Gradium, a Paris-based voice AI startup, has closed a $100 million（約160億円） seed round backed by Nvidia and other investors, bringing its total raise to that figure. The company is opening a Bay Area office to compete for talent near major AI research centers. Since its December launch, Gradium has already secured customers including Renault, positioning itself as a challenger in the crowded voice AI market dominated by companies like ElevenLabs.
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Gradium, a Paris-based startup building voice AI models, closed its seed round at $100 million（約160億円） total, adding Nvidia to its investor roster after initially raising $70 million（約110億円） in December. The company is opening a Bay Area office to strengthen its talent position.
Why it matters
Gradium competes in a crowded voice AI market alongside ElevenLabs (valued at $11 billion（約1.8兆円） in February) and major players like Google's Gemini. The startup has already landed major customers including French auto manufacturer Renault since launching in December, suggesting its technology for delivering voice at scale with ultra-low latency is gaining real commercial traction.
What to watch
The company is using fresh funding to establish itself near major AI labs in the Bay Area—a strategic bet that proximity to Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI is essential for competing in AI talent markets, even though Gradium's founders and initial backers were rooted in Paris's own AI hub.
Gradium's $100 million（約160億円） seed round marks an important moment in the European AI startup ecosystem. The company emerged from Kyutai, a French lab backed by billionaire Xavier Niel, and initially raised $70 million（約110億円） from an impressive roster including FirstMark Capital, Eurazeo, DST Global Partners, and Eric Schmidt—underscoring Paris's established credibility as an AI hub. The decision to now open a Bay Area office signals a pragmatic recognition that even well-funded European AI startups feel compelled to establish roots near Silicon Valley's concentration of talent and research institutions.
Gradium enters a competitive voice AI market where established players like ElevenLabs command significant valuations, yet the company has moved quickly to prove its technical approach. Landing Renault as a customer in just two months since launch suggests its ultra-low-latency voice technology addresses a real market need, particularly for applications like customer service or automotive interfaces where response speed matters. The addition of Nvidia as a new investor in the reopened round further validates the startup's technical direction and likely reflects confidence in the scalability of its infrastructure.
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