Laboratoire Parole Et Langage

What Laboratoire Parole Et Langage does

Laboratoire Parole Et Langage (LPL) is a French public research laboratory (UMR 7309) jointly affiliated with the CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, founded in 1972. Its mission is the empirical and theoretical study of speech and language, organized into six research teams covering prosody, phonetics, language development, signed language, and acoustic signal processing, supported by a Centre d'Expérimentation sur la Parole et le Langage (CEPL) housing eight technical platforms and a specialized library of more than 20,000 documents that includes the world's largest collection on Creole languages.

The lab develops and maintains a portfolio of research software including SPPAS (automatic speech annotation), PERCEVAL, LiveIntell, EVA, PHONEDIT, and a Principal Component Analysis tool, several of which apply machine learning and signal-processing techniques to speech corpora and perception experiments. These tools are primarily distributed as open-source research outputs and are accompanied by ongoing publication activity, doctoral training (~40 PhD students), and external recognition including a 2022 Open Science Prize for SPPAS and a 2023 CNRS Crystal Medal.

LPL operates as a non-commercial research unit. Its funding flows from French institutional sources — primarily CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université — combined with competitive grants from ANR, ERC (two grants awarded in 2024-2025), and industry-facing contracts via the Carnot Cognition institute (six projects scheduled for 2026). Leadership is provided by Director Christine Meunier, and the lab serves the academic, scientific, and applied industrial research communities.

Name

Laboratoire Parole Et Langage

Legal name

Laboratoire Parole et Langage

Website

https://lpl-aix.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Laboratoire Parole Et Langage (LPL) is a CNRS / Aix-Marseille Université public research laboratory (UMR 7309) founded in 1972, conducting fundamental and applied research on speech and language across six teams, eight technical platforms, and ~40 doctoral students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speech and Language Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Speech and language research
• Experimental phonetics
• Speech perception studies
• Linguistic analysis tools
• Neurocognitive research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Core funding from CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and Aix-Marseille Université as a UMR 7309 mixed research unit. Additional project-based funding from ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), European Research Council (ERC) grants, and Institut Carnot Cognition.
2. European Project Funding: Funding from European projects including ERC grants (Starting Grant 2025, Consolidator Grant 2024), ANR-DFG joint projects, and Carnot Cognition Ressourcement Scientifique 2026.
3. ANR Project Funding: Funding from Agence Nationale de la Recherche for specific research projects such as L2-Spell project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Laboratoire Parole et Langage (LPL) is a public research laboratory (UMR 7309) jointly operated by CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université that conducts interdisciplinary research on the mechanisms of speech production, perception, and comprehension. The laboratory maintains six specialized research teams and develops proprietary research software tools (PERCEVAL, EVA, PHONEDIT, SPPAS, PCA, LiveIntell) while operating the CEPL experimental platform with eight technical stations for speech and language investigation.

