Whispp
Whispp is a Leiden-based deep-tech startup building real-time, on-device voice reconstruction AI that converts whispered or affected speech into a natural-sounding voice for people with voice conditions, severe stutterers, and privacy-conscious users, distributed via consumer apps and B2B SDK/API licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLeiden, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Whispp does
Whispp is a Leiden, Netherlands-based deep-tech startup founded in 2018 by Joris Castermans (CEO) and Akash Raj Komarlu (CTO) that develops real-time, on-device audio-to-audio voice reconstruction AI. The technology converts whispered or affected speech — from people with voice conditions, severe stutterers, or users seeking privacy or noise robustness — into a natural-sounding voice with total latency below 100ms, reconstructing fundamental frequency, harmonics, formants, and prosody. Processing occurs entirely on-device (CPU/NPU) without cloud dependency, preserving privacy and enabling offline use, and operates independently of language.
The company distributes five integrated products built around this core AI: a consumer Mobile App (iOS and Android) with subscription pricing and a 7-day free trial; a Desktop App functioning as a virtual microphone compatible with conferencing platforms; Android and Windows SDKs (the Whisper-to-Speech/W2S line) for OEMs and device manufacturers; and an API for telephony relay service providers. The technology was originally framed as assistive tech but is now positioned as a licensable streaming voice AI platform spanning accessibility, privacy, and high-noise-environment use cases.
Whispp generates revenue through three streams: consumer app subscriptions (monthly/annual auto-renewing), SDK licensing to mobile/PC OEMs and AAC device makers (quote-based multi-year contracts), and enterprise API licensing for telephony relay services. The company has 12,000+ active users, is supported by partners including AARP's AgeTech Collaborative and Qualcomm (for edge AI on NPUs), and has received validation including TIME Best Invention 2024, CES 2024 Innovation Award, and Forbes Accessibility 100 (2025). Total disclosed funding includes a pre-seed from LUMO Labs and the University of Leiden, a €750K seed round (January 2024), a €50K NN Social Innovation award (2024), and a €2.5M EIC Accelerator grant (February 2026).
Whispp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whispp
- Legal name
- Whispp B.V.
- Website
- https://whispp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Whispp is a Leiden-based deep-tech startup building real-time, on-device voice reconstruction AI that converts whispered or affected speech into a natural-sounding voice for people with voice conditions, severe stutterers, and privacy-conscious users, distributed via consumer apps and B2B SDK/API licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whispp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Voice AI Software
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (51229), Sound Recording Studios (51224), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)
- SIC
- Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus (3661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Voice Cloning, Dubbing & Audio Generative Media (HDAAAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- On-Device Speech & Audio AI (wake word, ASR, enhancement) (HDAAAJAF), Speech Enhancement & Noise Suppression (AEC/NR) (HDAAAFAG), Voice Calling (VoIP) Apps (BPAMACAC)
Keywords
Where Whispp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leiden
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Whispp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer App Subscription: Subscription-based mobile app for individual consumers with voice conditions, stuttering, or privacy needs. 7-day free trial available, auto-renewing subscriptions.
- SDK Licensing to OEMs: Licensing of Whisper-to-Speech (W2S) SDK and codec technology to mobile device manufacturers, PC OEMs, AAC device makers, and chipset/platform partners. Technology licensing business model.
- Enterprise API & Integration: API licensing for telephony relay services and software integration. Contact sales for enterprise pricing and implementation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Consumer Mobile App - Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Consumer Mobile App - Annual |
| Other | Multi-year contract | SDK and Enterprise Licensing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Whispp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whispp builds a real-time on-device audio-to-audio voice reconstruction AI that converts whispered, voiceless, or affected speech (from people with voice conditions, severe stutterers, or in noisy/private contexts) into a clear, natural-sounding voice with total latency below 100ms. The company sells a consumer Mobile App (iOS/Android) and Desktop virtual microphone App on subscription, and licenses its Whisper-to-Speech (W2S) SDK (Android, Windows) and API to OEMs, device manufacturers, AAC makers, hearing protection firms, and telecom/platform providers.
Product overview
Whispp offers a suite of five integrated products centered on its proprietary real-time on-device audio-to-audio voice reconstruction AI. The core product is a consumer Mobile App for iOS and Android that converts whispered or affected speech into a person's natural voice. Supporting this are two developer-facing products: Android SDK and Windows SDK, which allow third-party developers and device manufacturers to embed Whispp's voice AI into their own applications or hardware. A Desktop App provides a virtual microphone solution for PC users and conferencing platforms. The API enables telephony relay services to integrate Whispp's technology. The product line serves three primary use case domains: Accessibility (for people with voice conditions and severe stuttering), Privacy (private and discreet calls by whispering), and Noise (clear communication in high-background-noise environments). Whispp is transitioning from a single assistive app toward a technology licensing business model, offering SDKs for OEM integration across smartphones, PCs, hearing protection devices, and AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) equipment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whispp Mobile App Consumer mobile application (iOS and Android) that uses Whispp's real-time on-device voice AI to convert whispered or affected speech into a clear, natural-sounding voice during phone calls, video calls, and voice messages. Designed for individuals with voice conditions (laryngectomy, vocal cord paralysis, spasmodic dysphonia), people who stutter severely, and users who want private or noise-resilient calls.
- Whispp Desktop App Virtual microphone desktop application for Windows that works as a virtual audio device driver with all conferencing platforms. Enables PC users to whisper during calls while their natural voice is transmitted to listeners, supporting accessibility, privacy, and noisy-environment use cases.
- Whispp Android SDK Software development kit for Android that enables mobile app developers and device manufacturers to integrate Whispp's real-time voice reconstruction AI into their applications or hardware products. Optimized for on-device mobile CPU/NPU inference. Sold via direct sales with quote-based pricing under multi-year licensing agreements.
