New Delhi, June 16(CXO Media): Maya Research has raised $1.9 million in a seed funding round led by South Park Commons, as interest in voice-based artificial intelligence continues to grow across India and other emerging markets.
Founded in 2025 by BS Dheemanth Reddy and Bharath Kumar Kakumani, the startup is developing voice-first AI models designed for users who interact with technology through conversation rather than text-based interfaces.
Focus On Voice-Based AI
The funding comes at a time when technology companies are exploring new ways to expand AI adoption beyond traditional smartphone and computer users. Maya Research says its models are built to understand local languages, regional contexts, and natural conversations, aiming to make digital services more accessible to a wider population.
The company’s open-source voice model, Maya 1, is currently ranked among the leading open-weight voice models on Speech Arena. The startup also claims to be the only Indian company currently listed on the platform’s leaderboard.
Growing Adoption Across Markets
According to the company, its models have recorded more than 440,000 downloads on Hugging Face, while its consumer application has crossed 3 million downloads across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa region.
The latest investment will support further development of its voice AI technology as competition intensifies in the global artificial intelligence sector. The funding also highlights growing investor interest in startups building AI products tailored to local languages and voice-based interactions, a segment expected to play a key role in expanding AI adoption across developing economies.
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