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Gradium Raises $100 Million, Expands to Compete Globally in Voice AI Market

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Gradium, a Paris-based startup specializing in voice AI models, has reopened its seed round to new investors, including Nvidia, amassing a total of $100 million as of Thursday. This funding marks a strategic move to establish an office in the Bay Area, enhancing their competitive edge within the world-renowned AI ecosystem.

  • New Investments and Expansion: Gradium aims to strengthen its position by tapping into the talent pool present alongside major AI players like Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI.
  • Company Origins and Founders: Initially launched out of stealth in December with $70 million, notable investors include FirstMark Capital, Eurazeo, DST Global Partners, Eric Schmidt, and Xavier Niel. Gradium was developed from the Kyutai lab, with co-founder Neil Zeghidour, a former researcher with Google Brain, DeepMind, and Facebook.
  • Technical Focus: Their work focuses on creating audio models with ultra-low latency, delivering instant AI voice responses.
  • Competitive Landscape: Competing with other AI startups like ElevenLabs and larger entities like Google, Gradium has secured significant clients, including Renault.

This move reflects Gradium’s strategy to capitalize on its European roots and access to global AI advancements for further growth.