Best Speech and Voice Recognition Companies in San Francisco, United States
The 51 best Speech and Voice Recognition companies in San Francisco, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Sesame.
Ranked: Best Speech and Voice Recognition companies in San Francisco
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sesame Developer of voice-based artificial intelligence companions and lightweight eyewear products 82Funding top 18%AI top 28%Talent top 28%Patents top 34% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 18% AItop 28% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 34% Innovationtop 36% Techtop 41% Growthtop 45% Globaltop 48% Funding: Raised $250M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) · Product described with: artificial intelligence rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $250M | 9 mo ago | Series B | — | Nate Mitchell Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer | DatoCMSSentryApple iCloud Mail+16 | 12 patents High‑speed differential camera and event‑camera based eye‑tracking and object tracking | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 2 | AssemblyAI Provider of speech to text solutions | $115M | 32 mo ago | Series C | 39 | Dylan Fox Founder & CEO | WebflowSentryZendesk+23 | — | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 3 | Descript Provider of an AI-powered platform for video and podcast creation | $101M | 44 mo ago | Series C | 86 86 → 182 (+112%) | — | Cart FunctionalityBuilder.ioSentry+32 | 46 patents AI-powered audio/video editing, voice synthesis, and noise reduction technologies. | — |
| 4 | Chorus.ai Conversational intelligence platform for sales | $100M | 72 mo ago | Acquired | 90 | Russell Levy Co-Founder & CTO | Apple iCloud MailJavaEnvoy+17 | 37 patents Disinfection/decontamination hardware and gas-sensing technologies for environmental safety | — |
| 5 | Cartesia Provider of real-time text-to-speech API with AI laughter and emotion | $86M | 16 mo ago | Series A | — | Albert Gu Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityTurbopackEmotion+22 | — | 2 launchs |
| 6 | Deepgram Provider of AI-based speech transcription software 84Tech top 11%AI top 22%Funding top 23%Moat top 28% All 12 signals ▾Techtop 11% AItop 22% Fundingtop 23% Moattop 28% Innovationtop 35% Growthtop 37% Talenttop 38% Newstop 40% Patentstop 41% Markettop 43% Producttop 45% Globalbottom 39% Tech: 73 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 AI: Classified as an AI company · Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 84/100 | $86M | 8 mo ago | Series C | 107 | Scott Stephenson Co-Founder | DatoCMSTypeScriptGraphQL+38 | 23 patents Advanced speech recognition and audio transcription using transformer-based deep learning models | 2 launchs |
| 7 | Syllable Provider of an AI-based digital assistant for healthcare communication system | $86M | 51 mo ago | Series C | 46 | Sarel Jooste Co-Founder | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceNode.js+12 | — | — |
| 8 | Speak Mobile app to practice conversational English 57Customers top 10%Moat top 22%Funding top 25%Tech top 33% All 10 signals ▾Customerstop 10% Moattop 22% Fundingtop 25% Techtop 33% Markettop 43% Talenttop 45% Producttop 46% Globalbottom 36% Growthbottom 22% Newsbottom 21% Customers: App rating 4.8★ (37,781 reviews) · Review volume +58% in 6 mo Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $84M | 28 mo ago | Series B | 48 | Connor Zwick Co-Founder & CEO | SentryNode.jsMUI+30 | — | — |
| 9 | Rasa Developer of a platform for building and deploying AI agent solutions | $71M | 29 mo ago | Series C | 26 | Alexander Weidauer Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+29 | — | — |
| 10 | Wispr Flow Developer of AI-powered voice dictation software for seamless text creation 87Growth top 20%Tech top 28%AI top 30%Funding top 34% All 10 signals ▾Growthtop 20% Techtop 28% AItop 30% Fundingtop 34% Markettop 35% Talenttop 38% Moattop 40% Customerstop 47% Productbottom 48% Globalbottom 45% Growth: Web rank 500,000 → 50,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Tech: 50 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 87/100 | $70M | 8 mo ago | Series A | — | Sahaj Garg Co-Founder & CTO | WebflowRiveAmazon Web Services+20 | — | — |
| 11 | Orion AI-enabled workforce communication solution provider | $63M | 55 mo ago | Acquired | 50 | Gregory Taylor CEO & President | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+39 | 158 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 12 | PullString Provider of a cloud and AI-based publishing platform for voice apps | $45M | 123 mo ago | Acquired | 40 | — | — | 8 patents AI-powered tools for creating, animating, and delivering interactive audio-visual characters | — |
