ElevenLabs builds the voice layer of AI, the models that turn text into speech that sounds human. Most people encounter it when they’re talking with customer service — often without realizing it. Klarna runs first-line phone support for 35 million U.S. customers on it, for example.
ElevenLabs also sells to creators dubbing, and music.
In fact, it’s bumping into customers, including Decagon, a conversational AI platform that trained its voice product on ElevenLabs and now competes with it.
We covered a range of topics in a short time, including whether businesses should tell customers when they’re talking to an AI, and whether he could discuss the company’s gross margins. Unsurprisingly, Staniszewski said he couldn’t discuss them in any detail, but he was clear that he doesn’t mind them getting squeezed even further if it means expanding the company’s market share.
Our conversation follows, condensed and lightly edited. You can check out the full conversation here.
You need to combine intelligence, but you also need intelligence. You need to understand the emotions of the other side, to be able to slow down or speak up.
We are now $600 million in ARR. Fifty-five percent plus is classic enterprise, and a big percentage of the 45% are small and medium businesses, developers, builders, creators.
Like everyone else in AI, you’re competing with your customers.
In Anthropic’s case, what was a model company is definitely a platform and a wide set of applications.
Your customers can choose the “reasoning layer” from a menu of options at ElevenLabs.
The U.S. government is a customer.