Clipchamp has notched up 14 million registered users

A global online video editing company recorded huge growth last year and expects the same in 2021, with Covid sparking a `permanent’ change in how businesses operate.

AN Australian-based global video editing platform has notched up more than 14 million registered users worldwide and laid the groundwork to take advantage of a surge in demand sparked by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Clipchamp grew substantially during 2020, with over 160 per cent plus growth in new users.

The company’s co-founder and chief executive Alex Dreiling said with up to 15,000 new users every day, the company will build on its 14 million registered users this year through its growing customer base of small and medium-sized enterprises, Fortune 500 companies, creators and influencers.

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He believed COVID-19 has had a “permanent” impact on the use of video platforms, with businesses needing to stay in contact with clients during lockdown.

“It’s a case of us being in the right place at the right time and COVID-19 really accelerated the use of video,” he said.

“The way people want to get messages out now is tipping towards video. Also, there is a push towards DIY where in the past businesses would talk to an agency and pay $2000 for a professional video. A lot of companies and people now want to do it themselves.”

Clipchamp chief executive Alex Dreiling.

Clipchamp is an in-browser platform which gives users access to video editing tools and features, from simple cropping and resizing, to special effects like transitions, motion titles, and Green Screen.

It has an 800,000 asset strong stock library and hundreds of editable video templates are also available to users. It recently partnered with Dropbox and Box to enable customers to import and export their content with ease.

Last year Clipchamp launched several features to help accommodate changing user needs, including webcam and screencam recording, green screen, audio-video separation and freehand positioning of video elements.

The platform had a 600 per cent increase in overall template usage since the start of 2020, while its TikTok related video creation on the platform has grown 5000 per cent since January last year.

Staff grew from around 30 to over 80 in 2020 with Brisbane-based Clipchamp securing new employees from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Red Hat.

Clipchamp chief executive Alex Dreiling says there will be more growth in 2021.

However, Mr Dreiling said there won’t be the same growth in staff numbers this year.

“It really depends on what the next few months are like whether we go into full hiring mode, but we won't be tripling this year,” he said.

Clipchamp, which launched in 2014, has a variety of backers including high profile Queensland entrepreneur Steve Baxter.

Mr Dreiling said there were no current plans to float the company but in the future there may be more capital raisings.

Clipchamp has its headquarters in Brisbane and has established an office in Seattle in the US, as well as the Philippines and also has a presence in Europe.

Mr Dreiling, who arrived in Australia from Germany 15 years ago, said the company has plans to move some functions to the US but it will remain based in Brisbane.

“Most of product development will stay in Brisbane and Australia and it works very well,” he said.

“We don’t anticipate shifting the corporate HQ anywhere else and our international teams will grow and we will employ more people.”