ekto: Revenue, team and how it was built
ekto (iPhone app for live captions and live translation of speech, built on rented speech and text AI models, Not published): US$5K a month in net revenue, October 2026. Evidence grade A: disclosed by a company or a filing, or verified by a payment processor. Team: Headcount not published; the App Store seller, and the person responsible under the privacy policy, is Anthony Ho. Launched 27 January 2025; still running, revenue flat.Added 27 October 2026
- Outcome
- US$5K a month in net revenue, October 2026Revenue flat
- Evidence
- A disclosed by a company or a filing, or verified by a payment processor
- Launch
- 27 January 2025
- Status
- Still running
- Team
- Headcount not published; the App Store seller, and the person responsible under the privacy policy, is Anthony Ho
- Outside funding
- None reported
- Group
- Voice and audio
- Main channel
- Inside another platform
ekto turns speech into live text on the phone. It uses automatic speech recognition, software that writes down spoken words, from a third-party AI provider, and sends the text to a second AI provider that translates it or writes a summary. The result reads like live subtitles. The app is sold to international students, people living abroad, deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their families, and to teachers, guides and churches, who can share the captions with up to 100 people through a link.
Anthony Ho sells the app on the App Store as a person, under the name Verby Apps. It was released on 27 January 2025. whatsthe.app, a listing site for mobile apps, reads its sales from Apple through the App Store Connect API, Apple's interface that lets developers and services they authorise read sales reports. On 25 October 2026 it showed US$14,956 of net developer revenue, the money left after Apple's commission and refunds, in the last 90 days, and US$4,653 in the last 30 days, from 218 active subscriptions.
The revenue figures are grade A, because whatsthe.app read them from Apple's records. The MRR of US$4,985 that whatsthe.app shows is the 90-day net revenue divided by three. No source gives the team size, and the privacy policy does not name the AI providers. The page also shows three earlier companies that sold translation, speech services or hearing help and failed.
How much revenue does ekto make?
Each row shows the evidence grade and the source numbers from the list at the end of this page. The grades are explained in How Aiolum verifies.
| Fact | Value | Grade | How we know | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net developer revenue, last 90 days to 25 October 2026 | US$14,956 | A | whatsthe.app: "Net developer revenue generated over the last 90 days. This includes paid app downloads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases, minus reported refunds." Read through the Apple App Store API, last updated on 25 October 2026 at 02:17 UTC. | [1] |
| MRR shown by whatsthe.app, 25 October 2026 | US$4,985 | A | Calculated: US$14,956.41 divided by 3 is US$4,985.47, exactly the MRR shown. For this app, whatsthe.app's MRR is the average monthly net revenue of the last 90 days, not a sum of subscription prices. | [1] |
| Run rate from the October 2026 figure | about US$59,826 a year | calc | Calculated: US$4,985.47 times 12. whatsthe.app shows the same value as ARR. | [1] |
| Revenue in the last 30 days, to 25 October 2026 | US$4,653 | A | whatsthe.app. Calculated: 6.7% below the 90-day monthly average. The page does not say whether this value is net of Apple's commission, as the 90-day value is. | [1] |
| Active subscriptions, 25 October 2026 | 218 | A | whatsthe.app. Calculated: about US$22.87 of monthly revenue per active subscription. | [1] |
| Downloads, 28 days to 25 October 2026 | 946 | B | App Store figure shown by whatsthe.app. Calculated: about US$4.92 of 30-day revenue per download, as whatsthe.app also shows. | [1] |
| Seller | Anthony Ho, as a person, under the name Verby Apps | B | Apple's record names Anthony Ho as developer, seller and copyright holder. The privacy policy and terms say the app is provided by "Anthony Ho, the developer and Apple App Store seller operating under the Verby Apps name". | [2, 4, 5] |
| Listing owner on whatsthe.app | the X handle @mnkyho, 446 followers | C | The listing gives no full name for the handle. It reads the sales of the developer account through Apple's API. | [1] |
