Whispp Debuts Whisper‐to‐Speech AI

February 03, 2026

🔊 Soundcheck

  • Whispp Debuts Whisper‑to‑Speech AI

  • Deepgram’s $130M Series C crowns its Voice AI ambition

  • Voice AI Now Drives Real Commerce

  • BoldVoice Raises $21M for AI Coaching

Read time: 4 minutes

🔥 Hot Mic

Big moves, deep dives, and standout stories.

Whispp unveils an on‑device whisper-to-speech AI demo at MWC Barcelona 2026, enabling private, natural voice communication.

At MWC Barcelona 2026, Dutch deeptech company Whispp showcased its latest real-time whisper-to-speech AI. The system converts whispered or impaired speech into the user’s clear, natural voice entirely on-device. That means no cloud delay, keeping communications private, fast, and accessible. Whispp is targeting use cases where audible speech is difficult or impossible — from people with voice impairments to environments where discretion is key. They’re also running a pilot with Qualcomm and engaging with device makers and telecom firms at the Dutch Pavilion to explore licensing and integration.

Key Points:

  • On-device AI converts whisper or impaired speech into natural voice in real time.

  • No cloud processing ensures privacy and ultra-low latency.

  • A pilot with Qualcomm will wrap up by MWC Barcelona 2026.

  • Whispp is discussing integrations with device makers and telecom partners.

Takeaway: Whispp’s on-device whisper-to-speech AI makes private, clear voice communication possible for users with voice impairments or in sound‑sensitive environments—unlocking new paths for accessible and discreet speech technology.

Deepgram scores a $130M Series C at $1.3B valuation to fuel Voice AI expansion and innovation.

Deepgram just raised $130 million in Series C funding at a $1.3 billion valuation to scale its real-time Voice AI platform and fuel global growth. The round, led by AVP and backed by existing and new strategic investors, underscores confidence in its vision as a core infrastructure for Voice AI. Alongside the funding, Deepgram acquired OfOne to strengthen its restaurant voice automation vertical, expanded its patent holdings, and announced a new Voice AI collaboration hub in San Francisco—signaling bold moves to build and support the emerging Voice AI ecosystem.

Key Points:

  • Secured $130 M Series C at $1.3 B valuation led by AVP

  • New and existing investors include Twilio, SAP, Columbia University

  • Acquired OfOne to power ‘Deepgram for Restaurants’ voice automation

  • Launching Voice AI hub in San Francisco for community collaboration

Takeaway: Deepgram’s latest raise and strategic moves show its ambition to be the foundational real‑time Voice AI platform across industries—anchoring both product expansion and ecosystem building in this fast‑growing space.

Voice AI has evolved from simple tasks to running drive‑thrus with high accuracy and clear economic gains.

Voice AI has long been limited to convenience tasks—but that’s changing. Restaurants now use voice systems to take real orders where speed and accuracy can make or break profits. Advances in training and real‑time integration are turning these systems into reliable operational tools. The payoff is tangible: faster lanes, smoother upsells, and meaningful incremental revenue. Beyond QSRs, hands‑free voice solutions are spreading into logistics, healthcare, field operations and beyond.

Key Points:

  • QSR voice AI tackles high‑stakes ordering, not just simple commands.

  • Voice AI platforms now reach 93% completion and 96% accuracy.

  • Even a single extra car per hour equals substantial annual revenue.

  • Voice systems extend into warehousing, healthcare, and field services.

Takeaway: Voice AI has matured beyond low‑risk tricks and now powers high‑value, real‑time commerce—transforming drive‑thrus and emerging in operational workflows across multiple industries.

BoldVoice just closed a $21 million Series A led by Matrix, joining forces with several top-tier backers to scale its AI-powered pronunciation coach. With only seven team members, the startup has already surpassed $10 million in recurring annual revenue, five million downloads, and users across 150+ countries.

Their app offers real-time, phoneme-level feedback paired with video lessons from expert accent coaches, making accessible coaching for non-native English speakers affordable and scalable. The new capital will fund global expansion and improvements in AI speech models and coaching capabilities.

Key Points:

  • Raised $21M in Series A led by Matrix

  • Crossed $10M in annual recurring revenue

  • App has over 5 million downloads globally

  • Serves professionals in more than 150 countries

Takeaway: BoldVoice is redefining professional communication coaching by combining AI-powered, phoneme-level feedback with expert video instruction—making effective accent and pronunciation training accessible, scalable, and affordable for millions worldwide.

🎙️ Mic Drop

What else is making noise in voice AI.

LiveKit raises $100M for real-time communications infrastructure, supporting advanced voice AI deployments at global scale. (slator.com)

Speechify introduces celebrity voice options, expanding personalization and entertainment value for voice AI consumers. (9to5mac.com)

NiCE Cognigy earns top customer marks, reaffirming its enterprise leadership in conversational AI platforms. (businesswire.com)

Industry shift: From standalone voice AI features to orchestrating holistic customer journeys using agentic approaches. (techinformed.com)

TrueFans.fm raises funding to scale podcast hosting and integrated voice AI features. (netinfluencer.com)

Voice AI agents now rival human agents in insurance—practitioners should note deployment lessons and performance outcomes. (propertycasualty360.com)

Just Eat rolls out voice assistant in UK, streamlining online food ordering through conversational AI. (esmmagazine.com)

Partnership brings advanced conversational AI to automotive OS, enhancing in-car voice experiences. (cantonrep.xpr-gannett.com)

ElevenLabs' voice AI enters motorsport through Audi F1, expanding real-time communications innovation. (sportsmintmedia.com)

TextaVoice offers free text-to-speech service, intensifying TTS competition and accessibility. (fox21online.com)

A developer builds a minimalist chatbot for vintage hardware, showcasing voice AI's potential for edge and constrained environments. (tomshardware.com)

Q Concierge launches voice AI for hospitality, promising enhanced guest experiences and operational efficiency for hotels. (openpr.com)