the way you had hoped, rather than regretting the things you didn’t try and were left to wonder what might have been had you been a little bolder.
Tell us about a memorable celebrity encounter.
After once encouraging my girlfriend to ask the legendary Vin Diesel to dance, I found myself having to find the courage to “cut in” when one song turned into two, and two songs turned into three! Big kudos to Vin however, as he demonstrated total class and even shared a few drinks with us that evening.
If you were offered the opportunity to colonize Mars (but with no guarantee that you would return to Earth), would you go?
Yes! In our hearts and at our core, we are explorers and, as a society, we need and desire inspiration. I can imagine few things that can provide a more transformational inspiration than the idea of humans residing on more than one planet.
Tell us about something you love.
I love to travel and see/experience new places! I am also a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan (#ChiefsKingdom) and might even offer Patrick Mahomes some of my personal equity in Quicc if he promises to be a Chief forever. Call me Patrick…
Look for more interviews with other finalists in this space between now and the start of SXSW Pitch on Saturday, March 14. So far, installments in this series have covered Intvo, an AI-software designed to improve traffic safety, Sapient, a smart outlet system that saves energy, Radiobotics, which automates medical imaging analysis to improve results and efficiency, and Cove.tool, which helps design more energy efficient buildings.
If you are an entrepreneur, check out the SXSW 2020 Startups Track, which runs March 13–17. This track brings together founders and funders and showcases exciting new companies, products, services, and business models across different verticals and industries.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
