BoldVoice, a NYC-based developer of an AI-powered voice coaching platform, has raised $21 million in Series A funding led by Matrix.
The round also saw participation from Flybridge, Xfund, Corazon Capital, Alumni Ventures, Umami Capital, and Y Combinator.
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The company plans to use the funds to speed up its global expansion and further develop its proprietary speech models and new AI-powered coaching features.
BoldVoice is designed to help non-native English professionals overcome accent and communication barriers. The platform improves speech clarity and confidence through real time pronunciation feedback and expert coaching. Users record their voice and get instant, detailed feedback from proprietary speech models, along with video lessons from professional voice and accent coaches, enabling daily practice and apparent progress.
“AI has changed how we write, but spoken communication—where trust is built and deals are closed has been left behind. We’re fixing that,” said Anada Lakra, Co-Founder and CEO of BoldVoice. “We’re giving a billion non-native English speakers a personal voice coach.”
Ilya Usorov, Co-Founder and CTO of BoldVoice, said, “Speech feedback only works if it’s highly accurate. General speech systems aren’t built to catch the details of accented speech. That’s why we train our AI specifically for accent and pronunciation analysis so that we can give clear, useful feedback in real time.”
“There are millions of non-native English speakers whose careers are limited by something that can be coached, and BoldVoice has created the AI to do it at scale,” said Kojo Osei, Partner at Matrix. “They’re shaping a new category in professional communication, and we’re excited to support their growth.”
About 70-75% of English speakers are non-native, making English the global language of business. Today, professionals use English for meetings, presentations and client interactions across regions and time zones. For over a billion non-native speakers, pronunciation and clarity can affect career success. Studies show that people with foreign accents are less likely to be promoted, highlighting a widespread barrier to advancement.
The BoldVoice app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Learn more at boldvoice.com. The company is hiring for roles in growth, product and engineering.
About BoldVoice
Founded in 2021 and led by Co-Founder and CEO Anada Lakra and Co-Founder and CTO Ilya Usorov, BoldVoice is an AI-powered voice coaching platform for non-native English speakers. It helps professionals communicate clearly and confidently by combining real time AI pronunciation feedback with expert-guided coaching. BoldVoice supports individuals and global teams in improving spoken English and is backed by Matrix Partners, Flybridge, Xfund, Corazon Capital, Liquid 2, Alumni Ventures, Umami Capital, and Y Combinator.
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