Seattle-based startup Nuance Labs has secured $50 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors Accel and South Park Commons, as well as new backers Nvidia Corp. and Define Ventures.
The company is developing a human foundation model designed to power AI avatars capable of real-time, natural interaction. Unlike current systems that chain together separate models for voice and animation, Nuance Labs uses a single full-duplex system to process audiovisual input and output simultaneously.
The model is designed to perceive verbal and non-verbal cues, including gaze, gestures, tone, and timing. By analyzing these inputs, the system can generate real-time facial and vocal expressions, allowing avatars to react while a user is still speaking.
Nuance Labs plans to apply this technology to sectors such as sales, customer service, coaching, and education. The startup has not yet launched a commercial product but intends to release a research preview later this year.
The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate development efforts and expand the company's research team. Co-founder and CEO Fangchang Ma, formerly an AI researcher at Apple, leads the project.
