LiveKit, a developer of infrastructure software for real-time AI voice and video applications, has announced the raise of one hundred million dollars in funding at a one billion dollar valuation. This round was led by Index Ventures and included participation from existing investors Altimeter Capital Management, Hanabi Capital, and Redpoint Ventures. It comes just ten months after the company’s previous fundraise.
The startup’s technology powers OpenAI’s ChatGPT voice mode. Its other notable customers include xAI, Salesforce, Tesla, as well as 911 emergency service operators and mental health providers.
The company was founded in 2021 by Russ d’Sa and David Zhao as an open source software project. Its goal was to build applications capable of transmitting real-time audio and video without interruptions, which was especially relevant during the pandemic when remote communication became essential.
Although LiveKit began as a free developer tool, its business accelerated significantly when the founders recognized that large companies wanted a managed cloud version. The company began providing these enterprise services, capitalizing on the growing voice AI boom.