DeepL Expands Voice AI Capabilities with Mixhalo Acquisition for Live Event Translation

At international conferences and live events, speakers frequently present in languages that many attendees may not understand. As a result, audiences often rely on mobile translation apps to capture audio from a distance, an approach that can be inconsistent and unreliable. To improve this experience, Mixhalo is joining DeepL, expanding the German AI company’s translation capabilities for live events and multilingual communication.

Founded in 2016 by Incubus guitarist and songwriter Mike Einziger, violinist Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger, and CEO Vik Singh, Mixhalo initially focused on enhancing concert experiences by delivering high-quality audio directly to attendees. Over time, the company expanded its technology to support real-time audio and translation services for conferences, sporting events, and other large-scale live gatherings.

The startup has raised more than $39 million from investors including Fortress Investment, Founders Fund, Defy Partners, and Cowboy Ventures.

Singh said the rapid growth of voice AI models has benefited Mixhalo by allowing the company to integrate multiple AI systems and compare their performance. However, he noted that as larger AI companies expand into voice technology, competition on pricing becomes increasingly difficult for smaller providers.

According to Singh, Mixhalo had already been using DeepL as its primary translation partner, making the acquisition a natural next step.

“The DeepL conversation was very organic,” Singh said. “Mixhalo has been a long-time DeepL customer, and after meeting DeepL CTO Sebastian at a customer event, it quickly became clear that our technologies complemented one another across live events, APIs, meetings, and translation applications.”

Although DeepL has long been recognised for text translation, the company has significantly expanded its voice AI capabilities in recent years. In 2024, it introduced voice-to-text translation across more than 33 languages. Earlier this year, DeepL launched a voice-to-voice translation platform designed for multilingual meetings. The acquisition of Mixhalo now extends those capabilities into conferences, sporting events, and other live environments.

DeepL CEO Jarek Kutylowski said Mixhalo will serve both as a commercial solution and as a showcase for demonstrating the company’s AI technology in real-world settings where users require instant translation.

The acquisition also strengthens DeepL’s presence in the United States. With Mixhalo headquartered in San Francisco, DeepL plans to establish a new Bay Area office to support its expanding U.S. operations.

Mixhalo competes with companies including Wordly AI and Palabra, a startup backed by venture firm Seven Seven Six. DeepL expects the acquisition to strengthen its position further as demand for real-time AI-powered translation continues to grow across global business, conference, and live-event markets.