The Future of Voice AI: Agents, Dubbing, and Real-Time Translation with ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski - No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups Recap

Podcast: No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

Published: 2025-12-11

Duration: 42 min

Summary

In this episode, Mati Staniszewski discusses how Eleven Labs is revolutionizing voice interaction technology, focusing on creating human-like speech for various applications, including dubbing and customer service. The conversation explores the company's rapid growth and the broader implications of voice AI in everyday technology.

What Happened

The episode kicks off with host Sarah welcoming Mati Staniszewski, co-founder and CEO of Eleven Labs, a company dedicated to enhancing how humans interact with technology through voice. Mati shares insights into Eleven Labs' rapid growth, reaching over 300 million in annual run rate just three years after its founding. The company operates with a remote-first model, boasting a global team of 350 people across various cities, including London, New York, and Tokyo. Eleven Labs serves over 5 million monthly active users, showcasing a balanced focus on both self-serve creative solutions and enterprise-level services.

Mati elaborates on the company's mission to redefine voice technology by building foundational audio models that facilitate human-like speech and interactions. He explains the two main products: a creative platform for narrations, voiceovers, and dubbing, and an agents platform that enhances customer experiences through personal AI. The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities in the voice AI market, highlighting the need for intuitive tools that democratize voice creation. Mati shares his insights on the future of voice as a primary interface for technology, emphasizing the importance of emotional and intonational fidelity in voice applications, especially in the realm of dubbing foreign media.

Key Insights

• Eleven Labs aims to transform voice interaction technology, making it more human-like and accessible.
• The company has achieved rapid growth, reaching over 300 million in annual run rate within three years.
• Mati emphasizes the importance of emotional fidelity in voice applications, particularly in dubbing and translations.
• The future of voice AI is viewed as a key interface for technology, moving away from traditional keyboard and screen interactions.

Key Questions Answered

What is Eleven Labs and what do they specialize in?

Eleven Labs is a company founded to improve how humans interact with technology through voice. They build foundational audio models to create speech that sounds human, understand speech better, and orchestrate these components for interactive experiences. Their two main products are the creative platform for narrations and dubbing, and the agents platform for enhancing customer experiences through personal AI.

How has Eleven Labs grown since its inception?

Since its founding in 2022, Eleven Labs has experienced remarkable growth, achieving a 300 million annual run rate. The company has expanded to 350 employees globally, operating under a remote-first model with hubs in major cities worldwide. Their user base includes over 5 million monthly active users, with a balanced distribution between self-serve and enterprise customers.

What challenges do voice AI companies face in the market?

Mati discusses the challenges of balancing product development with research in the voice AI sector. The initial skepticism from investors regarding the demand for voice creation technology posed hurdles, as the market seemed limited. However, as the team explored the technology further, they recognized the vast potential for voice applications, particularly in immersive experiences and customer engagement.

What insights influenced the founding of Eleven Labs?

Mati shares a personal insight from his background in Poland, where foreign films are often poorly dubbed, with a single voice actor delivering all lines. This experience highlighted the need for better voice technology that preserves original emotions and intonations in translations, driving the belief that voice technology would become essential for global content consumption.

How does Eleven Labs envision the future of voice technology?

Mati believes that voice will become a primary interface for technology, surpassing traditional keyboard and screen interactions. He envisions a future where voice applications are not only more prevalent but also emotionally resonant, allowing users to communicate naturally with devices. This shift will facilitate a more immersive and intuitive interaction with technology.