How a Frustration with Bad Dubbing Built an $11 Billion Voice AI Powerhouse

Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dąbkowski didn't set out to build a company worth $11 billion. They just wanted to fix terrible movie dubbing. Growing up in Poland, the co-founders were constantly annoyed by local voiceovers - especially one flat voice playing every character, male or female. That annoyance turned into ElevenLabs, launched in 2021.

Five years later, the company has raised $500 million and generated $330 million in revenue, largely by selling its text-to-speech technology to corporations for customer service calls and to YouTubers translating their content. But now ElevenLabs is setting its sights on Hollywood. Studios are calling, says Staniszewski, but the key is bringing talent along. And they are.

Michael Caine has licensed his voice. Liza Minnelli is making music with the company. ElevenLabs even resurrected James Earl Jones's Darth Vader for a Fortnite appearance, and Gordon Ramsay now narrates cooking instructions through a MasterClass partnership. Matthew McConaughey, an investor, uses the platform to translate his newsletter into Spanish, calling it "extraordinary storytelling.

" Staniszewski admits that first call with McConaughey was surreal, and teases more projects ahead. Still, the rise comes with tension: voice actors who inspired the company now fear for their jobs. ElevenLabs settled a lawsuit last year over voice misappropriation, denying wrongdoing. Staniszewski's advice to nervous artists?

"Try the technology. See how it can open up storytelling for you.

Source: Deadline