Berlin-based startup ai|coustics is on a mission to reshape how we experience sound. The company just secured a €5 million seed round led by Partech, alongside Acurio, Intuition, and Arc. Existing backers like Connect and FOV Ventures, plus notable angels such as Mehdi Ghissassi (ex-Google DeepMind), Gert Lanckriet (Amazon Music), Hazel Savage (Musiio), and Thomas Wolf (Hugging Face), doubled down on their support.
This fresh funding will fuel ai|coustics’ expansion plans, allowing the team to enhance their platform and roll out new features aimed at making studio-quality voice recordings accessible to everyone—no expensive gear required.
Reclaiming Audio’s Power in Digital Creation
While most of us carry smartphones capable of recording cinema-grade video, sound quality is often the weak link. Poor audio strips the magic from any digital creation. But instead of relying on AI-generated voices, ai|coustics focuses on elevating real human voices.
“We believe that in a world dominated by generated content, people still care about expressing themselves authentically,” said Fabian Seipel, co-founder and CEO. “Quality matters more than quantity.”
Founded in 2021 at the Technical University of Berlin by audio tech experts Corvin Jaedicke and Fabian Seipel, ai|coustics is harnessing AI to bring professional-grade sound to everything from voice AI and gaming to broadcasting and video calls. Their goal? Set a new standard for clear, high-definition audio that preserves the speaker’s true voice—regardless of environment or device.
AI That Enhances Rather Than Replaces
What sets ai|coustics apart is its commitment to authenticity. While other AI platforms generate synthetic voices, this audio AI startup uses machine learning to enhance the original recording. Their technology strips away background noise and audio artifacts without losing the speaker’s natural tone or emotion.
“Unlike tools focused on recreating voices, we preserve the original,” Seipel explained. “Our AI recreates the audio environment, not the person, keeping the focus on the words and the speaker’s unique sound.”
By analyzing frequency, noise, and dynamics, ai|coustics applies smart processing that enhances clarity while staying true to the original voice. This technology is already helping creators skip time-consuming sound editing—saving both effort and cost.
Breaking the Barriers to Studio-Quality Sound
Producing high-quality sound traditionally requires professional equipment and trained editors. Even though our ears adjust naturally, most recording hardware doesn’t.
That’s where ai|coustics steps in. The platform transforms everyday recordings into studio-grade audio, whether it’s for podcasts, gaming, virtual meetings, or professional broadcasts. While competitors like Cleanvoice AI specialize in podcast editing or Xound focuses on pitch correction, ai|coustics offers a broader, AI-driven solution for all digital audio use cases.
Interestingly, customers are also applying ai|coustics beyond content creation. Seipel shared that users preprocess audio for voice cloning and automatic speech recognition, especially in noisy environments where capturing clean audio is tough.
Scalable Solutions for Modern Audio Demands
For investors like Partech, the appeal is clear. “The market’s expectations for sound quality keep rising, but most voice recordings are still subpar,” said Partech’s Boris Golden. “The ability to deliver studio-quality sound through software is a game-changer.”
Tech giants such as Elgato, DHD.audio, and Infineon Technologies are already partnering with ai|coustics. What draws them in? The ability to boost audio quality with just a few lines of code—no hardware overhaul needed.
Seipel likens this to how AI supercharged smartphone cameras. “We’re solving an audio problem through software. It’s software eating hardware,” he said.
The proof is in the numbers: users have already enhanced over two million minutes of audio using ai|coustics.
From Broadcasters to Everyday Users: AI Audio for All
ai|coustics is already powering national broadcasters like Deutsche Welle and Radio France, streamlining their post-production and helping them deliver crystal-clear audio.
But the impact stretches further. As online meetings, podcasts, and remote work continue to grow, ai|coustics could soon eliminate background chatter and poor audio in everyday conversations. People with hearing difficulties may also benefit from AI-enhanced clarity that filters distractions and sharpens voices.
Interestingly, the founders’ own experience with mild hearing impairments—caused by years in music production and bands—inspired part of their mission to build more accessible audio tech.
Looking Ahead: Expanding ai|coustics’ AI-Driven Audio Platform
With fresh capital in hand, ai|coustics is ready to scale. The team is focused on expanding their real-time SDK as a quality layer for both human-to-human and human-to-machine communications.
“We’re excited to explore more commercial partnerships and grow our platform,” Seipel added. “AI is driving the next evolution of content creation, and we’re here to ensure authenticity and sound quality remain at the forefront.”
