Gradium Secures $100M Seed Funding as Nvidia Backs Paris AI Voice Startup

Paris-based AI voice startup Gradium has expanded its seed funding round by bringing in additional investors, including Nvidia, taking the total amount raised to $100 million, the company announced on Thursday.

The startup said the fresh capital will be used to establish a new office in the San Francisco Bay Area as it looks to recruit top AI talent and strengthen its presence within one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence ecosystems. While Paris has become one of Europe’s leading AI hubs, the move reflects the advantages of operating closer to companies such as Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI.

Gradium first emerged from stealth in December after securing an initial $70 million seed round backed by a strong group of investors, including FirstMark Capital, Eurazeo, DST Global Partners, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and French telecommunications billionaire Xavier Niel.

The company was spun out of French AI research lab Kyutai, which Niel also backs. Neil Zeghidour, an AI researcher with prior experience at Google Brain, DeepMind, and Facebook, co-founded both Kyutai and Gradium.

Gradium is developing voice AI models capable of delivering high-quality speech with ultra-low latency. The technology is designed to enable AI assistants to respond almost instantly, reducing the noticeable pauses that often occur during conversations with AI-powered voice agents and creating a more natural user experience.

The company is entering a highly competitive market that includes established voice AI firms such as ElevenLabs, which was valued at $11 billion earlier this year, as well as major AI companies like Google, whose Gemini models also offer advanced voice capabilities.

Despite the crowded market, Gradium says it has gained significant traction since its December launch. The startup has already secured several high-profile customers, including French automotive manufacturer Renault, as it continues expanding its commercial presence in the rapidly growing AI voice technology sector.