Nvidia backs Gradium: Voice AI startup raises over $100 million in seed funding

Paris-based voice AI startup Gradium has announced approximately $30 million in additional funding, bringing its total seed round to over $100 million just seven months after its inception. The latest extension was supported by new investors, including U.S. chip giant Nvidia.

This funding follows a previous $70 million tranche secured late last year. Gradium spun out of Kyutai, a non-profit AI research lab focused on open-source research, particularly in voice AI. Prominent figures like Xavier Niel, Rodolphe Saadé, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt are also backers of the company, having initially funded Kyutai.

Gradium develops tools for creating voice applications. Its offerings include AI models for real-time speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversions, voice translation tools, and models optimized for smaller devices like phones and laptops. The company also provides an open-source framework to simplify voice agent development for engineers.

The newly acquired capital will be used to establish a new office in San Francisco and to accelerate research and product development. The voice AI sector is experiencing significant growth and increasing competition, with companies like ElevenLabs also making significant moves in the European market.