Startup Snapshot: Capption
Sherman Bausch is an avid museumgoer with low vision. He was born with cataracts, which means he lacks depth perception, and that makes it difficult to read the small print on the wall labels that accompany artwork.
During a particularly frustrating visit to Mia last year, where he struggled with dim lighting and big crowds, Bausch thought if he could just get the museum write-ups on his phone, where he could control the font size and light level, it would be so much easier.
“All these years, in my quest to be ‘normal,’ I’d been thinking I failed at museums,” Bausch says. “I realized: Museums had failed me.”
A technology consultant who started his career at Target and worked for The Nerdery before co-founding his own IT services firm, Next Mile, Bausch knew how to solve the problem. He incorporated as Capption in 2023 and set up a team to help him create simple tags using NFC (near-field communication)—the same technology that allows you to tap your credit card for payment. The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis was one of the first to sign on.
The University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum is also using Capption. Next to each work of art, you’ll find a white tag about the size of an index card with an orange “C.” Hold your phone near it, and up pops the art description. If your text size is set to large, that’s how the information will appear. If your phone is set to German, the description will show in German; Capption works in 136 languages, adding accessibility not only for those with vision challenges but for non-native speakers of English.
Self-funded by Bausch and a silent partner, Capption is available to museums on a subscription basis.
The tags can be programmed for any exhibition, with the technology powered by Capption—unlike QR codes, which must connect to a website. Bausch already sees other potential applications, but for now, he says he wants to stay focused on museums. “If someone with a vision problem like mine can tap their phone and become more engaged with art without barriers, that’s very cool.”
Headquarters: St. Paul
Founded: 2023
Founder: Sherman Bausch
Website capption.com
