iYuno
iYuno is a global dubbing, subtitling, and captioning vendor for studios and streamers.
On the record
Checkpoint: CLOE platform wider rollout following NAB Show preview and studio reception data
The call
iYuno still handles localization for major studios, but a security breach cost it Netflix trust and AI tools are eating the work it once billed for.
iYuno translates and dubs movies and TV shows into different languages for studios like Netflix and Amazon. It used to be hard to replace because studios trusted it with secret pre-release content, but a major security breach in August 2024 leaked Netflix titles and destroyed that trust. Netflix kicked iYuno out of its main program in December 2024. Now the company faces two threats at once: big studios like Amazon and Netflix are building their own dubbing systems in-house instead of paying outside vendors, and AI tools from companies like ElevenLabs can do basic dubbing work automatically and cheaply. iYuno laid off 28 percent of its staff between 2023 and 2025, has not raised money since early 2022, and is betting on new AI products called Sub.X and CLOE to stay relevant, but there is no proof yet that studios actually want to use them. The one thing that could change everything is if Netflix fully brings iYuno back into its full program and starts using iYuno's new AI tools widely, which would signal the market still needs outside vendors.
Why
01
AI pressure: ElevenLabs Dubbing v2 and AWS auto-dubbing (Translate, Bedrock, Polly). AI voice and translation tools now do the core dubbing tasks iYuno sells, at a fraction of the cost. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: Netflix, Amazon, Disney building in-house AI-native localization pipelines. Netflix pulled iYuno from its Post-Partner Program after the 2024 breach and only partially let it back in. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. Long-standing relationships and global footprint across roughly 35 countries still make it hard for studios to fully replace it overnight.
What would change this call
Netflix confirms full Post-Partner Program reinstatement versus audio-description-only scope. Shows whether Iyuno regains trusted pre-release access or remains sidelined.
CLOE platform shows paying studio adoption after H2 2026 rollout. Shows whether Iyuno's AI product gains real commercial traction versus staying vaporware.
Any new funding round, down-round, or credit/restructuring news within 6-12 months. Signals financial stress or exit timing after 4+ years without disclosed financing.
CLOE platform shows paying studio adoption after H2 2026 rollout. Shows whether Iyuno's AI product gains real commercial traction versus staying vaporware.
Any new funding round, down-round, or credit/restructuring news within 6-12 months. Signals financial stress or exit timing after 4+ years without disclosed financing.
Key numbers
- $1.2B enterprise value set at Jan 2022 funding round
- $160M SoftBank Vision Fund 2 investment in Apr 2021
- Headcount fell 28%, from 3,171 to 2,284 employees
Named risks
- Loss of Netflix relationship and only partial, unverified 2026 reinstatement.
- AI dubbing tools from AWS, Amazon, and ElevenLabs targeting the same studio/broadcast tier Iyuno serves.
- No disclosed funding or valuation update since January 2022, raising financing uncertainty.
- 28% headcount decline from 2023 to 2025 signaling contraction.
- No independent evidence of paying adoption for Sub.X or CLOE AI products.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix (in-house/AI pipelines) | losing to | Dropped Iyuno from Post-Partner Program by December 2024 after August 2024 breach |
| Amazon/AWS auto-dubbing | losing to | AWS published auto-dubbing blueprint July 2024; piloted AI Prime Video dubs from March 2025 |
| ElevenLabs | losing to | Dubbing v2 launched May 2026 explicitly targeting studio/broadcast tier |
| ZOO Digital | losing to | Named Amazon Prime Video Preferred Fulfilment Vendor February 2025, a status Iyuno lacks |
| TransPerfect | contesting | GlobalLink Media platform expanding into media localization, per 2025 industry coverage |
| Deluxe | contesting | Expanded post-production footprint via CSC and Post Haste Digital acquisitions, per 2025 coverage |
Questions people ask
- Is iYuno still working with Netflix in 2026?
- Iyuno was reportedly dropped from Netflix's Post-Partner Program by December 2024 after an August 2024 breach leaked titles like Squid Game and Arcane. Unverified fan-wiki reports say it was partially reinstated in early 2026 for audio description only in the US, not full dubbing work.
- Could AI replace iYuno's dubbing business?
- Yes, pressure is direct: AWS published an auto-dubbing reference architecture in July 2024, Amazon piloted AI dubs on Prime Video anime from March 2025, and ElevenLabs shipped studio-targeted Dubbing v2 in May 2026, all competing at Iyuno's core subtitling and dubbing tier.
- Is iYuno profitable or growing?
- No confirmed revenue figures exist for 2023 through 2026. The last verified figure is ~$400M combined pro forma revenue in 2020. Headcount fell 28% from 3,171 employees in 2023 to 2,284 in December 2025 per Revelio Labs, suggesting contraction not growth.
- Who owns iYuno?
- Iyuno is privately held, backed by Altor Fund IV, Shamrock Capital Advisors, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and Korea's IMM Investment Corp, which led a January 2022 round valuing the company at $1.2 billion enterprise value. No funding update has been disclosed since then.
- Who is iYuno's biggest competitor?
- ZOO Digital (AIM: ZOO) is a direct public competitor, named Amazon Prime Video Preferred Fulfilment Vendor in February 2025, a status Iyuno lacks. Deluxe, VSI, and TransPerfect also compete, while Netflix, Amazon, and Disney increasingly build in-house AI dubbing pipelines instead of using vendors like Iyuno.
- What happened in the iYuno Netflix data breach?
- In August 2024, a security breach at Iyuno leaked pre-release Netflix titles including Squid Game, Arcane, and Terminator Zero. Netflix subpoenaed Discord in November 2024 to identify the leaker, and Iyuno was reportedly removed from Netflix's Post-Partner Program by December 2024.
Timeline
- 2026-05-28ElevenLabs launches Dubbing v2 targeting studio and broadcast markets, 90+ languages
- 2026-03-31Iyuno announces CLOE contextual intelligence platform for localization workflows
- 2026-01Unverified reports say Iyuno partially reinstated to Netflix program, audio description only
- 2025-12-03Amazon pulls several AI dubs on Prime Video after voice-actor backlash
- 2025-12Revelio Labs estimates Iyuno headcount at 2,284, down 28% from 2023
- 2025-09-05Iyuno showcases Sub.X AI subtitling tool at IBC 2025
- 2025-02Competitor ZOO Digital named Amazon Prime Video Preferred Fulfilment Vendor
- 2024-12Iyuno reportedly dropped from Netflix's Post-Partner Program
- 2024-08-09Security breach at Iyuno leaks pre-release Netflix titles
- 2022-01-28IMM Investment Corp leads round valuing Iyuno-SDI at $1.2 billion enterprise value
Revision history
26 July 2026
First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- About Us
- Iyuno
- Iyuno-SDI Closes New Funding Round (2022-01-28)
- Slator: David Lee Steps Into CEO Role (2021-05-12)
- Iyuno-SDI Group Company Profile
- Netflix's upcoming titles leaked online (2024-11-24)
- Netflix shows leaked in security breach (2024-08-09)
- Dubbing Wikia
- Iyuno UK Number of Employees 2026 (2026-06-29)
- Services
- Iyuno to Showcase Sub.X (2025-09-05)
- Iyuno Announces a Revolutionary Innovation (2026-03-31)