UK based AI startup ElevenLabs has strengthened its position as one of Europe’s fastest growing artificial intelligence companies by adding major institutional investors and high profile entertainment figures to its backer list. The company also confirmed another large employee share sale as demand for AI powered voice technology continues to surge globally.
Expanding a High Profile Investor Base
ElevenLabs announced the third close of its Series D funding round, increasing the total raised in the round to more than $550 million. The company had previously revealed a $500 million Series D financing earlier this year, which valued the business at $11 billion.
The latest close introduces several major investors, including BlackRock, Wellington Management, D. E. Shaw, and Schroders. Strategic corporate investors also joined the round, including NVentures and Santander.
The startup is already backed by leading venture firms such as Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
Hollywood Joins the AI Race
Alongside institutional investors, ElevenLabs has attracted support from several prominent figures in entertainment. New celebrity investors include Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, and Hwang Dong-hyuk.
They join existing celebrity investor Matthew McConaughey as part of a broader group of actors, musicians, athletes, and media executives supporting the company.
The involvement of entertainment industry figures highlights growing interest in AI voice technology for applications such as dubbing, media production, and digital content creation.
Rapid Revenue Growth
ElevenLabs also revealed that it surpassed $500 million in annual recurring revenue during the first quarter of 2026. This represents a sharp increase from the company’s year end 2025 ARR of $350 million.
According to the company, much of this growth is being driven by enterprises deploying AI powered voice agents across a wide range of business functions. These include customer support, sales, recruitment, and marketing operations.
The rapid expansion demonstrates how AI generated voice tools are moving beyond experimental use cases and becoming part of mainstream enterprise workflows.
From Text to Speech to Full AI Audio Platform
Founded by two Polish entrepreneurs and headquartered in the UK, ElevenLabs initially gained attention for its highly realistic AI text to speech technology. The company developed systems capable of generating synthetic voices that closely resemble natural human speech.
Since then, the startup has expanded its product offering into additional audio categories, including dubbing, multilingual voice generation, and AI generated sound effects.
Its technology is now used by businesses seeking to build voice and chat agents capable of interacting with customers in more natural and scalable ways.
Enterprise Adoption Accelerates
ElevenLabs counts major companies such as Meta, Salesforce, and Revolut among its customers.
As businesses increasingly adopt conversational AI systems, demand for realistic and responsive voice infrastructure has grown rapidly. ElevenLabs is positioning itself as a core technology provider in this emerging market.
Employee Share Sale Signals Strong Demand
The company also completed a $100 million employee secondary share sale, its second such transaction in less than a year. A similar employee liquidity event took place in September last year.
These share sales provide liquidity opportunities for employees while reflecting strong investor appetite for exposure to high growth AI companies.
With expanding enterprise adoption, celebrity backing, and continued investor confidence, ElevenLabs is emerging as one of the defining AI companies shaping the future of voice technology and digital interaction.