Snips
Snips built an on-device, privacy-focused AI voice recognition platform for device makers. Founded in Paris in 2013 and acquired by Sonos in 2019, it now operates as the Sonos Voice Experience team serving Sonos as its sole customer.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Snips firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Snips
- Website
- https://snips.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Snips built an on-device, privacy-focused AI voice recognition platform for device makers. Founded in Paris in 2013 and acquired by Sonos in 2019, it now operates as the Sonos Voice Experience team serving Sonos as its sole customer.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Snips industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Embedded Voice Recognition Software
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431), Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (3343)
- SIC
- Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)
- akta.pro primary industry
- On-Device Speech & Audio AI (wake word, ASR, enhancement) (HDAAAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) (HDAAAFAA), Wake Word & Keyword Spotting (HDAAAFAJ), Smart Speakers & Voice Assistant Speakers (CRACANAF)
Keywords
Where Snips is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Snips business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Snips product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Snips developed and sold an embedded voice recognition platform that enabled connected devices such as smart speakers and audio products to process voice commands locally on-device, without relying on cloud connectivity. The platform provided privacy-focused, low-latency voice control capabilities intended for integration by consumer electronics manufacturers. Following Sonos' 2019 acquisition, the technology continued to be developed from Paris as the Sonos Voice Experience team.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Snips Voice Platform An embedded voice recognition platform that enabled connected devices, smart speakers, and consumer audio hardware to process voice commands locally on-device without requiring cloud connectivity. Designed for integration by consumer electronics and smart home manufacturers seeking privacy-focused, low-latency voice control.
Companies that use Snips
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Snips technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Snips partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SonoscoreSonos acquired Snips to bring embedded voice recognition capabilities to Sonos audio products. Snips continues operating from Paris as the Sonos Voice Experience team, including product and business development functions. The acquisition was announced in 2019.
Snips competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Picovoice: Picovoice builds on-device voice and speech recognition AI for embedded and edge applications, directly competing with Snips' core technology proposition of privacy-preserving, cloud-free voice AI for smart devices and IoT.
- Mycroft AI: Mycroft AI develops an open-source voice assistant that runs on-device, sharing Snips' emphasis on privacy, embedded deployment, and offline voice recognition for smart speakers and connected devices.
- SoundHound: SoundHound offers independent voice AI and speech recognition technology, including embedded Houndify capabilities, that competes with Snips' platform for OEMs, automotive, and smart device customers seeking customizable voice assistants.
- Cerence: Cerence specializes in AI-powered voice, speech recognition, and conversational assistants primarily for automotive, overlapping with Snips' embedded voice expertise and serving OEMs that need on-device or hybrid voice AI.
- Sensory: Sensory provides embedded speech recognition, wake word, and voice biometrics technology for consumer electronics and IoT devices, directly comparable to Snips' on-device voice recognition platform.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon (Alexa): Amazon's Alexa provides cloud-based voice AI integrated across Echo devices and licensed to third-party OEMs, representing the broad incumbent whose cloud-dependent model Snips' embedded approach was built to differentiate against.
- Google Assistant: Google Assistant offers cloud-based speech recognition and conversational AI across Nest devices, Android, and third-party hardware, serving as the dominant incumbent whose ecosystem reach Snips' privacy-first embedded stack must compete against.
- Apple Siri: Apple's Siri delivers on-device and hybrid voice recognition across Apple's hardware ecosystem; its increasing emphasis on on-device processing makes it the most directly relevant large-platform reference point for Snips' embedded voice strategy.
Emerging players
- Rhasspy (open-source): Rhasspy is an open-source, fully offline voice assistant stack for Home Assistant and DIY smart home deployments, competing at the developer and prosumer end of the on-device voice market that Snips originally targeted.
Regional players
- iFLYTEK: iFLYTEK is a leading speech recognition and voice AI provider in China with on-device and embedded voice capabilities, comparable to Snips as a regionally dominant player in speech AI with embedded deployment expertise.
Market position
Customer concentration
Snips social profiles
Digital presenceSnips financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Snips leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Snips funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Snips M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Snips
What does Snips do?
Snips developed and sold an embedded voice recognition platform that enabled connected devices such as smart speakers and audio products to process voice commands locally on-device, without relying on cloud connectivity. The platform provided privacy-focused, low-latency voice control capabilities intended for integration by consumer electronics manufacturers. Following Sonos' 2019 acquisition, the technology continued to be developed from Paris as the Sonos Voice Experience team.
Is Snips a public or private company?
Snips is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Snips founded?
Snips was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Snips based?
Snips is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
Who are Snips's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Picovoice, Mycroft AI, SoundHound, Cerence and Sensory. Broad incumbents are Amazon (Alexa), Google Assistant and Apple Siri. Rhasspy (open-source) is listed as an emerging player. iFLYTEK is listed as a regional player.
Does Snips have an API?
No public API is recorded for Snips.
What industry is Snips in?
Snips's product category is Embedded Voice Recognition Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAJAF, On-Device Speech & Audio AI (wake word, ASR, enhancement), with a secondary code of HDAAAFAA, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). Its NAICS code is 33431 and its SIC code is 3651.