- Whispp Windows SDK Software development kit for Windows that enables desktop application developers and PC manufacturers to integrate Whispp's real-time voice reconstruction AI into their software or devices. Part of the W2S SDK licensing business targeting PC OEMs and accessibility hardware makers.
- Whispp API REST API for telephony relay service providers to integrate Whispp's voice reconstruction technology into accessibility services and relay communication platforms, enabling real-time voice conversion in third-party applications. Sold via direct sales with quote-based enterprise pricing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12,000+ users communicating using Whispp technology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Whispp
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Whispp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Whispp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.
- QualcommstrategicWhispp's CTO presented at Qualcomm's Edge AI Masterclass at Web Summit. Technology being implemented on Qualcomm NPUs for efficient on-device inference. Active engagement with global tech company for edge AI integration.
- Silicon CastlesminorTechnology licensing business specialist founded by Andreas Spechtler, supporting Whispp's licensing business strategy.
- AgeTech Collaborative from AARPstrategicParticipant in AARP's AgeTech accelerator ecosystem. Access to network of innovators, investors, pilot opportunities, and major industry events including CES, HLTH, and ATC Summit.
- PLNT LeidencoreStartup incubator in Leiden city center where Whispp operates. Part of collaborative ecosystem supporting innovative companies.
- Patient Associations & Academic PartnersminorPartnerships with patient associations, professional organizations, and academic partners for ethically and scientifically grounded development.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Whispp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Voiceitt: Israel-based AI speech recognition company focused on individuals with speech impairments from conditions like cerebral palsy, ALS, or stroke. Direct peer to Whispp's accessibility use case, applying AI to non-standard speech, though Voiceitt leans speech-to-text rather than audio-to-audio reconstruction.
- ElevenLabs: AI voice synthesis and voice cloning platform offering real-time text-to-speech and voice generation with multilingual support. Comparable to Whispp's voice reconstruction technology stack, though ElevenLabs focuses on creative/content use cases while Whispp targets real-time accessibility, privacy, and noise.
- Sonantic (Spotify): AI voice synthesis startup acquired by Spotify in 2022, focused on realistic emotional speech synthesis. Comparable technology foundation to Whispp's voice reconstruction, though applied to entertainment/narration rather than real-time assistive communication.
- Resemble AI: Voice cloning platform offering real-time speech-to-speech voice conversion and AI voice generation. Direct peer to Whispp's audio-to-audio conversion architecture, serving enterprise and developer use cases through APIs and SDKs.
- Acapela Group: European text-to-speech and custom voice synthesis provider with strong accessibility focus, including voices for individuals with speech disabilities. Comparable to Whispp's assistive voice use case with B2B licensing to assistive tech OEMs and AAC device makers.
Broad incumbents
- Apple Personal Voice: Native iOS 17 accessibility feature that lets users create a synthetic voice resembling their own for use with Live Speech. Direct substitute for Whispp's core accessibility use case for iPhone users, distributed free via Apple's OS.
- Google Project Relate: Google's AI communication app for people with speech impairments, providing personalized speech recognition and synthesized voice output. Direct competitor in the accessibility communication app category, backed by Google's R&D scale and pre-installed mobile ecosystem.
- Microsoft Azure AI Speech: Cloud-based speech services including custom neural voice, real-time speech translation, and voice cloning via Speaker Recognition APIs. Broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities Whispp provides, but cloud-dependent versus Whispp's on-device architecture and not specialized in accessibility voice reconstruction.
Emerging players
- Krisp: AI-powered noise cancellation and voice clarity app for calls and conferencing. Adjacent to Whispp's noise use case and conferencing integration, though Krisp suppresses noise rather than reconstructing speech, and operates as a virtual audio driver on PC similar to Whispp's desktop app.
- CereProc: Text-to-speech company specializing in custom and emotive synthetic voices, including voices built for individuals who have lost or are losing their voice. Comparable assistive voice technology with B2B licensing model, though CereProc is primarily TTS-based rather than real-time audio-to-audio reconstruction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whispp social profiles
Digital presenceWhispp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whispp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Whispp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whispp 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 Whispp
What does Whispp do?
Whispp builds a real-time on-device audio-to-audio voice reconstruction AI that converts whispered, voiceless, or affected speech (from people with voice conditions, severe stutterers, or in noisy/private contexts) into a clear, natural-sounding voice with total latency below 100ms. The company sells a consumer Mobile App (iOS/Android) and Desktop virtual microphone App on subscription, and licenses its Whisper-to-Speech (W2S) SDK (Android, Windows) and API to OEMs, device manufacturers, AAC makers, hearing protection firms, and telecom/platform providers.
Is Whispp a public or private company?
Whispp is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Whispp founded?
Whispp was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Whispp based?
Whispp is headquartered in Leiden, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Whispp make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consumer App Subscription is the primary driver. The others are SDK Licensing to OEMs and enterprise API & Integration.
Who are Whispp's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Voiceitt, ElevenLabs, Sonantic (Spotify), Resemble AI and Acapela Group. Broad incumbents are Apple Personal Voice, Google Project Relate and Microsoft Azure AI Speech. Emerging players are Krisp and CereProc.
Does Whispp have an API?
Yes. Whispp offers an API for integrating their voice AI technology into telephony relay services. The API enables developers to embed Whispp's audio-to-audio voice reconstruction capabilities into third-party applications. Developer documentation is at whispp.com/api.
What industry is Whispp in?
Whispp's product category is Assistive Voice AI Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAFAK, Voice Cloning, Dubbing & Audio Generative Media, with a secondary code of HDAAAJAF, On-Device Speech & Audio AI (wake word, ASR, enhancement). Its NAICS code is 51229 and its SIC code is 3669.