Interview with the CEO of Appear: Charting the Course of Media Technology Success
In this new series of monthly blog posts dedicated to our 20th anniversary, we introduce you to Thomas Bøstrom Jørgensen, Appear’s CEO.
Interviewer: Tell us a little about your background and how you’ve come to lead Appear?
Thomas: “I’ve been steering Appear for three years now and in fact, I’ve just celebrated my work anniversary at the beginning of January! I joined Appear to lead and accelerate the growth of the business and increase our market share within the MediaTech industry. Interestingly, my journey started at Tandberg Television after graduating from UCSB, Santa Barbara, with a degree in signal processing. For a few years, I worked alongside the founders of Appear and gained a solid foothold in the company before taking a different path. Between Tandberg and Appear, I’ve led various early-stage and growth-stage tech businesses, focusing on amplifying growth and market share within the FinTech and mobile security industry.”
Interviewer: The MediaTech industry is rapidly evolving and offering new opportunities. What does this mean for Appear?
Thomas: “This year marks Appear’s 20th anniversary and its roots are intertwined with the linear TV business. About seven or eight years ago, we pivoted from our legacy business of media processing for linear distribution, to building world-leading solutions for premium live event production. The company foresaw growth opportunities in live production, particularly premium live sports, and pivoted to develop a market-leading solution for live event contribution. This has been crucial for our evolution and for establishing Appear as the leading brand in live production technology.”
Interviewer: So, you’re celebrating your 20th anniversary this year, what are your thoughts when you reflect on Appear’s past two decades?
Thomas: “It’s a testament to our market leadership, product vision and expertise. Appear transitioned from being a leader in linear TV distribution to excelling in live event production. We have established ourselves as the premier industry brand and the fastest growing company in the industry, serving the titans of the live production market on a global scale. It’s clear that our relentless focus on modularity and functional versatility since our inception has led us to a position of product uniqueness and the opportunity to become the industry’s most progressive and forward-thinking company. I’m very optimistic about what the future holds.”
Interviewer: What is the secret to Appear’s success over the last year?
Thomas: “It’s interesting to look back at the history of Appear. What made us successful in the linear distribution business is driving a lot of our uniqueness and success today. We were one of the first to recognise an opportunity to develop solutions with modularity in mind and capable of multiple functions. This ethos is at the heart of our XC Platform – developed for linear distribution with remarkable efficiency and unparalleled spatial density. The XC Platform packs a lot of functionality – including all relevant processing capabilities, compression and transport formats – in a very small footprint. We’ve now taken that same approach to engineering excellence and translated it into a world-class solution for the live production market with the X Platform. Maintaining our core principles of spatial density, power efficiency and sustainability is a thread that runs throughout Appear’s history of building market-leading solutions.”
Interviewer: What is the reason behind Appear’s rapid growth in the industry?
Thomas: “We are the fastest growing company in the industry, and it’s all thanks to our people. Appear has honed an unmatched skillset and expertise through a deep engagement with top global brands, complemented by the addition of leading industry talent across the organisation. Our team is the backbone of our strategy and success and we’re always seeking talented individuals to join us in all areas of the business, from R&D to sales and marketing. Check all our open positions here.”
Interviewer: What’s on the horizon for Appear in 2024?
Thomas: “In recent years, we’ve solidified our presence in the U.S. market and have set clear objectives to reinforce Appear’s position as the premier brand within our industry. To achieve this, we are dedicated to sustaining our exceptional growth trajectory and enhancing our customer service and support, especially for our key clients. The upcoming year is particularly exciting, with our involvement in several major premium live sports event.
We will also further solidify our brand as a leader in live production technology, capitalizing on our distinct value proposition to boost our visibility and gain market traction.
Technologically, we are building the foundation of our software service solutions for live contribution and production. Concurrently, we are committed to the continuous improvement of our X Platform, ensuring that it remains a benchmark in the industry and maximizes the benefits for our customers worldwide.”
