Phont

Our Journey

Since its inception in late 2023, PHONT has grown from a design thesis into a young mediatech startup. We've got pilot projects and letters of intent with big media players like UFA, Vimeo, and Joyn. We also secured public funding like Exist, joined incubators like MediaLab Bayern, and showcased our vision at the Berlinale and on World Wide Wohnzimmer. Along the way, we've also validated the inclusive potential and are working with deaf people on accessible functions in addition to the entertainment factor. By blending AI-powered audio analysis with parametric design, PHONT Studio is redefining subtitles — bringing them to life, one word at a time — for everyone.

CoFounders

Paul Langendörfer

Paul is deeply passionate about developing an idea from its beginning to its full potential. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, he brings a diverse academic perspective. His professional experience spans working in start-ups, multinational corporations, non-profit ventures, as well as self-employment.

Frederik Merkel

Freddi, an interdisciplinary designer with ten years of freelance experience, has cultivated a rich portfolio designing labels, fonts websites, and logos. After earning a B.A. in Graphic Design from Wiesbaden, Freddi completed his M.A. in Type Design in 2022 in Mainz. That same year, he invited Paul to join his ambitious typography project, PHONT.

Marcello Eiermann

Marcello holds an M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University and a B.Sc. in Applied Computer Science from Mannheim. After several years as an IT solution engineer, he followed his passion for machine learning and gained hands-on experience during his master’s thesis at Audi. At PHONT, he puts his technical and research-driven skills to use as Technical Lead.

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Our Journey

PHONT was born in a bar full of internationals during a typography master’s program: What if subtitles could actually convey the emotional nuances, accents, and phonetics in speech? This curiosity sparked a vision to revolutionize how we experience media — making it not only more immersive, but also more inclusive. Interdisiplinary designer Frederik Merkel teamed up with his longtime friend and business economist Paul Langendörfer to create the world's first emotionally intelligent subtitle engine. They were later joined by AI specialist Marcello Eiermann and a growing team of great designers, coders, and researchers.

Since its inception in late 2023, PHONT has grown from a design thesis into a young mediatech startup. We've got pilot projects and letters of intent with big media players like UFA, Vimeo, and Joyn. We also secured public funding like Exist, joined incubators like MediaLab Bayern, and showcased our vision at the Berlinale and on World Wide Wohnzimmer. Along the way, we've also validated the inclusive potential and are working with deaf people on accessible functions in addition to the entertainment factor. By blending AI-powered audio analysis with parametric design, PHONT Studio is redefining subtitles — bringing them to life, one word at a time — for everyone.