Legal AI Leader Harvey Acquires Hexus Amid Intensifying Competition in Legal Tech

<h2>Harvey Acquires Hexus: A Strategic Step in Legal Tech Expansion</h2>

<p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">Harvey, the rising star in legal AI, has successfully acquired <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.hexus.ai/">Hexus</a>, a startup renowned for creating innovative tools for product demos, videos, and guides. This acquisition comes as Harvey embarks on a vigorous expansion in the fiercely competitive legal tech landscape.</p>

<h3>Leadership Transition and Team Integration</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hexus founder and CEO Sakshi Pratap, who boasts a rich engineering background from Walmart, Oracle, and Google, shares with TechCrunch that her San Francisco team is now part of Harvey. The engineers based in India will join once Harvey sets up a Bangalore office. Pratap will spearhead an engineering team focused on enhancing Harvey’s solutions for in-house legal departments.</p>

<h3>Accelerating Innovation and Expertise</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We bring extensive experience in building enterprise AI tools in related domains,” Pratap stated. “This expertise allows Harvey to accelerate its pace in a rapidly evolving market.”</p>

<h3>Funding and Acquisition Insights</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Prior to the acquisition, Hexus had secured $1.6 million in funding from investors including Pear VC and Liquid 2 Ventures. Although Pratap did not disclose specific terms of the acquisition, she mentioned that the deal framework aligns with “long-term team incentives.”</p>

<h3>Establishing a Strong Market Position</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This acquisition positions Harvey as a frontrunner among AI startups. Last fall, the company announced it attained a valuation of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-29/andreessen-horowitz-invests-in-legal-ai-startup-harvey-at-an-8-billion-valuation">$8 billion</a> following the completion of a $160 million funding round, which brought its total funding for 2025 to $760 million. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, alongside new investors T. Rowe Price and WndrCo, and existing backers such as Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins.</p>

<h3>Client Base and Market Reach</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Harvey proudly serves over 1,000 clients in 60 countries, including a substantial number of the top 10 law firms in the United States.</p>

<h3>The Origins of Harvey: A Game-Changing Idea</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In an interview with TechCrunch, co-founder and CEO Winston Weinberg recounted Harvey’s beginnings, which stemmed from a <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/14/inside-harvey-how-a-first-year-legal-associate-built-one-of-silicon-valleys-hottest-startups/">cold email</a> to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Weinberg, who was a first-year associate at O’Melveny & Myers at the time, and co-founder Gabe Pereyra, a Google DeepMind and Meta researcher, tested GPT-3 on landlord-tenant law inquiries from Reddit. They discovered that two out of three attorneys said they would send out 86 of 100 responses with no edits.</p>

<h3>Transforming the Legal Industry</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“That was when we realized this technology could revolutionize the entire industry,” Weinberg reflected.</p>

<h3>Connecting with OpenAI</h3>

<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After reaching out to Altman on July 4, 2022, they spoke later that day and soon received their initial funding from the OpenAI Startup Fund, which continues to be Harvey’s second-largest investor.</p>

This rewrite includes a structured approach with SEO-optimized headings while keeping the content informative and engaging.

Here are five frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Harvey’s acquisition of Hexus in the context of the competitive legal tech landscape:

FAQ 1: What prompted Harvey to acquire Hexus?

Answer: Harvey’s acquisition of Hexus was driven by the need to enhance its technological capabilities and expand its service offerings. As competition in legal tech intensifies, acquiring Hexus, which specializes in innovative legal solutions, allows Harvey to bolster its portfolio and provide more comprehensive tools for legal professionals.

FAQ 2: How will this acquisition impact current users of both platforms?

Answer: Current users of both Harvey and Hexus can expect an integration of features and functionalities that will enhance their overall experience. Harvey aims to maintain continuity for existing users while gradually introducing new, advanced tools that benefit from the strengths of both platforms.

FAQ 3: Will there be changes to the pricing structure for users?

Answer: While specific details regarding pricing changes have not been disclosed, Harvey has indicated that it aims to provide value to its users. Users can expect any changes to pricing to reflect the enhanced capabilities and features resulting from the merger, ensuring a competitive offering in the legal tech market.

FAQ 4: What are the anticipated benefits of this merger for the legal industry?

Answer: The merger positions Harvey to leverage Hexus’s innovative technology, potentially leading to more efficient legal workflows, better document management, and advanced data analytics. This evolution is expected to empower legal professionals, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery across the industry.

FAQ 5: What should legal professionals expect from Harvey in the future?

