Nuance Labs
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, WA, US
- Sectors
- Software Development
- Founded
- 2026 Seattle business license
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Employees
- 24
- Registered name
- 7dof Inc Seattle business license
- Stage
- Series A
Nuance Labs raises $50M Series A to build real-time multimodal AI avatars, led by Lightspeed
Seattle startup Nuance Labs, founded by former Apple Vision Pro engineers, raised $50 million in a Series A led by Lightspeed to build a single end-to-end multimodal model that produces synchronized audio and visual AI avatar responses in real time. The firm aims to eliminate laggy, stuttering, and awkward nonverbal behavior in current avatars by ingesting audio and video together rather than chaining separate speech, language, and synthesis models.
Nuance Labs raises $50M Series A to build full‑duplex AI that processes and generates real‑time human cues
Seattle-based Nuance Labs, founded in early 2025 by former Apple PhD researchers Fangchang Ma, Edward Zhang, and Karren Yang, raised $50 million in Series A to build a single "full-duplex" foundation model that simultaneously processes and generates real-time conversational cues from live audiovisual signals. The startup aims to create AI avatars that respond with human-like facial expressions, tone, and timing to enable more natural, in-the-moment interactions.
Nuance Labs raises $50M Series A from Lightspeed with NVIDIA as investor to build full‑duplex conversational foundation model
Nuance Labs raised a $50M Series A led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with NVIDIA joining as a new investor to build a full‑duplex foundation model that perceives and responds to speech, facial expression, gaze, and tone in real time to enable more lifelike, emotionally expressive avatars.
Nuance Labs Raises $50M Series A Led by Lightspeed to Build Less-Awkward Real-Time AI Avatars
Seattle startup Nuance Labs raised $50 million in a Series A led by Lightspeed to build more natural real-time AI avatars that avoid awkward pauses and unnatural emotional timing.
Nuance Labs raises $50M Series A led by Lightspeed to build human foundation model for smoother AI avatars
Nuance Labs raised $50 million in a Series A led by Lightspeed to build a "human foundation model" that reduces lag and awkwardness in AI avatars by adding emotional intelligence and unifying fragmented voice, language, and animation pipelines. Existing investors Accel and South Park Commons returned, and new backers include Nvidia and Define Ventures.
Ex-Apple Researchers' Seattle Startup Nuance Raises $50M to Make AI Conversations Less Awkward
Nuance, a Seattle startup founded by former Apple researchers, raised $50 million to develop AI that makes conversations less awkward.
Nuance — founded by three ex-Apple researchers — raises $50M Series A to build audiovisual, emotionally intelligent AI avatars
Seattle-based startup Nuance, founded by three ex-Apple researchers, raised $50 million to build a single-system AI that delivers audiovisual, emotionally intelligent conversations and plans a public research preview later this year.
GeekWire 200 Q2 2025 Lists Top 10 Fast-Growing Pacific Northwest Startups in AI, Robotics, Energy, and More
The GeekWire 200 ranking highlights the fastest-growing private tech startups in the Pacific Northwest, emphasizing innovators in AI, robotics, energy, and more for Q2 2025. This quarterly list, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase, tracks regional tech development and emerging companies.
Nuance Labs, Founded by Ex-Apple PhDs, Raises $10M to Build Emotional AI Model, Chooses Seattle Over San Francisco
Nuance Labs, founded by ex-Apple PhDs Fangchang Ma and Edward Zhang, raised $10 million led by Accel to develop an AI model that understands and expresses emotion, choosing Seattle as their base over San Francisco. The startup aims to create more realistic AI and has attracted local talent enthusiastic about their mission.
Seattle Startup Xealth Gains Investment from Morningside Ventures to Expand Digital Healthcare Platform
Seattle-based health tech startup Xealth secured new funding from Morningside Ventures to expand its digital healthcare delivery platform that integrates with electronic health records and supports over 100,000 medical providers. Since its 2017 spinout from Providence, Xealth has facilitated 12 million orders and works with more than 50 digital health vendors.
Outbound AI Raises $16 Million to Expand GPT-Powered Healthcare Billing Automation Amid Rising Patient Demand
Outbound AI, a Seattle-based startup specializing in AI tools for healthcare billing automation, raised $16 million to advance its GPT-powered solutions that streamline insurance claims processes. The company aims to reduce administrative burdens on healthcare workers amid rising patient volumes by offering faster, cost-effective, and HIPAA-compliant AI services.
Amarjit Kaur Sandhu joins Ozette as VP of Engineering; AWS marketing chief Rachel Thornton to depart after 10 years
Amarjit Kaur Sandhu joined Ozette Technologies as vice president of engineering, bringing experience from Nuance Communications and Saykara. Additionally, AWS executive Rachel Thornton is leaving, and various leadership moves across Pacific Northwest tech firms have been announced.
Xealth, a Providence Spinout, Raises $24M to Expand Digital Health Platform and Workforce
Seattle-based Xealth, a Providence spinout that helps more than 20 hospital systems prescribe and monitor digital health tools, raised $24 million in new funding to expand its platform and double its 55-person workforce. The company integrates with major electronic health records, licenses its platform to hospital systems, and has onboarded services from over 50 digital health vendors.
Health Tech: Disrupting healthcare from the inside
Tech is all about disruption. Healthcare is about slow and steady change. How do you merge those worlds? For Mike McSherry and Mary Haggard, the answer was to innovate form the inside out. Mary runs Providence St. Joseph Health's startup incubator and Mike is the founder and CEO of Xealth, its first spinout. We hear about their work to change the healthcare system from the inside on this live Health Tech episode. Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People
See all 4-
Edward Zhang Founder, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
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Fangchang Ma Founder, Co-founder and CEO
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Karren Yang Founder, Cofounder and Co‑founder, Cofounder and Chief Scientist
