Neil Zeghidour, a 35-year-old researcher of Algerian origin, is making waves in the voice AI industry with his startup Gradium. Based in Paris, Gradium has gained significant attention for its innovative voice AI technology, which responds in just 50 milliseconds, claimed to be the fastest in the world. Zeghidour's journey to this point began with his studies in mathematical finance at Paris-Dauphine University, followed by a stage in quantitative finance.
Zeghidour's interest in machine learning led him to pursue a specialized master's degree, and he later worked on his thesis at Facebook, becoming the company's first doctoral student at its Parisian laboratory. His research focused on developing more efficient algorithms inspired by how babies learn language. This work laid the foundation for his future endeavors in voice recognition and audio technology. He then joined Google Brain, where he, along with his future associate Olivier Teboul, invented technology that generates voice and music.
In 2023, Zeghidour left Google to co-found Kyutai, a non-profit research laboratory in Paris, which secured $300 million in funding from prominent investors, including Xavier Niel, Eric Schmidt, and Rodolphe Saadé. The goal was to work on high-impact projects, and six months later, the team unveiled Moshi, the first real-time voice conversation model made publicly available. This technology allows for simultaneous listening and speaking, similar to human conversation.
The success of Moshi inspired numerous models worldwide, and Zeghidour shifted his focus to meet the growing demand from game developers and smartphone manufacturers. In September 2025, he co-founded Gradium with Olivier Teboul, Laurent Mazaré, and Alexandre Défossez. The startup initially raised $70 million in funding from investors, including Eric Schmidt and Xavier Niel. By July 2026, Nvidia joined the investment round, bringing the total funding to $100 million.
Gradium has quickly gained traction, with its voice models being adopted by major companies such as Renault for in-car podcast transitions. The startup plans to expand its language offerings to around 60 languages, including Arabic. Zeghidour's vision is to make voice the primary interface between humans and machines, ultimately replacing keyboards. He believes that the rise of AI agents will drive this evolution.
Despite the progress made in voice AI, Zeghidour acknowledges that current models still struggle with simple tasks, such as pronouncing phone numbers or license plates. To address this, Gradium is focusing on reliability, speed, and personalized voices with various accents. The team has even recorded their own voices to create a more natural tone, as clients found professional comedians' voices too artificial.
Zeghidour joins a list of accomplished Algerian-origin researchers and entrepreneurs making significant contributions to global innovation. He attributes his success to a combination of luck and good timing, advising young people to focus on fundamental skills in mathematics and computer science, which he believes will always be valuable. His work at Gradium and previous endeavors have solidified his position as a pioneer in voice AI technology.
Key points
- Neil Zeghidour aims to replace keyboards with voice technology through his startup Gradium.
- Gradium's voice AI models respond in 50 milliseconds, claimed to be the fastest in the world.
- Zeghidour's technology has applications in various industries, including gaming, smartphones, and automotive.