Answer: Legal professionals can anticipate continued innovation and improvements in platform functionality from Harvey. The acquisition of Hexus is part of Harvey’s strategy to stay at the forefront of legal tech, focusing on user-centric solutions that address the evolving needs of the legal profession. Expect more collaborations, enhanced AI capabilities, and tools designed to simplify complex legal processes.

Source link

Google Allegedly Acquires Team from AI Voice Startup Hume AI

<div>
    <h2>Google DeepMind Acquires Hume AI's Top Talent in Latest AI Move</h2>

    <p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">In a strategic licensing agreement, Google DeepMind has onboarded Hume AI’s CEO and several key engineers from the innovative voice AI startup, Hume AI, as reported by <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-hires-hume-ai-ceo-licensing-deal-gemini/">Wired</a>.</p>

    <h3>Continuing Support for AI Firms</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite the acquisition of key personnel, Hume AI will continue to provide its technology to other companies in the AI sector. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.</p>

    <h3>Enhancing Voice Features with Expertise</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to Wired, CEO Alan Cowen along with approximately seven engineers will collaborate with DeepMind to enhance the voice features of its Gemini platform.</p>

    <h3>Trend of Talent Acquisitions in AI</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This move reflects a growing trend in the AI industry where companies acquire top talent rather than the entire startup, helping them avoid regulatory scrutiny. Just last year, <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/windsurfs-ceo-goes-to-google-openais-acquisition-falls-apart/">Google acquired executives and researchers from Windsurf</a>, while OpenAI has similarly acquired teams from startups including <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/08/openai-to-acquire-the-team-behind-executive-coaching-ai-tool-convogo/">Covogo</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/03/with-its-latest-acqui-hire-openai-is-doubling-down-on-personalized-consumer-ai/">Roi</a>. The Federal Trade Commission has voiced intentions to scrutinize these types of acquisitions more closely.</p>

    <h3>Voice Technology as the New Frontier</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This acquisition signifies the increasing significance of voice technology in the AI landscape. Hume AI specializes in emotional understanding through voice recognition. In 2024, they launched their <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.hume.ai/blog/series-b-evi-announcement">Empathetic Voice Interface</a>, which adds emotional intelligence to conversational AI. With nearly $80 million raised, the startup anticipates generating $100 million in revenue this year, according to reports from Wired.</p>

    <h3>Google's Ongoing Innovations in Voice AI</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Google is not standing still; they have been actively enhancing their Gemini Live feature, enabling users to interact conversationally with their chatbot. Recently, they introduced a new audio model for the Live API to better manage complex workflows, as outlined in the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/changelog">Gemini API release notes</a>.</p>

    <h3>Industry-Wide Investments in Voice Technology</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Other major players are making significant investments in voice technology as well. <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/openai-bets-big-on-audio-as-silicon-valley-declares-war-on-screens/">OpenAI is reportedly reworking its audio models</a> for a new audio-first personal device, developed in collaboration with Jonny Ive’s io. Leaks indicate that this device may take the form of earbuds.</p>

    <h3>Meta's Voice Advancement Strategies</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Meta has also accelerated its commitment to AI audio technologies, recently acquiring <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/meta-acquires-voice-startup-play-ai/">Play AI</a>. Their Ray-Ban smart glasses increasingly depend on voice capabilities for tasks such as enhancing conversations in noisy environments and enabling hands-free controls for calls and other functions.</p>

    <h3>The Growing Demand for Voice Applications</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Investor Vanessa Larco emphasized the rising importance of voice technology by stating, “Voice is the only acceptable input mode for wearables.” This acquisition could further escalate the demand for voice applications in various industries.</p>

    <h3>Continued Growth in Voice AI Revenue</h3>
    <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The demand for voice AI continues to rise. Recently, ElevenLabs, a leading AI voice generation startup, reported crossing <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/13/elevenlabs-ceo-says-the-voice-ai-startup-crossed-330-million-arr-last-year/">$330 million in annual recurring revenue</a>.</p>
</div>

This rewrite maintains the core information while enhancing engagement and SEO optimization through structured headlines and key phrases.

Sure! Here are five FAQs based on Google acquiring the team behind the AI voice startup Hume AI.

FAQs

1. What is Hume AI?
Hume AI is a startup focused on developing advanced AI voice technology that aims to enhance emotional understanding in voice interactions. The platform uses machine learning to analyze and interpret human emotions through vocal cues.

