Ion Video Ltd (ASX:IOV) earlier this week outlined how its patented programmable video technology could position the company at the centre of the next wave of AI-driven media transformation, with founder and head of innovation Finbar O'Hanlon confirming discussions with global technology giants including Meta and Alphabet.
Speaking with Proactive, O'Hanlon described a structural shift occurring across digital media as consumers increasingly demand personalised content experiences rather than traditional one-to-many broadcasting models.
He noted that video now accounts for approximately 82% of all internet traffic, creating mounting pressure on platforms to improve content relevance, discovery and delivery efficiency.
O'Hanlon said Ion Video’s technology differs from emerging generative AI video systems because it dynamically assembles existing video components rather than rendering entirely new files. He described the company’s system as “programmable video”, enabling highly personalised content to be generated in seconds.
According to O'Hanlon, the company’s intellectual property portfolio dates back to 2007 and has now been enhanced with protections extending toward 2038. He said the patents focus on virtual video architecture that allows video to function more like a programmable database.
The company believes this approach could materially reduce storage, transcoding and compute costs for large-scale video platforms and data centre operators.
O'Hanlon also highlighted the potential commercial opportunity linked to underutilised video archives. He said major media owners hold significant libraries of content that remain difficult to monetise under existing infrastructure models.
Ion Video believes its technology could enable new forms of content assembly and distribution using archived footage, creating fresh monetisation pathways for rights holders.
The company has moved rapidly since relaunching operations in November. O'Hanlon said Ion Video has already developed enterprise-grade infrastructure hosted on AWS, strengthened its intellectual property position and secured independent validation of its patents and freedom to operate.
He added that the company is also progressing commercial discussions with major global technology companies while preparing to announce new high-profile industry appointments.
Potential catalysts for investors include further validation of the company’s IP portfolio, expansion of commercial partnerships, additional technology demonstrations and the onboarding of globally recognised executives and advisers.
“We’re calling it programmable video,” O'Hanlon said during the interview, adding that the company’s goal is to create infrastructure that allows AI systems and video platforms to operate faster, at lower cost and with significantly improved personalisation capabilities.
Interview highlights
- Ion Video Ltd (ASX:IOV) is developing patented programmable video technology
- The company is in discussions with major global technology firms including Meta and Alphabet
- Video now accounts for 82% of all internet traffic, according to Finbar O'Hanlon
- Ion Video’s technology enables dynamic video assembly instead of traditional rendered files
- The platform is designed for hyper-personalised AI-driven video experiences
- Patents date back to 2007 and extend toward 2038
- The company believes its technology can reduce storage, compute and transcoding costs
- Ion Video has built enterprise-grade infrastructure on AWS
- Third-party validation of the company’s IP portfolio has been completed
- The company is preparing to announce additional globally recognised team members
- Commercial discussions with large technology companies are underway
Proactive: Welcome back to Proactive Investors. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm your host, Kerry Stevenson. I've asked Finbar O'Hanlon, founder and head of innovation for Ion Video Ltd (ASX:IOV), to return after speaking a couple of months ago about hyper-personalised video content and where the market is heading.
The company is now having conversations with major global technology companies including Meta and Alphabet, so I wanted to understand why investors should also be paying attention.
Finbar O'Hanlon: Thank you so much, Kerry. It’s great to be back.
Proactive: Talk to us about why these major companies are paying attention. Ion Video is still relatively small with a market cap of around $40 million, but clearly making waves.
Finbar O'Hanlon: There is a fundamental shift happening globally around AI and digital content. Most people now interact with AI through chat systems, but another transformation is occurring in media and video.
Video now represents 82% of all internet traffic. Historically, content was produced for audiences in a one-to-many model. What is changing now is that consumers increasingly want content tailored specifically to them.
People want their own news feeds, cooking programs, educational videos and personalised experiences. Platforms are struggling because even with massive amounts of uploaded content, users still struggle to find material relevant to them.
This is where programmable video comes in. Ion Video has developed patented technology that allows video to be dynamically assembled from modular components, rather than rendering entirely new videos each time.
Proactive: Explain how that works and why it matters.
Finbar O'Hanlon: A video file is essentially a database made up of thousands of individual pieces of information. We created technology that records and indexes those pieces, allowing them to be reassembled dynamically and instantly.
That means users could request highly personalised content, such as a cooking show based on ingredients in their fridge, and the system could build that video in seconds.
Our platform acts as an orchestration layer between AI systems and existing video libraries.
Proactive: Why can’t competitors simply replicate this?
Finbar O'Hanlon: Many AI companies can generate video, but they still create entirely new rendered files, which is expensive and time-consuming.
Ion Video’s patents, dating back to 2007, cover virtual video technology that assembles content dynamically rather than rendering new files. Our intellectual property extends toward 2038.
The difference is speed, efficiency and reduced compute costs.
Proactive: You also mentioned potential impacts on data centres.
Finbar O'Hanlon: Yes. Today, every variation of a video requires a separate rendered file, storage and processing. Our technology allows one source file to generate countless dynamic variations without creating new files.
That could significantly reduce storage, transcoding and compute requirements at scale.
Proactive: What are the next milestones for shareholders?
Finbar O'Hanlon: Since restarting the business in November, we’ve launched the core product, built enterprise-grade infrastructure on AWS, strengthened our patent portfolio and received third-party validation of our intellectual property.
We are now focused on four areas:
- Expanding the technology platform
- Increasing patent validation and verification
- Growing the team with recognised industry experts
- Advancing commercial discussions with major global companies
We are moving quickly while remaining disciplined around capital management and governance.
Proactive: You heard it here first on Proactive Investors. Ion Video Ltd (ASX:IOV) is targeting programmable, hyper-personalised video content powered by AI.
Thanks for joining us, Finbar.
Finbar O'Hanlon: Great to see you. Thank you.