| Team and funding | not published | C | The whatsthe.app page data has empty fields for team size and financing. No source mentions staff or investors. | [1] |
| Release | 27 January 2025 | B | The worldwide release date that whatsthe.app shows from the App Store data. | [1] |
| Names | Live Captions: ekto; now Live Translator: ekto | B | whatsthe.app and the developer's website still use "Live Captions: ekto"; the App Store name on 27 October 2026 is "Live Translator: ekto". The app's bundle ID is com.anthony.ho.all-ears. | [1, 2, 6] |
| AI providers | not named | C | The privacy policy names "a third-party artificial intelligence speech-processing provider" for transcription and "a separate third-party artificial intelligence text-processing provider" for translation and summaries, which may keep the text for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring. Version 1.33.0 (17 October 2026): "Updated the AI model for live translation". | [4, 2] |
| Languages | detects up to 39 languages | C | The App Store text. The app's own screens are offered in English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. | [2] |
| Marketing channels | Word of mouth, ASO, Apple Ads | C | Entered on the whatsthe.app listing. ASO, App Store optimization, means choosing the store name, subtitle and texts so that the app ranks in App Store search. Apple Ads are paid search ads inside the App Store. No source gives the share of each channel. | [1] |
| Ratings | 22 ratings, average 4.5 of 5 on the US App Store | B | Apple's page. whatsthe.app counts 42 ratings in five country stores, 11 of them in Japan. | [2, 1] |
| Age rating | 4+ | B | Apple's page. The terms say that a user under the age of majority needs a parent or guardian to agree to the terms and supervise the use. | [2, 5] |
| Releases, 7 July to 23 October 2026 | 25 versions | B | The App Store version history, from 1.26.1 to 1.34.1. | [2] |
| Time from release to the October 2026 figure | 21 months | calc | Calculated: January 2025 to October 2026. | [1] |
How to read this table: a grade A value was read by whatsthe.app from Apple's sales records through the App Store Connect API. A grade B value is a record that Apple shows on the App Store. A grade C value was written by the seller, in the store text, the privacy policy, the terms or the listing. A "calc" value was computed on this page from the rows above it.
| Plan | Per month, billed yearly (US$) | Per month, billed monthly (US$) | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free preview | 0 | 0 | 30 minutes of captions and translation |
| Weekly Unlimited PRO | US$14.99 a week, about US$64.96 a month | ||
| Monthly Unlimited PRO | 34.99 | Unlimited captions and translation | |
| Quarterly Unlimited PRO | US$79.99 for 3 months, about US$26.66 a month | ||
| Yearly Unlimited PRO | 16.58 | US$199.00 a year |
The app offers a 30-minute free preview, then PRO for unlimited captions and translation. Apple lists four plans; whatsthe.app shows the same prices. The per-month values are calculated: US$14.99 times 52 weeks divided by 12 is about US$64.96, US$79.99 divided by 3 about US$26.66, and US$199.00 divided by 12 about US$16.58.
When did ekto launch, and how did it grow?
From release to 25 versions in four months and a steady net revenue of about US$5,000 a month. Each entry carries its grade.
- 27 January 2025BThe app is released on the App Store; the seller is Anthony Ho. [1, 2]
- 16 July 2026BVersion 1.27.0 adds speaker identification and a line-by-line view during translation. [2]
- 22 July 2026BVersion 1.27.3 updates the store metadata; version 1.30.3, on 23 August, does so again. [2]
- 18 to 23 July 2026BA review reports that the phone goes to sleep and the translation stops; the developer replies that a fix will be released soon. [2]
- 16 August 2026CNew privacy policy and terms of use, which describe the separate AI providers for speech and for text. [4, 5]
- 13 September 2026BVersion 1.31.0 adds a new two-way mode for conversations with speakers of another language. [2]
- 29 September 2026BVersion 1.32.0 captions and translates livestreams, podcasts and voice messages that play in other apps. [2]
- 17 October 2026BVersion 1.33.0 updates the AI model for live translation. [2]
- 25 October 2026Awhatsthe.app reads US$14,956 of net revenue in 90 days, US$4,653 in 30 days and 218 active subscriptions. [1]
Why did ekto work?
