Technology and Innovation Community

ElevenLabs CEO and co‑founder Mati Staniszewski has recently spoken to Jennifer Li, a GP @ a16z.

video

Key details for ElevenLabs:

• One of the fastest-scaling AI companies, building a full creative ecosystem across voice, music, and now conversational agents
• It specialises in text-to-speech and voice technology, with key details including a robust text-to-speech (TTS) engine that produces lifelike audio with emotional intonation, a voice cloning tool for creating custom voices, and a variety of other features like a voice changer, sound effect generator, and a dubbing tool that supports many languages
• ElevenLabs has raised over $350 million across multiple funding rounds. Key investors include Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia Capital, Nat Friedman, and Daniel Gross
• Most recent primary funding round was a $180 million Series C in January 2025 that valued the company at $3.3 billion
• Most recent funding activity was a $100 million employee tender offer at a $6.6 billion valuation in October 2025

Key insights from the conversation:

• 🎤 Voice Marketplace Empowers Creators and Drives Community Engagement: By enabling users to create and monetize their voices, 11 Labs fosters a vibrant ecosystem that benefits creators financially and enriches the diversity of voice options for various applications. This model builds trust and participation, essential for sustainable growth in AI voice technology.
• 🛠️ Autonomous Small Teams Drive Speed and Ownership: 11 Labs' structure of roughly 20 small product teams with full independence minimizes bureaucracy, accelerates decision-making, and ensures strong ownership. This approach balances the risk of duplicated efforts with the immense benefit of agility in the fast-moving AI space.
• 🌐 Global and Inclusive Hiring Unlocks Diverse Expertise: Starting in Europe and expanding globally, 11 Labs strategically looks beyond traditional hiring pipelines, embracing unconventional talent and remote work. This diversity fuels innovation and allows the company to tap into unique cultural perspectives, essential for building nuanced voice AI.
• 🎭 Context-Aware Text-to-Speech Models Enhance Naturalness: The focus on research-driven solutions that understand voice context, emotion, speed, and style eliminates the need for manual sliders or toggles. This innovation raises the quality bar and avoids legacy pitfalls of clunky editing suites, enhancing user experience.
• 🤝 Industry Collaboration Mitigates AI Resistance and Enables Licensing: Working closely with labels, legal experts, and creators helped 11 Labs navigate complex rights issues and skepticism around AI. The lengthy negotiation process and transparent communication fostered mutual understanding and paved the way for licensed, commercially viable AI-generated music and voices.
• 📈 Balancing Product Innovation with Enterprise Stability: Differentiating between pre- and post-product-market fit teams and clearly marking alpha products enables 11 Labs to maintain rapid iteration without compromising reliability for enterprise customers. This dual approach supports both experimental creativity and robust production-grade deployments.
• 🏢 Scaling Requires Explicit Incentive Alignment and Ethical Sales Practices: As 11 Labs grew to 350 employees, managing incentive structures, especially in sales, became critical to align behavior with company values. Clear policies prevent conflicts of interest, ensuring sustainable growth and trust with customers and partners.

Todor