2. Why did Google acquire the Hume AI team?
Google reportedly acquired Hume AI to enhance its AI and voice recognition capabilities. By integrating Hume’s technology, Google aims to improve its products, making them more emotionally intelligent and responsive to user needs.

3. How will this acquisition impact Google’s existing AI technologies?
The integration of Hume AI’s technology is expected to enrich Google’s existing AI frameworks, particularly in voice assistants and chatbots. This will likely lead to more natural and emotionally aware interactions for users.

4. What are the implications for Hume AI’s original technology?
While specific details are unclear, it’s likely that Hume AI’s original technology will be integrated into Google’s projects. The startup’s focus on emotional intelligence in AI could lead to new features in Google’s voice products in the future.

5. Will the Hume AI team continue to develop independent projects?
Although details about the team’s future plans are not fully disclosed, it is common for acquired teams to either integrate fully into the parent company’s projects or continue working on innovative solutions within the new framework.

Feel free to ask more questions or for additional information!

Source link

Deepgram Secures $130M at $1.3B Valuation and Acquires YC AI Startup

Deepgram Secures $130 Million in Series C Funding as Voice AI Demand Surges

In recent years, the demand for voice AI technology in sales, marketing, customer support, and consumer applications has skyrocketed. This surge has attracted significant attention from investors, leading to Deepgram announcing a successful $130 million Series C funding round, spearheaded by AVP and valuing the company at $1.3 billion.

Investors Back Deepgram’s Growth

The funding round attracted support from existing investors including Alkeon, In-Q-Tel, Madrona, Tiger, Wing, and Y Combinator, alongside new contributors like Alumni Ventures, Columbia University, Princeville Capital, Twilio, and SAP. To date, Deepgram has raised over $215 million in total funding.

Continued Trend in Voice AI Funding

Deepgram’s latest funding reflects a broader trend in the voice AI sector, which saw significant funding rounds last year, including Sesame’s $250 million Series B, ElevenLab’s $180 million Series C, and Gradium’s $70 million seed round.

Investor Insights from AVP

Elizabeth de Saint-Aignan, a partner at AVP, shared her observations with TechCrunch, stating that discussions with enterprises revealed a frequent interest in voice AI technology. This prompted a deeper investigation into companies operating in the voice AI space.

The Advantages of Voice AI in Customer Interaction

Saint-Aignan emphasized that voice AI has the potential to enhance customer interactions while simultaneously reducing operational costs for businesses. Deepgram is positioned to play a vital role in this transformation.

Deepgram’s Innovative Offerings

Deepgram provides an extensive suite of models for text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionalities, as well as platforms and APIs for seamless conversational speech recognition and low-latency interruption handling. Over 1,300 organizations, including Granola, Vapi, and Twilio, leverage Deepgram’s advanced voice AI technologies.

CEO Insights on Fundraising Strategy

Deepgram’s CEO, Scott Stephenson, noted that the company is already cash-flow positive and did not actively seek funding. However, he recognized the growing demand for voice AI and the opportunity to accelerate growth with timely investments.

Strategic Objectives with New Funding

The funding will facilitate Deepgram’s expansion into international markets, enhance support for multiple languages, and focus on serving the restaurant industry through voice AI solutions. To this end, the company has acquired Y-Combinator-backed Ofone, which offers a voice AI-powered solution designed specifically for quick-service restaurants, boasting over 93% accuracy in order taking.

Future of Voice AI in the Restaurant Sector

Stephenson expressed enthusiasm for leveraging voice AI in food ordering, suggesting it could transform customer experiences in a sector where consumers may have had mixed interactions with technology in the past.

Investor Interest and Market Growth Projections

Deepgram’s acquisition of Ofone highlights the ongoing investor interest in the voice AI sector, following Presto’s acquisition of $10 million in funding.

According to analyst reports, the voice AI market is projected to expand by over 30% annually, potentially reaching a valuation of $14 to $20 billion by 2030. This growth trajectory positions voice AI providers like Deepgram to become core components for both enterprises and startups aiming to develop innovative voice solutions.

Sure! Here are five FAQs with answers related to Deepgram’s recent funding and acquisition:

FAQ 1: What recent funding did Deepgram secure?

Answer: Deepgram raised $130 million in a funding round, bringing its total valuation to $1.3 billion.

FAQ 2: What is the significance of Deepgram’s $1.3 billion valuation?

Answer: The $1.3 billion valuation reflects strong market confidence in Deepgram’s technology and growth potential in the AI and voice recognition sectors.

FAQ 3: Which startup did Deepgram acquire, and what is its background?

