// startup autopsy

PermissionTV

Too early for enterprise video, too small to survive the wait

timingSlow Death

Years-long decline before final shutdown · Fatal mistake: Burned through $9M building enterprise video infrastructure before enterprise buyers had budget or urgency to adopt online video at scale.

Founded	2005
Closed	2010
Country	USA
Sector	Media

50%

Key Events Timeline

2005-01

FOUNDING

PermissionTV founded in the USA to build an enterprise online video management and delivery platform.

2007-06

FUNDING

Raised total of $9M in funding to expand enterprise sales team and build out video CDN infrastructure.

2008-09

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Launched updated enterprise video platform as YouTube Business and Brightcove intensified competition, squeezing PermissionTV's differentiation.

2009-06

LAYOFF

Reduced headcount significantly after failing to close enterprise deals at scale and exhausting runway.

2010-03

SHUTDOWN

PermissionTV ceased operations after failing to secure new funding or an acquisition, unable to compete in the commoditizing online video market.

Full Analysis

Analyst plan

Documented cause

PermissionTV failed as an enterprise online video platform startup that entered the market before sufficient demand materialized. Operating with only $9M in funding, the company faced insurmountable competition...

from YouTube's dominance and emerging content delivery network (CDN) players who had greater resources and scale. The core business model relied on ad-supported video economics, but projected adverti

Verified lesson

“...”

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€10.8M

Peak valuation

HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

PermissionTV raised €9M before burned through $9m building enterprise video infrastructure before enterprise buyers had budget or urgency to adopt online video at scale. ended it. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all failure signals.

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