| 13 | Voiceflow Provider of a platform to build and scale AI agent solutions | $38M | 35 mo ago | Series A | 73 | Andrewe Lawrence Co-Founder | WebflowSentryZendesk+28 | — | — |
| 14 | VoiceBase Provider of call center analytics solutions | $32M | 126 mo ago | Acquired | 28 | Walter Bachtiger Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+31 | 6 patents Speech transcription, analytics, and anonymization platform for audio media content | — |
| 15 | Sensely Conversational AI solutions for enterprises | $26M | 81 mo ago | Acquired | 9 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+18 | — | — |
| 16 | Bland Provider of AI phone calling solutions | $22M | 23 mo ago | Series A | — | Sobhan Nejad Co-Founder & COO | WebflowSanityApple iCloud Mail+28 | 6 patents Modular anchoring systems for construction and marine structures | — |
| 17 | Nexmo Provider of voice and messaging API for enterprises to reach customers | $22M | 150 mo ago | Acquired | 38 | — | — | 60 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 18 | Willow Voice Provider of AI-powered voice dictation software for all applications | $5M | 8 mo ago | Seed | — | Ian Ye Co-Founder | Framer SitesReactTikTok Pixel+18 | — | 3 launchs |
| 19 | Phonic Developer of a voice AI platform for building and evaluating voice agents. | $4M | 16 mo ago | Seed | — | Nikhil Murthy Co-Founder | Node.jsRadix UITailwind CSS+11 | — | — |
| 20 | Rime Developer of text-to-speech platform providing customizable, realistic, and fast voice generation | $3M | 14 mo ago | Seed | 6 | Lily Clifford Founder & CEO | DatoCMSNode.jsRadix UI+20 | — | 1 partnership |
| 21 | Tetra Provider of a cloud-based note-taking tool for meetings | $2M | 107 mo ago | Seed | 7 | — | — | 55 patents Animal health and welfare solutions: pet nutrition, antifungal treatments, behavior monitoring, consent management. | — |
| 22 | Notiv AI-based meeting management solution | $1M | 86 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | 10 | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Kalpa Labs Developer of speech models focused on large action models and efficiency | $500K | 10 mo ago | Seed | — | Prashant Shishodia Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 24 | Shiboleth Generative AI and deep learning-based audio fraud protection services | $500K | 25 mo ago | Seed | — | Esty Scheiner Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 25 | Aqua Voice Developer of voice dictation software that refines words with AI | $500K | 31 mo ago | Seed | — | Jack McIntire Co-Founder & CTO | Framer SitesReactAmazon Web Services+10 | — | — |
| 26 | Roark Provider of testing platform for voice AI | $500K | 13 mo ago | Seed | — | Daniel Mizzi Co-founder & CTO | SentryTypeScriptGraphQL+13 | — | — |
| 27 | Robin Labs Provider of speech interactive platform | $315K | 156 mo ago | Seed | 2 | Ben Enosh Co-Founder | — | — | — |
Top 12 Speech and Voice Recognition companies in San Francisco
#1
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2023$250Mraised▾
Developer of voice-based artificial intelligence companions and lightweight eyewear products. The company focuses on creating lifelike computer interactions through voice technology. It aims to develop a personal agent that can assist users and provide information. The company also designs eyewear with high-quality audio to provide convenient access to a companion.
- Oct 2025Series B$250M
#2
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2015 · 107 employees$85.9Mraised▾
Provider of AI-based speech transcription software. It uses deep learning-enabled and custom-trained speech models to process voice data. Its features include speech-to-text, real-time streaming, multi-language support, as well as on-premise deplorability. It has applications in monitoring sales and support calls. Caters to the Finance, Government, and Software industries.
- Dec 2025Series C$143.2M
- Nov 2022Series B$47M
- Jan 2021Series B$25M
- Jun 2020Series A—
#3
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2021$69.6Mraised▾
Developer of AI-powered voice dictation software for seamless text creation. This software offers effortless voice dictation across various applications, significantly increasing writing speed and accuracy. It adapts to different writing styles and contexts, automatically correcting errors and understanding nuanced language. The software includes features such as AI command mode for document control and whispering mode for discreet use. It is designed to improve writing efficiency and overcome writer's block by allowing users to focus on their thoughts rather than the mechanics of typing.