Answer: Deepgram acquired a startup from Y Combinator (YC) that specializes in AI technology, aimed at enhancing Deepgram’s offerings in speech recognition and natural language processing.

FAQ 4: How will this acquisition benefit Deepgram?

Answer: The acquisition will bolster Deepgram’s technological capabilities, allowing the company to improve its products and expand its market presence more effectively.

FAQ 5: What are Deepgram’s future plans following this funding and acquisition?

Answer: Following the funding and acquisition, Deepgram plans to accelerate its product development, pursue further innovations in AI, and possibly explore additional market opportunities in various sectors.

Source link

Meta Acquires Manus, the Buzz-Worthy AI Startup on Everyone’s Lips

Meta Platforms Acquires Manus: A Game-Changer in AI

Mark Zuckerberg strikes again with a strategic acquisition.

Meta Acquires AI Startup Manus

Meta Platforms has officially acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup that has taken Silicon Valley by storm since its debut last spring. The startup gained attention with a demo showcasing its AI agent’s ability to screen job candidates, plan vacations, and analyze stock portfolios, claiming to outperform OpenAI’s Deep Research.

Significant Funding and Valuation

In April, just weeks after launching, Manus secured $75 million in funding led by venture capital firm Benchmark, elevating its valuation to $500 million. Notably, Benchmark general partner Chetan Puttagunta joined Manus’ board. Additional investments came from prominent backers like Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG (formerly Sequoia China), totaling $10 million in early funding.

Impressive Growth and Revenue

The company recently announced it has signed up millions of users and is generating over $100 million in annual recurring revenue from its subscription-based membership service.

Meta’s Strategic Move

Following Manus’ impressive trajectory, Meta began negotiations, reportedly agreeing to a $2 billion purchase—aligning with Manus’ anticipated valuation for its next funding round, according to the WSJ.

AI for Profit: A Shift in Strategy

For Zuckerberg, who has heavily invested in AI, Manus represents a new opportunity: a profitable AI product. This acquisition comes at a critical time as investor confidence in Meta’s $60 billion infrastructure spending wanes, alongside the broader tech industry’s reliance on debt for data center developments.

Integration into Meta’s Ecosystem

Meta plans to keep Manus operationally independent while integrating its AI agents into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, complementing Meta’s existing chatbot, Meta AI.

Concerns Over Chinese Ownership

However, there is a notable complication: Manus’ founders originally established its parent company, Butterfly Effect, in Beijing in 2022, before relocating to Singapore in mid-2025. This history raises potential concerns in Washington. Senator John Cornyn has previously criticized Benchmark for investing in Manus, questioning American capital flowing to a Chinese entity.

Bipartisan Scrutiny of China Relations

Senator Cornyn, a Texas Republican known for his strong stance on China and technology, reflects a growing bipartisan concern in Congress regarding relations with China.

Commitment to Divest from China

In response to these concerns, Meta has assured that post-acquisition, Manus will sever all ties with Chinese investors and cease operations in China. A Meta spokesperson confirmed, “There will be no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI following the transaction.”

Sure! Here are five FAQs about Meta’s acquisition of Manus, the AI startup:

FAQ 1: What prompted Meta to acquire Manus?

Answer: Meta acquired Manus to enhance its AI capabilities, particularly in natural language processing and machine learning. The acquisition aims to integrate Manus’s innovative technologies into Meta’s products, improving user experiences and driving advancements in artificial intelligence.

FAQ 2: What technologies does Manus specialize in?

Answer: Manus specializes in advanced natural language processing, machine learning algorithms, and AI-driven applications. Their technology focuses on creating intuitive interactions between humans and machines, which aligns well with Meta’s vision for the future of communication and social interactions.

FAQ 3: How will this acquisition impact existing Meta products?

Answer: The integration of Manus’s technology is expected to enhance existing Meta products like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Improvements may include better content recommendations, more accurate language translations, and enhanced user engagement through smarter AI-driven features.

FAQ 4: Will Manus continue to operate independently after the acquisition?

Answer: While Manus will be integrated into Meta’s broader framework and resources, it’s likely they will maintain a degree of operational independence, allowing their team to continue innovating and developing new technologies while aligning with Meta’s strategic goals.

FAQ 5: What are the potential implications for users?

Answer: Users can expect a more personalized and seamless experience across Meta’s platforms as Manus’s AI solutions are implemented. These enhancements could lead to improved content curation, better communication tools, and a more engaging overall user experience, all while prioritizing user privacy and security.

Source link