Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Respeecher has managed to explore a new vertical: synthetic voices for people who have lost the ability to speak. The company has worked with hospitals and individual patients, including a PhD student who lost his voice due to laryngectomy. The recent funding round included contributions from entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk and funds ffVC Poland, Bad Ideas, ICU, and SID Venture Partners.
Key takeaways:
- Ukrainian synthetic voice startup Respeecher has raised $1 million in funding, which will help the company expand its client base in the media and gaming industries.
- The company is known for replicating iconic voices such as James Earl Jones' Darth Vader and has worked with game developer CD Projekt and Warner Music.
- Respeecher uses voice models to modify the speech of actors, and also offers accent changing services. The company prioritizes ethical considerations and obtains consent from those who own the rights to the voices they replicate.
- Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Respeecher has managed to pursue a new vertical: synthetic voices for people who have lost the ability to speak on their own, working with hospitals and individual patients.