Product overview

Laboratoire Parole Et Langage is a research laboratory (UMR 7309 CNRS AMU) focused on speech and language research. Rather than a commercial product company, it develops and maintains a suite of specialized research software tools and operates a comprehensive experimental platform. The core research tools include PERCEVAL for perception testing, LiveIntell for live intelligibility measurement, EVA for multiparametric speech production analysis, PHONEDIT for signal editing, SPPAS for automatic speech annotation, and PCA for alternative communication assistance. These tools are complemented by the CEPL experimental platform featuring eight technical stations for audio/video, behavioral, physiological, articulatory, oculometric, and EEG research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PERCEVAL (PERCeption EVALuation Auditive & Visuelle) Automated auditory and visual perception testing station providing a complete environment for preparing, configuring, conducting, and collecting data from speech and language perception experiments. Particularly suited to the study of speech and language perception in research settings.
• EVA (Evaluation Vocale Assistée) Multi-parameter speech analysis system combining acoustic analysis with aerodynamic measurements (airflow, pressure) and electroglottography for studying speech production mechanisms, including clinical diagnosis of vocal pathologies such as Parkinson's disease.
• PHONEDIT Signal editor for voice and speech research used to visualize, segment, mark, measure, and process acoustic, aerodynamic, palatographic, and kinesiographic parameters in speech signals.
• SPPAS (Speech Phonetization and Annotation System) Free open-source scientific software for automatic annotation and analysis of speech recordings, providing segmentation of speech into phonemes, words, and syllables. Multilingual (French, English, Italian, Chinese) with Python API; awarded the 2022 Open Science Prize for Free Research Software.
• PCA (Plateforme de Communication Alternative) Software assisting with verbal and non-verbal communication for individuals with motor disabilities, offering solutions adapted to user's communication abilities including written verbal communication, icon-based non-verbal communication, and motion sensor controls.
• LiveIntell Software for live intelligibility measurements, displaying text visible only to a speaker who pronounces statements while a listener transcribes what they hear, with automatic pre-segmentation of audio sequences.
• CEPL Experimental Platform Technical research platform with eight specialized stations for studying speech and language production, perception, and comprehension: audio/video recording, behavioral experimentation, multiparametric speech analysis, mobile field equipment, articulography, physiological measurement, oculometry, and electroencephalography.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 studies analyzed in Bayesian meta-analysis on phonetic convergence over 25 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ILCB (Institut Langage, Communication et Cerveau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPL is one of the main actors of ILCB, a major interdisciplinary institute focused on language, communication and brain research. The partnership enables collaboration across linguistics, neuroscience, and cognitive science research.
• InCIAM (Institut Créativité et Innovations Aix-Marseille)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPL participates in InCIAM, the Aix-Marseille Institute for Creativity and Innovation, supporting interdisciplinary research initiatives.
• Institut Carnot CognitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPL is partner of the Carnot Cognition Institute, receiving funding for six research projects in 2026 (Ressourcement Scientifique 2026). Projects include ConvOdiTool, EXPOLECT_DOM-2, PANAMIC, TAFF, AMULETE, and CoCardiac4Dogs.
• Montclair State University (NJ, USA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Jennifer Pardo from Montclair State University on Bayesian meta-analysis of phonetic convergence, published in Journal of Phonetics 2026.
• Université Grenoble Alpes (LPNC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Elsa Spinelli (Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition) on L2-Spell ANR project studying role of orthography in second language learning.
• Université de Lausanne (Switzerland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Audrey Bürki on L2-Spell ANR project and Megan Dailey as post-doctoral researcher.
• RWTH Aachen University (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch team of Anna Kuhlen collaborating on ERC-funded Language in Interaction workshop, studying cognitive and neurobiological aspects of language in interaction.
• University of Barcelona (Spain)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch team of Cristina Baus participating in Language in Interaction workshop focused on social language research approaches.
• Humboldt University Berlin (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch team of Rasha Abdel Rahman participating in ERC LaDy workshop on language in interaction.
• University of Cologne (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint ANR-DFG 3-year interdisciplinary project (2026-2028) investigating role of basal ganglia in speech perception, combining expertise in neurolinguistics, neurophysiology, and movement disorders with focus on Parkinson's disease and deep brain stimulation.
• GIPSA-lab (Grenoble)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Nathalie Vallée on AMULETE project for multi-channel acquisition of speech production research.
• CRPN (Centre de Recherche en Psychologie)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CRPN on ConvOdiTool (functional connectivity calculation for auditory pathways), EXPOLECT_DOM-2 (reading difficulties in overseas departments), and CoCardiac4Dogs projects.
• LIA (Laboratoire d'Informatique d'Avignon)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on PANAMIC project (automated multimodal annotation of face-to-face conversational interactions) with Stéphane Rauzy.
• LIF (Laboratoire d'Informatique de Marseille)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on TAFF project (conversational trajectories and affect) with Roxane Bertrand and Caterina Petrone.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ILCB (Institut Langage, Communication et Cerveau): Broader Aix-Marseille interdisciplinary institute on language, communication and brain; LPL is one of the main actors, but ILCB encompasses multiple labs for a wider portfolio.
• Inria (Speech and Language team): French national computing research institute with multiple speech/NLP teams; broader org charter but overlapping landscape of competitive European speech research.

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics: A leading international research institute dedicated to the psychological and neurobiological foundations of language; structurally similar to LPL as a publicly funded research lab with PhD training programs and shared equipment platforms.
• Institut de la Communication Parlée (ICP): Historically a leading French speech communication research lab at Université Grenoble Alpes; comparable focus on speech production and perception with shared French academic ecosystem.
• LIA (Laboratoire d'Informatique d'Avignon): French computer science lab working on NLP and speech processing; LPL collaborates on PANAMIC and the Fredouille thesis (AFCP 2025 winner) with LIA.
• LIF (Laboratoire d'Informatique de Marseille): French computer science lab at Aix-Marseille Université; LPL partners with LIF on the TAFF project for conversational trajectories and affect research.
• Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition (LPNC): LPNC at Université Grenoble Alpes is a French research lab focused on psychology and neurocognition including language; LPL collaborates on L2-Spell ANR project with LPNC's Elsa Spinelli.
• GIPSA-lab (Grenoble Images Parole Signal Automatique): French CNRS joint research unit studying speech, signal, and control, with whom LPL collaborates on the AMULETE project; directly comparable in mission and structure as a French UMR in speech research.
• CRPN (Centre de Recherche en Psychologie et Neurosciences): Aix-Marseille psychology/neuroscience research center; LPL collaborates with CRPN on multiple Carnot projects (ConvOdiTool, EXPOLECT_DOM-2, CoCardiac4Dogs).

Emerging players

• Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Edinburgh: Leading UK university department in speech and language research, with similar academic mission and competing for European speech research talent and funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LPLexperience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratoire-parole-et-langage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laboratoire Parole Et Langage