Summary: Nagish, an AI-driven startup focused on making communication accessible for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, has secured $16 million in funding to further develop its phone transcription tools and enhance communication and inclusivity for people with hearing loss.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Funding and Investors: Nagish raised $16 million, including $11 million in Series A led by Canaan Partners, with participation from several prominent investors and founders of Datadog and Looker.
  2. Product and Mission: Nagish offers an AI-powered speech-to-text and text-to-speech phone app that provides real-time transcription and customizable text display options, aiming to bridge the communication gap for the hard-of-hearing community.
  3. Achievements and Future Plans: With recent FCC certification and partnerships with major enterprises, Nagish plans to expand its product offerings, increase hiring, and continue enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in communication.

Nagish, a startup using AI to make communication accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, announced $16 million in funding. This includes $11 million in Series A led by Canaan Partners, with participation from existing investors K5 Global, Tokyo Black, Cardumen Capital, Vertex Ventures Israel, Contour Venture Partners, and Precursor Ventures, as well as the founders of Datadog and Looker. 

Further Reading: Phone Captioning App Improves Communication for Users with Hearing Loss

This financing complements Nagish’s $5 million seed round. According to the company, it will be used to fuel the continued development of Nagish’s AI-powered communication tools to transform how more than a billion people with hearing loss communicate, share information, and work.

Bridging the Communication Gap

“Nagish is not just another AI app. It’s a catalyst for empowerment, independence, and social inclusion, inspiring a new era of communication for millions of individuals with hearing loss,” says Laura Chau, partner at Canaan. “Nagish exemplifies the profound impact that AI can have on society, making inclusivity and accessibility a reality for millions.”

According to the company, Nagish’s mission is to bridge the communication gap faced by the hard-of-hearing community, leveraging advanced AI to create accessible, intuitive, and practical tools. With this new infusion of capital, Nagish plans to enhance its product offering and expand its reach so that more individuals around the globe can benefit from seamless communication to connect, learn, and thrive.

“This funding is a testament to the critical need for innovative solutions that address the daily challenges faced by millions of people who are deaf or hard of hearing,” says Tomer Aharoni, Nagish CEO and co-founder. “We believe in a future where inclusivity and accessibility are not just ideals but everyday realities, and Nagish is pioneering a new era of communication.”

Private Relay Service Features

Nagish has developed what the company says is the first end-to-end private relay service that empowers deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate without a third party. The company’s flagship product, an AI-powered speech-to-text and text-to-speech phone app, is designed to provide highly accurate and instantaneous transcription of spoken language into text. 

The company offers real-time transcription and customizable text display options, an intuitive interface that replaces native phone apps, and voice modulation features, to create a comprehensive communication tool for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The Nagish product is designed to allow people with hearing loss to follow conversations in real-time, enhancing personal interactions and improving accessibility while keeping calls private and secure.

Nagish was recently certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide telecommunication relay services, an achievement that the company says underscores its commitment to regulatory compliance and user safety.

With this financial backing, Nagish plans to bring new products to the market and increase its hiring efforts, bringing top talent in AI development, product design, and customer support to ensure its users’ continued success.

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