Plaud, a developer of AI-powered note-taking hardware and software founded in 2022, is preparing for a U.S. initial public offering. CEO Nathan Xu stated that the company plans to file for an IPO in 2028, once its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion.
The startup currently reports $100 million in annual recurring revenue and serves over 2.5 million users across more than 170 countries. For the current year, Plaud projects global sales to reach $500 million. As of 2025, the company was valued at over $1 billion and is described as highly profitable.
The company employs approximately 300 people in China and 100 in San Francisco, with additional operations in Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia. On September 16, Plaud opened a new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, where the local team grew from 10 to 100 employees over nine months.
Plaud's growth strategy focuses on hiring talent and acquiring companies that possess specific capabilities. The CEO noted that the firm prioritizes talent acquisition over adding new products or users. The company's primary product, Plaud Note, attaches to smartphones to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations.
