AI speech software firm ElevenLabs sets up shop in S’pore; hires engineering, sales roles
This is part of a push to build chatbots and narration services that reflect regional languages and dialects.
ElevenLabs, a leading AI speech software firm, has established a regional headquarters in Singapore and is set to expand its workforce by hiring for engineering and sales positions. The company, valued at US$22 billion, aims to create chatbots and narration services that cater to regional languages and dialects. This move follows the startup's decision to host its core AI models on Singapore-based infrastructure, which began three months ago, in order to better serve regional customers and reduce network latency.
By being close to its customers, ElevenLabs can ensure almost instant processing of AI voices and conversational agents, while also keeping customer data and inference logs within Singapore's jurisdiction, protected by local intellectual property laws and security frameworks.
Mati Staniszewski, the co-founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, expressed optimism about tapping into Singapore's abundant research and engineering talent to grow the company's team of 25 remote employees. He hinted at the potential for the workforce to reach 100 people within the next few years. The new hires will include forward deployed engineers who will assist clients in building their own voice agents.
Staniszewski, a 31-year-old Polish entrepreneur, was in Singapore to speak at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 and officially launched ElevenLabs' Singapore office on October 8.
The AI voice technology firm has seen significant success, with global annual recurring revenue surpassing US$600 million earlier this year. More than half of its revenue comes from enterprise customers, including tech giants Meta, Salesforce, Stripe, and Revolut. In September, ElevenLabs unveiled its latest V4 model, capable of understanding nuance, expressing a wide range of emotions, and processing over 90 languages, including Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin.
The company is also planning to incorporate Singlish, a colloquial Singaporean English dialect, into its models.
ElevenLabs' decision to set up shop in Singapore aligns with the local government's efforts to support AI adoption among firms and residents. Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How highlighted the benefits of helpline conversation bots, which can provide better customer experiences, faster request resolutions, and more productive use of employees' time.
However, Tan emphasized the importance of maintaining trust and ensuring that the adoption of synthetic voices works in tandem with sensitive interactions, stressing the significance of local infrastructure hosting for data residency, security, and latency.
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