In summer 2020, former Evernote CEO Phil Libin launched Mmhmm, a software tool designed to make video presentations look polished, even if the presenter was calling in from a COVID-era makeshift home office. It was one of many products and startups launched during that time, aimed at making the sudden wave of remote meetings more productiveor at least more bearable.
While many of those ideas faded as businesses reopenedyou probably haven’t joined a meeting as a cartoon avatar or signed on to a Zoom happy hour latelyLibin’s startup is still going strong.
The company, rebranded as Airtime in April, has raised more than $140 million from investors including Sequoia Capital and the SoftBank Vision Fund. It recently announced a second product called Airtime Camera, which gives users a more professional appearance on video calls. More ideas are also in development to enhance the still-ubiquitous videoconferencing experience.
“We want to make the essential tools for people who spend a lot of time on video at work,” Libin says.
As he points out, that includes just about all knowledge-based workers these days, whether they’re calling in from home, the office, or a bit of both. While the catchy but hard-to-spell name Mmhmm “outlived its usefulness,” as Libin puts it, video communication tools themselves haven’t.
The original product, now called Airtime Creator, still lets users record or participate live in video presentations that wouldn’t look out of place on TV or YouTube. Presenters can appear on screen alongside slides, graphs, and images. Some users, including teachers and salespeople, even use the tool to switch between prerecorded video and live Q&A sessions. It’s not unusual for presenters to match their wardrobe to what they wore in the recorded segment, Libin says.
[Photo: Airtime]
“If anyone asks questions,” Libin says, “they can seamlessly jump into the middle of it, live-answer questions, and then hit play again.”
Airtime Camera allows users to set up predefined looks, such as adding a custom background, an overall tint, or displaying an onscreen logo along with their name and job title. The software functions as a virtual camera compatible with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. Look templates can be shared across a company, ensuring all representatives maintain the same logo and aestheticmuch like standardized email signatures. Users can also choose custom reactions that go beyond the sometimes cringeworthy thumbs-ups built into conferencing platforms.
Airtime Camera ensures a consistently polished and professional look, whether users are at home, in the office, or traveling, according to Libin.
“The idea is I can have a consistent, branded, elegant look regardless of where I am,” he says.
Additional tools are in development to improve other aspects of video-based work, with at least a couple more expected to launch this summer.
[Photo: Airtime]
“We were looking for experiences that are ubiquitous and crappy,” Libin says. “And then we just want to make tools to make them less crappy.”
Potential additions include software that addresses screen-sharing frustrations or simplifies the scheduling and rescheduling of video calls. Other ideas focus on how people consume video, helping them catch up on missed discussions without relying on generic AI-generated bullet points or watching full-length recordings.
“I’d rather chew my arm off than watch a recording of a Zoom call,” Libin says.
Airtime Creator is currently available through a $10-per-month subscription, which also includes access to Airtime Camera, after a free two-week trial. For now, Airtime Camera can also be used for free on its own until August 1, when it will be offered as a one-time stand-alone purchase for $20. Libin says the company plans to continue launching simple, stable, and intuitive software tools.
“We’re going to ship the tools as we get them to the stage where we find them indispensable and useful,” he says.
