Paris-based voice AI startup Gradium has raised $100 million in total for its seed round, with Nvidia joining as a new investor, the company announced Thursday. The round was originally launched in December 2024 at $70 million but was re-opened to accommodate additional backers, including the chip giant.
The company is using the new capital to open an office in the Bay Area, a move it described as “strengthening its position at the heart of the world’s leading AI ecosystem.” Paris has emerged as a major European hub for AI research and development, making Gradium’s expansion to California a notable strategic shift that acknowledges the gravitational pull of Silicon Valley’s AI talent pool.
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From stealth to $100M
Gradium originally launched out of stealth in December 2024 with $70 million from a roster of prominent investors, including FirstMark Capital, Eurazeo, DST Global Partners, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and French telecom billionaire Xavier Niel. The startup was spun out of French AI lab Kyutai, a lab backed by Niel.
Both Kyutai and Gradium were co-founded by Neil Zeghidour, a researcher with prior stints at Google Brain, DeepMind, and Facebook. The company is focused on building audio models that deliver voice at scale with ultra-low latency — meaning AI voices that respond almost instantly, without the awkward pause that often characterizes AI agent conversations.
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Competition and early traction
The voice AI space is crowded. Gradium competes with well-funded startups like ElevenLabs, which was valued at $11 billion in February, and major platform players such as Google’s Gemini. Despite the competition, Gradium appears to be gaining ground. Since its December launch, the company says it has landed several large customers, including French automaker Renault.
The investment from Nvidia is particularly significant, as the chipmaker has become a bellwether for promising AI startups. Nvidia’s venture arm has been selectively backing companies it believes could drive future demand for its hardware and software ecosystem, making its participation in Gradium’s seed round a strong signal of confidence in the startup’s technology and market potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gradium do?
Gradium develops voice AI models designed for ultra-low-latency responses, enabling natural, near-instantaneous spoken interactions for AI agents and customer-facing applications.
Why is Gradium opening an office in the Bay Area?
The company says it wants to be closer to the world’s leading AI ecosystem, including major players like Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI, to compete for top talent and strengthen its position in the global AI market.
Who are Gradium’s main competitors?
Gradium competes with other voice AI startups like ElevenLabs, which was valued at $11 billion in February, as well as major tech companies offering voice-enabled AI models such as Google’s Gemini.
Who founded Gradium?
Gradium was co-founded by Neil Zeghidour, a researcher who previously worked at Google Brain, DeepMind, and Facebook, alongside the French AI lab Kyutai.
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