Four causes, in the order they mattered. Each one is a reusable lesson.
Two rented models in a row
The app streams the microphone audio to a speech provider that returns text, and, when translation or a summary is asked for, sends that text to a separate AI text provider. The privacy policy says neither provider trains on the content, and that the text provider may keep it for up to 30 days. The seller builds the app around the two models: the large readable text, the floating captions, the speaker labels and the sharing link.
A high price for a strong need
The plans cost US$14.99 a week, US$34.99 a month, US$79.99 a quarter or US$199 a year, after a 30-minute free preview. The users that the store text names need the captions to follow a lecture, a meeting or a family conversation. On 25 October 2026 the monthly revenue per active subscription was about US$22.87.
Features that widen the use
Live Link lets a teacher, guide or pastor share the captions with up to 100 phones, each in its own language. Since September 2026 the app also captions audio from other apps and has a two-way mode for conversations. Each feature adds a group of users without a new product.
Found in the App Store
The seller lists word of mouth, App Store optimization and Apple Ads as the channels. The store name moved from Live Captions to Live Translator, the subtitle and description changed several times in 2026, and two release notes, of 22 July and 23 August 2026, name metadata changes. No source says which channel brought most users.
How it was built
These details come from the privacy policy and terms (grade C), the App Store page (grade B) and the whatsthe.app listing. [4, 5, 2, 1, 6]
- Speech recognition by an unnamed third-party AI speech provider, which receives the audio over an encrypted stream and labels speakers within one session.
- Translation and summaries by a separate, unnamed AI text provider. Saved transcripts stay on the phone and in the user's iCloud backup.
- Live Link runs through an unnamed hosting and real-time sharing provider, so viewers follow the captions in a web browser.
- Apple processes the subscriptions. whatsthe.app reads the sales through the Apple App Store API.
- The app is 41.9 MB, needs iOS 17 or later and also runs on iPad, Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision. An internet connection is required.
- The developer's website, verby.co, is a Next.js site, a web framework visible in the page source, with a page per app and the policies.
Tools named in the sources
Each one opens its page in the Tools tab, with every story that uses it.
Who tried this before ekto, and why did they fail?
Three companies in the Loot Drop database sold translation, speech services or hearing help before speech and translation models worked in real time. The values below are from that database and are not independently verified.
TurboTranslations
The promiseFaster and cheaper translations from a marketplace of crowdsourced human translators.
Why it diedNeural machine translation improved quickly from 2016 to 2020 and undercut a business that paid people for every translation.
Tellme
The promiseInformation and transactions by phone through voice commands, using automatic speech recognition.
Why it diedSmartphone apps with screens replaced voice menus, and Google and Amazon built their own voice technology.
SoundFocus
The promiseA phone app that adjusted sound to each user's hearing, for people with mild or moderate hearing loss.
Why it diedThe market for hearing apps was smaller than expected, and many users chose hearing aids or Apple's AirPods, as large companies added similar features.
The failed startups come from Loot Drop, a free database of dead startups, retold here in our own words. Loot Drop describes its entries as AI-assisted summaries of public sources, so these cards carry no evidence grade.
What changed
TurboTranslations paid people for each translation, Tellme built its own speech recognition for the telephone, and SoundFocus tried to improve hearing with sound settings alone. They raised from US$150,000 to US$238 million and closed, all three when better machines or larger companies did the same job.
ekto rents the speech recognition and the translation from AI providers that now work while people speak, so one seller can offer live captions in 39 languages. whatsthe.app read US$14,956 of net revenue in 90 days to 25 October 2026. What SoundFocus met is still possible: large companies can build the same feature into their own products, and many apps that the App Store lists as similar already sell live captions and translation.
Can one person copy ekto now?
Yes, with care about model costs.
