Gradium AI Voice Startup Secures $70M Seed Round for Low-Latency Technology

A new AI voice startup has launched with major backing. Gradium emerged from stealth on Tuesday. The company announced a massive $70 million seed funding round. This news comes from multiple reports by Reuters and other financial outlets.

The investment was led by FirstMark Capital and Eurazeo. High-profile backers include billionaire Eric Schmidt and DST Global Partners. French telecom magnate Xavier Niel, whose lab spun out the startup, also participated. The substantial seed round highlights intense investor interest in next-generation voice AI.

European Startup Aims to Beat Voice AI Latency

Gradium was founded just a few months ago in September 2025. Its founder is Neil Zeghidour, a former Google DeepMind researcher. The company focuses on audio language models. Its core promise is delivering ultra-low latency voice generation.

This means AI voices that respond almost instantly. Speed and accuracy are critical for real-time applications. Gradium launched with support for five major European languages. English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese are included from the start.

The technology aims to serve developers directly. It wants to make integrating high-quality voice AI easier. The goal is to power everything from AI assistants to entertainment. According to industry analysis, the demand for realistic, fast voice synthesis is growing rapidly.

Entering a Crowded and Competitive AI Market

Gradium faces significant, established competition. Frontier companies like OpenAI and Meta already have advanced voice models. Startups like ElevenLabs are also well-funded and popular. Hundreds of other models are available on platforms like Hugging Face.

The startup’s differentiator is its focus on performance. Low latency and multilingual support are its initial advantages. The European origin provides a strategic base for regional language development. The market for AI voice agents is expected to expand greatly.

The funding will be used for research and scaling infrastructure. The race is on to provide the most natural and responsive AI voices. Gradium’s early financial war chest gives it a notable starting position. The coming months will test its technology against global rivals.

The launch of Gradium underscores the fierce competition in voice AI. Its $70 million seed round provides fuel for an ambitious technical roadmap. The success of its low-latency models could reshape how we interact with AI agents.

Info at your fingertips

What is Gradium’s main technology?

Gradium builds audio language AI models. They specialize in generating ultra-low latency, realistic synthetic voices. This aims for near-instant response times in applications.

Who founded Gradium AI?

The startup was founded by Neil Zeghidour. He is a former Google DeepMind researcher. The company was spun out of the French AI lab Kyutai.

How much funding did Gradium raise?

Gradium raised $70 million in a seed funding round. The round was announced as the company launched publicly. This is an unusually large sum for a seed-stage company.

Who are Gradium’s main competitors?

Major competitors include OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic. Specialized startups like ElevenLabs are also key rivals. The field for AI voice synthesis is highly crowded.

What languages does Gradium support?

It launched with support for five languages. These are English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. The company plans to add more languages soon.

Trusted Sources

Reuters, Associated Press, Bloomberg, TechCrunch.