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<h2>Gradium Launches with $70 Million Seed Round to Revolutionize Audio Language AI</h2>
<p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">Gradium, a promising new startup emerging from the French AI research lab Kyutai, has officially launched, backed by a $70 million seed round led by a prestigious lineup of investors.</p>
<h3>Investment Backing from Industry Leaders</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The funding round was spearheaded by FirstMark Capital and Eurazeo, with notable contributions from telecom billionaire Xavier Niel, DST Global Partners, Eric Schmidt, and several other prominent investors.</p>
<h3>Innovative Audio Language AI Models</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://gradium.ai">Gradium</a> specializes in developing advanced audio language AI models that deliver swift, ultra-low latency voice responses. Founded in September 2025 by Neil Zeghidour, a key member of the Kyutai team and former researcher at Google DeepMind, Gradium aims to enhance the speed and accuracy of voice models for developers.</p>
<h3>Multilingual Support from Day One</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As a European startup, Gradium proudly provides multilingual support right from the start, covering English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, with plans to expand further into additional languages.</p>
<h3>Competing in a Crowded Market</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The competition is fierce, with major players in the field such as <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/20/openai-upgrades-its-transcription-and-voice-generating-ai-models/">OpenAI</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/27/anthropic-launches-a-voice-mode-for-claude/">Anthropic</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://ai.meta.com/blog/llama-4-multimodal-intelligence/">Meta Llama</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://mistral.ai/news/voxtral">Mistral</a> already offering robust voice and speech recognition solutions. Well-funded startups like <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/29/elevenlabs-ceo-says-ai-audio-models-will-be-commoditized-over-time/">ElevenLabs</a> and numerous models on Hugging Face also saturate the market, making it clear that developers have many choices for AI voice capabilities.</p>
<h3>The Growing Demand for Realistic AI Voices</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Nevertheless, the demand for Gradium's aim — delivering ultra-realistic voice expression and accuracy — is poised to increase as AI transitions from text-based interactions to more dynamic AI agents, finding applications across entertainment, work, and beyond.</p>
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Here are five FAQs about Gradium, the Paris-based AI voice startup that recently secured $70 million in seed funding:
FAQ 1: What is Gradium?
Answer: Gradium is a Paris-based AI voice startup focused on developing advanced voice technologies to enhance communication and user interactions across various platforms and devices.
FAQ 2: What does the recent $70 million seed funding mean for Gradium?
Answer: The $70 million seed funding will enable Gradium to accelerate its research and development efforts, expand its team, and enhance its product offerings, positioning the company for rapid growth in the AI voice technology market.
FAQ 3: Who are the investors backing Gradium?
Answer: Gradium’s seed funding round included a mix of venture capital firms and angel investors, with interests in AI, technology, and innovative startups that demonstrate strong growth potential.
FAQ 4: What applications does Gradium’s technology support?
Answer: Gradium’s voice technology can be integrated into various applications, including customer service solutions, virtual assistants, gaming, content creation, and more, aiming to improve user experience through natural and interactive voice engagement.
FAQ 5: How does Gradium ensure ethical AI voice technology?
Answer: Gradium is committed to ethical AI development by implementing guidelines for responsible AI usage, ensuring user privacy, and focusing on transparency in how its technologies are used and applied in various contexts.