A captions and translation app built on rented models is open to any mobile developer: the providers sell speech recognition and translation through APIs, and Apple handles the billing. ekto shows that some users pay US$34.99 a month for it. The risks are the per-minute cost of the models under unlimited plans and the many similar apps.
Where it is still open: Live captions for one setting with its own words, such as church services, university lectures in one country or medical appointments with an interpreter present, where general translation apps fit less well.
- 1Use one provider for speech recognition and another for translation, and state in the privacy policy what each receives and keeps.
- 2Price for the users who need it most, such as students abroad and people with hearing loss, and offer a short free preview instead of a free plan.
- 3Add features that bring new groups without a new product, such as a sharing link for a room or captions for audio from other apps.
- 4Test the store name, subtitle and texts for App Store search, and connect the sales data to a verification site.
What could go wrong for ekto?
The risks are the mirror image of the causes above.
What the figures are
For this app whatsthe.app's MRR of US$4,985 equals the 90-day net revenue of US$14,956 divided by three, so it measures money received, not the value of the active plans. The 90-day value is after Apple's commission and refunds; the page does not say whether the 30-day value of US$4,653 is. There is one reading, of 25 October 2026, and no second source.
Model costs under unlimited plans
All plans are "Unlimited PRO", while every minute of audio goes to a paid speech provider and every translated sentence to a text provider. The terms forbid use "that materially affects the Service's stability, availability, or cost". No source gives the cost per minute or the profit margin, and the privacy policy does not name the providers.
Privacy label and policy
Apple's privacy label says that purchases and identifiers may be used to track users across other companies' apps and websites and lists third-party advertising. The privacy policy says: "We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising". Apple notes that it has not verified the label.
Hearing loss, students and accuracy
The store text sells the app to people with hearing loss and to students who want to get ahead in class abroad. It is a captioning tool, not a health product or a writing tool. The terms say the output may be inaccurate and that the app is not a substitute for a qualified interpreter, and must not be the only source for legal, medical or emergency communication.
Other apps of the same seller
Anthony Ho also sells Picture Math: Calculus Solver, subtitled "Math & Statistics Solutions", and Quick Currency Converter on the App Store; the developer's website lists ekto, Notes to Voice and Quick Currency Rates. This story did not review those apps, and ekto's own pages do not link to Picture Math.
Sources
The grade next to each source is the best grade that the source can support. "Read in full" means that the text of the page was downloaded and the numbers were checked in it.
- A whatsthe.app listing: Live Captions: ekto, read 27 October 2026Read in full, including the data embedded in the page. The revenue, subscription and download figures were read by whatsthe.app through the Apple App Store API, last updated on 25 October 2026; the marketing channels and the listing owner's handle were entered on the listing.
- B Live Translator: ekto on the US App Store, read 27 October 2026Read in full: description, in-app purchases, version history, review, privacy label, age rating, seller and copyright line. The seller, dates, ratings and age rating are Apple's records; the description, release notes and prices are written by the developer.
- B App Store developer page: Anthony Ho, read 27 October 2026Read in full. Lists three apps: Picture Math: Calculus Solver, Live Translator: ekto and Quick Currency Converter.
- C Live Captions: ekto Privacy Policy, last updated 16 August 2026The page loads by script. Read the text in its script file in full. Source for the AI providers, the data they receive and keep, Live Link and the advertising statement. verby.co has no robots.txt (it returns a 404 page).
- C Live Captions: ekto Terms of Use, last updated 16 August 2026The page loads by script. Read the text in its script file. Source for the provider, the eligibility rule, the fair-use clause, the accuracy disclaimer and Apple billing.
- C Verby Apps website and ekto page, read 27 October 2026Read the page source of the home page and of verby.co/ekto: the list of apps (ekto, Notes to Voice, Quick Currency Rates) and the ekto page title. Not used for numbers.
- C Loot Drop database export, 1,749 failed startupsLocal export. AI-written summaries, not independently verified. Source for the failed predecessors.