ElevenLabs, a prominent voice AI company, has announced new investors as part of its $500 million Series D funding round, initially disclosed in February. Among the new investors are major institutions like BlackRock, Wellington, D.E. Shaw, and Schroders, alongside enterprises such as NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Deutsche Telekom. Notable individual investors include celebrities Jamie Foxx and Eva Longoria.
The company has achieved impressive growth, surpassing $500 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), up from nearly $350 million at the end of the previous year. Co-founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski reported that ElevenLabs added $100 million in net new ARR in the first quarter of 2026, concluding that quarter with approximately $450 million in ARR.
Valuation for ElevenLabs has also seen rapid escalation, climbing from $6.6 billion last September to $11 billion by February.
Significant Partnerships: In the last quarter, ElevenLabs secured enterprise contracts with notable companies including Deutsche Telekom, Revolut, and Klarna.
Karine Peters, Managing Director at Deutsche Telekom’s venture arm, T. Capital, emphasized the importance of voice technology in customer interactions, stating that ElevenLabs is positioned to be a foundational element in Deutsche Telekom's Industrial AI vision.
In addition to fundraising efforts, ElevenLabs completed a $100 million tender offer, its second in about six months. Staniszewski mentioned plans to allow retail investors to participate through Robinhood Ventures, although specific details were not disclosed.
Focus on Human-Like Interaction: Staniszewski highlighted the necessity of developing voice systems that do not sound robotic, stressing the importance of creating “human-level AI voice models.” To enhance its capabilities, the company recently acquired a team from the Polish voice AI startup Papla.
