Speaksee Raises Funds for Speech Recognition App for Hearing-Impaired People

Speaksee, providers of a speech recognition app that allows hearing-impaired and deaf people to participate in group conversations, has raised more than $1.1 million for international expansion and the development of new technology for more inclusivity in society.

Speaksee, a Dutch startup, will further develop its technology to make locations for gatherings, such as lectures and conferences, auditoriums, funeral homes and churches accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing through AI-based subtitling and translation technology. Finally, the company is also looking to develop new applications of its technology to improve inclusivity for non-native speakers.

Since 2022, Speaksee has ensured hearing-impaired and deaf people can actively participate in group conversations with an app that converts the spoken word into written text, distinguishing what’s being said by different speakers. Each of the up to nine conversation participants receives a small microphone with a color attached. These colors are integrated into the transcripts on the screen of the hearing-impaired or deaf person. In the process, any background noise gets filtered out. .

"We are extremely pleased with the confidence of our financiers in us and our technology. The funding raised brings us one step closer to our goal: a society where everyone can actively participate in conversations and interaction, in any situation," said Speaksee Founder Jari Hazelebach in a statement.