Whispp raises €5 million to bring on-device voice reconstruction AI to smartphones and PCs globally

Whispp, a Leiden-based AI company founded in 2020 by Joris Castermans and Akash Raj Komarlu, has raised €5 million in a follow-on investment round led by LUMO Labs, together with strategic angel investors and non-dilutive funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator. The round follows a €2.5 million EIC grant secured in February 2026 and a €750,000 Seed round in January 2024, also led by LUMO Labs.

Voice reconstruction, not just noise cancellation

Most speech enhancement products do the same thing: remove background noise and improve audio clarity. Whispp's technology takes a different starting point. Its AI does not clean up a voice — it reconstructs one.

The platform uses audio-to-audio voice reconstruction, converting whispered, hoarse, or impaired speech into a clear, natural-sounding version that closely resembles the speaker's original voice. The reconstruction happens in real time, on the device, without cloud connectivity, and supports any language. People with voice disorders use Whispp to communicate naturally and privately — by whispering, they produce a clear voice that resembles their own.

The company's stated pitch to device manufacturers goes further: the same technology that helps people with impairments can become a premium voice feature for any smartphone or PC. OEMs that embed Whispp can offer voice experiences that existing on-device speech processing cannot match.

"With this funding round, we make a giant leap towards global implementation of our technology with mobile and PC OEMs," Castermans said. "The current developments at Whispp exceed my boldest dreams I had for this stage of the company."

From mission to market

Andy Lürling, founding partner at LUMO Labs, framed the investment in terms that mark a shift in the company's narrative: "We initially invested in Whispp because of its mission to help people reclaim their voice. Since then, it has become clear that the technology can address a much broader challenge: revolutionising the quality and accessibility of digital communication."

The scope change matters. An assistive technology company serves a defined, bounded user population. A company that positions itself as the voice processing layer for device OEMs competes for a share of every smartphone and laptop shipped globally.

The new capital is allocated to building that position: developing additional patents and IP, improving the AI models that underpin the reconstruction, launching new product lines, and — the critical step — expanding partnerships with global device manufacturers and semiconductor companies. The management team is also expanding to support the next growth phase.

The EIC's commitment signals institutional validation from a non-commercial direction. Europe's flagship deep tech programme does not grant on market promises alone; Whispp's technology has cleared a bar that few voice AI companies meet.