- Nov 2025Series A$25M
- Jun 2025Series A$30M
- Oct 2022Series A$10M
- Oct 2022Conventional Debt—
#4
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2023$86Mraised▾
Provider of real-time text-to-speech API with AI laughter and emotion. The company offers models, agents, and solutions for various applications. These include customer service, healthcare, gaming, and logistics. It provides voice cloning and supports multiple languages. The company focuses on developer-first, enterprise-ready solutions with API and SDK integration.
- Mar 2025Series A$64M
- Dec 2024Seed$22M
#5
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2024$5Mraised▾
Provider of AI-powered voice dictation software for all applications. This software offers fast and accurate speech-to-text conversion, adapting to individual speaking styles and automatically correcting errors and formatting text. It supports multiple languages and works seamlessly across various platforms and applications, eliminating the need for copying and pasting. The software prioritizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption. Custom dictionaries can be added to increase accuracy. Background noise is filtered to ensure clear transcription, even in quiet environments.
- Nov 2025Seed$4.5M
- Jun 2025Seed$500K
#6
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2020 · 6 employees$3.1Mraised▾
Developer of text-to-speech platform providing customizable, realistic, and fast voice generation. The platform offers multiple multilingual voices designed to sound genuinely human. It supports various business applications, including customer retention and sales conversion. The platform allows users to pronounce brand names, currencies, and lists, and deploy in multiple environments.
- May 2025Seed$5.5M
- Jun 2023Seed$3.1M
#7
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2023$22Mraised▾
Provider of AI phone calling solutions
#8
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2024$4Mraised▾
Developer of a voice AI platform for building and evaluating voice agents. The platform enables the creation of dynamic AI conversationalists designed for high-trust interactions. It focuses on learning and improving from previous interactions to enhance future conversations and quickly correct mistakes. The platform moves beyond state machines to allow for more natural conversational flow. It provides real-time intelligence, observability, and evaluation capabilities, including searchable records of customer interactions and insights into common failure points. The platform offers secure, containerized deployment options and conversational voices based on proprietary audio foundation models.
- Apr 2025Seed$4M
#9
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 26 employees$71.4Mraised▾
Developer of a platform for building and deploying AI agent solutions. The platform extends large language models with structured flows and deterministic logic. It offers tools for managing conversations, retrieving information, and coordinating agents. The platform supports multiple languages and integrates with existing systems for automating interactions. It provides solutions for customer experience, support, sales, and operational efficiency.
- Feb 2024Series C$30M
- Dec 2021Series B$3.5M
- Mar 2021Series B$6.5M
- Jul 2020Series B$1M
#10
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2017 · 39 employees$115Mraised▾
Provider of speech-to-text solutions. It offers API and SDK to integrate speech recognition features into applications or hardware devices for transcription. Its solution can also be deployed via the cloud and on-premise approach. It claims that its engine can understand multiple industry-specific keywords and phrases without additional training.
- Dec 2023Series C$50M
- Jul 2022Series B$30M
- Mar 2022Series A$28M
- 2017Seed$120K
#11
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 48 employees$84Mraised▾
Developer of a language-learning mobile application designed to assist people to learn English. The company's application uses speech recognition techniques so that one can speak English by having conversations about real-world scenarios, enabling customers to identify English words through thick accents and learn to speak in a hassle-free manner.
#12
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025$500Kraised▾
Developer of speech models focused on large action models and efficiency. The company builds systems with sub-microseconds low-latency capabilities. It focuses on research and development in the area of speech models.
- Sep 2025Seed$500K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Speech and Voice Recognition coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Speech & Audio AI is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Speech & Audio AI — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 6,041 United States-affiliated papers.
- Carnegie Mellon University194
- Google184
- New York University150
- Johns Hopkins University150
- Columbia University110
- Speech recognition119→506
- Pattern recognition (psychology)48→298
- Electroencephalography10→137
- Artificial neural network14→105
- Feature (linguistics)15→102
- Speech recognition168→477
- Pattern recognition (psychology)40→240
- Electroencephalography33→156
- Perception30→125
- Noise (video)20→112
- Speech recognition36→108
- Perception20→62
- Noise (video)7→42
- Linguistics2→29
- Task (project management)9→34
Where speech ai is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing speech ai patents in the United States
United States speech ai patent filing is accelerating — 3,936 filings from 1,877 assignees (2016–2025), led by Google, Microsoft, Nuance Communications; annual filings 391→424.
- Google1039
- Microsoft669
- Nuance Communications483
- IBM380
- Intel275
- Apple176
- Amazon155
- Qualcomm138
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.