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PlayAI

AcquiredYC W23

San Francisco, US · Founded 2021 · 35 employees · 9 known investors

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PlayAI builds voice AI models that can replicate any voice or accent and produce speech in real-time for conversational applications.

Also known as Playht, Inc. · Play · Play.ht · Play.ht, PlayHT, Play · PlayHT

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareGenerative AIAPIUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W23)

PlayAI was founded in 2021 by hammad Syed, Mahmoud Felfel, Syed Hammad Ahmed, and Hammad Syed.

HShammad Syed
hammad SyedFounderHammad Syed is a software engineer and product manager who previously worked at OLX, where he met co-founder Mahmoud. He is now building voice technology at Play.ht, with experience in product scaling, SEO, and systems deployment.
MFMahmoud Felfel
Mahmoud FelfelFounder
SH
Syed Hammad Ahmed
HSHammad Syed
Hammad SyedFounder
MFMahmoud felfel
Mahmoud felfelFounder
SG
stu griffithsDesign Lead
AG
Abdelhameed GamalSenior Software Engineer
CS
Claudio Santos FernandesML Research Engineer
EE
Erik EkstedtML Research Engineer
TR
Tobiah RexSenior Product Engineerformer
CI
Christian Ibanezchief of staffformer
NC
Nick CarrollML Infra Leadformer

Investors · 9

500 Globallisted by 500 GlobalPalo Alto · $150K

How we know: open dataset · 500 Global portfolio 2026-08 · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Soma Capitallisted by Soma CapitalSacramento · $100K – $300K

How we know: funding news · somacap.com · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Y Combinatorlisted by Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

How we know: the Y Combinator directory · funding news · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

57Blocks CapitalreportedPleasanton

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Kindred VenturesreportedSan Francisco · $250K – $2M

How we know: funding news · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

OnStartupsreportedBoston

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

PioneerreportedToronto, Ontario

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Race CapitalreportedPalo Alto · $250K – $2M

How we know: a partner's Signal profile · funding news · the VCSheet dataset · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

TRAC (Third Round Analytics Capital)reportedSan Francisco · $250K – $2M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

$21M disclosed across 1 of 3 rounds · 2024

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Related companies · 10

SpeechifySpeechify is a text-to-speech application that converts written content—including textbooks, PDFs, emails, and web pages—into audio for users to listen to. The platform serves students and professionals with reading difficulties, particularly those with dyslexia and ADHD, enabling them to access educational and professional materials through audio.
Uplift AIUplift AI develops voice synthesis models for regional and underrepresented languages, enabling digital service access through voice interfaces in local languages. The platform serves developers and organizations building voice-enabled applications for non-English speaking populations.
ElevenLabsElevenLabs is an AI research and product company that builds voice generation and audio processing platforms for creating human-like voice interactions with technology. The company serves individuals with accessibility needs, nonprofits, and general users across healthcare, education, and culture.
AndiAndi AI is an AI-powered search engine that uses proprietary indexing technology to deliver search results with fact-verified answers. It serves individual users and developers through both consumer search and API products, competing in the AI search market.
Eachlabs AIEach Labs provides 24/7 technical support services for product companies, focusing on flexibility, speed, and stability during scaling operations.
MorphMorph provides optimized inference infrastructure for code generation models, enabling fast deployment of open-source models like DeepSeek and Qwen with support for specialized tasks including code editing, search, and compression.
HABITHabitrobotics develops conversational robots for deployment across the United States. The company is currently in private beta with general availability coming soon.
OpenAIOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) with emphasis on safety and beneficial outcomes for humanity.
UberduckUberduck provides AI-powered text-to-speech, voice cloning, and music generation tools for creators, musicians, and marketers. The platform enables users to generate synthetic vocals, create custom voices, and produce AI music tracks across 70+ languages.
HeyGenHeyGen is an AI video generation and dubbing platform that allows users to create and localize videos by writing scripts and selecting AI-generated voices, eliminating the need for cameras, actors, and traditional production resources. The platform serves businesses and content creators seeking to produce high-quality multilingual video content at scale.

Companies working in the same space as PlayAI.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure
Playht, Inc.

In the news

PlayAI Raises $21M in Seed Fundingfinsmes.com · Nov 2024PlayAI raises $21M funding and releases a new voice modelblog.play.ai · Nov 2024PlayHT 2.0 Turbo ⚡️ - The fastest generative AI Text-to-Speech API (+ YC deal)ycombinator.com · Oct 2023PlayHT: The Generative AI voice platformycombinator.com · Mar 2023

Frequently asked questions

What does PlayAI do?
PlayAI builds voice AI models that can replicate any voice or accent and produce speech in real-time for conversational applications.
Who founded PlayAI?
PlayAI was founded by hammad Syed, Mahmoud Felfel, Syed Hammad Ahmed, Hammad Syed in 2021.
Who are PlayAI's investors?
PlayAI's investors include 500 Global, Soma Capital, Y Combinator, 57Blocks Capital, Kindred Ventures, OnStartups, Pioneer, Race Capital and 1 more.
How much funding has PlayAI raised?
PlayAI has disclosed $21M raised across 1 of its 3 known rounds.
Where is PlayAI headquartered?
PlayAI is headquartered in San Francisco, US.