Neuphonic, a London-based startup, has raised €3.5 million in pre-seed funding to advance its groundbreaking text-to-speech technology. The company claims to have developed the world’s fastest speech generation solution, potentially transforming the landscape of human-AI communication.
The funding round was led by Moonfire VC, with participation from Tiny VC, Salica Oryx Fund, and Cur8 Capital. Neuphonic’s patent-pending algorithm boasts an ultra-low latency of 25 milliseconds, enabling real-time, incremental speech generation that can work seamlessly with any Large Language Model.
Co-founders Sohaib Ahmad and Jiameng Gao, who met while studying Machine Learning at Cambridge University, aim to address the limitations of current text-to-speech models, which they say are too large, slow, expensive, and unnatural-sounding. Their technology could have far-reaching implications for industries ranging from customer service to gaming and digital avatars.
“High latency in Voice AI prevents natural interaction and slows growth in key fields,” said Ahmad, Neuphonic’s CEO. The company’s approach allows for more human-like and language-agnostic AI interactions, potentially reducing screen time in favor of more natural communication.
Akshat Goenka, Partner at Moonfire, sees Neuphonic’s solution as a catalyst for innovation across multiple sectors, potentially “unlocking billions in economic value.” The startup’s advisory board includes Professor Steve Young CBE, who believes the technology could lead to a “paradigm shift in human-machine interaction.”
Neuphonic plans to use the funds to expand its language capabilities, enhance model performance, and develop on-device solutions. With hundreds of potential users and businesses on its waiting list, the company is poised for growth in a voice AI market projected to reach $41.39 billion by 2030.
