TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 4, 2020– Israeli startup Kardome raises seed round, led by Korean car giant Hyundai Motor Company.
Kardome was founded in January 2019 by serial entrepreneurs Dani Cherkassky and Alon Slapak, with the goal of meeting the growing demand for reliable voice control technology from automakers and electronics manufacturers. Kardome’s technology gives the machine better “ears” through algorithms that manage to isolate the user’s voice, even in a noisy environment with multiple speakers and background noises that are active at the same time.
Kardome’s technology combines dedicated software with the use of microphones that exist in various products.
Kardome software enables the implementation of a new generation of voice user interface, operating reliably even in noisy and multi-speaker environments, such as vehicles, public buildings, restaurants and even at home.
According to Kardome’s CEO, Dani Cherkassky, “Hyundai’s investment, one of the world’s leading automakers, directly in Kardome – made after a thorough comparative technical examination, expresses confidence in the technology we have developed and also indicates the need and yearning of all the world’s leading technology makers for a zero touch interface that works reliably in a natural and noisy environment. The investment will help us increase the company’s manpower and accelerate the development of the new generation of voice interfaces, as well as expand the company’s global presence.”
Hyundai’s strategic investment was made as part of the company’s first round of funding. NextGear Ventures fund and the ATOORO Fund also participated in this round.
Kardome intends to use the investment funds to accelerate the development of an innovative system for spatial isolation of voices in challenging acoustic environments, which will, among other things, be used by Hyundai vehicles and robots worldwide.
Koby Simana, Investment Manager at Hyundai CRADLE TLV, that will also join to Kardome board of directors said, “Hyundai is happy to partner and support Kardome’s journey. We plan to use Kardome’s robust voice AI technology to boost customer’s value and gain competitive advantage by enhancing user experience and safety features.”