Latest news with #VoiceAI
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Strong Tie Insurance Forges 5-Star Customer Experience with Liberate's Multilingual Voice AI
PALO ALTO, Calif., May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Strong Tie Insurance Services is redefining what modern customer service looks like by deploying Liberate Voice AI, delivering seamless, 24/7 human-like experiences in both English and Spanish. Liberate's Voice AI solution engages customers with multilingual, human-like conversation and integrates with other systems to resolve roughly 80% of incoming calls without requiring a transfer. With Liberate, Strong Tie can provide 24/7 customer service with zero wait time, in English or Spanish, which is imperative for an agency with a significant Spanish-speaking customer base. Headquartered in California, Strong Tie Insurance provides personal and commercial insurance for individuals, families and businesses in California as well as Washington, Oregon, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Since opening 28 years ago, Strong Tie Insurance has earned a stellar reputation for taking care of its customers with top notch, multilingual insurance services. "At Strong Tie, delivering exceptional customer service has always been at the heart of everything we do," said Efrain Ferrer, Owner & President at Strong Tie. "Our partnership with Liberate reflects our continued investment in innovation that puts our customers first. By integrating Liberate's Voice AI, we're not just streamlining customer experiences - we're elevating the speed, accessibility, and consistency of service our customers can expect, 24/7." Strong Tie chose Liberate for its deep insurance expertise, rapid implementation, and trusted compliance framework, meeting rigorous standards like SOC2, HIPAA, CCPA, and PCI DSS. "Today's insurance customers expect fast, empathetic support, on their terms, in their language, and at any hour," said Amrish Singh, CEO of Liberate. "Our Voice AI helps forward-thinking agencies like Strong Tie consistently meet that standard, while at the same time enabling them to 10x their scale of operations without increasing operating costs." Strong Tie joins a growing number of innovative agencies using Liberate to unlock operational efficiency and customer loyalty through the power of AI. About Strong Tie Insurance For over 20 years, Strong Tie Insurance has proudly protected individuals, families, and businesses - serving hundreds of thousands of customers with a wide range of plans, rates, and special offers. We've built trusted partnerships with contractors, body shops, hotels, car dealerships, rental companies, and more to do what every great insurance provider should: resolve issues quickly and consistently exceed expectations. To learn more visit About Liberate Innovations Inc. Liberate Voice AI, Email AI, SMS AI and Digital Intake have revolutionized the insurance industry by seamlessly answering phone calls, emails, SMS and digital interactions – collecting quote information, receiving FNOLs and servicing customer requests in an empathetic, human-like manner. Liberate's affordable and customizable AI solutions typically deploy in weeks with almost no integration overhead and have been proven to overcome labor challenges while enhancing policyholder service levels for retail agencies, MGAs and carriers. For more information, visit Media ContactAmrish Singh395703@ +1-917-691-0144 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Liberate Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
22-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Checkmate's CEO on Voice AI, Kiosks, Catering: Choppin' It Up
Voice AI at the drive-thru is one or two years away from being ready to be rolled out to hundreds of thousands of locations, Checkmate's CEO and Founder Vishal Agarwal tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin' It Up podcast, Agarwal sits down with BI's senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss the rapid evolution of voice AI technology. He also comments on how kiosks have become a must have, the rapid growth of catering and what problems AI is best suited to solve.
Globe and Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Looks Poised for a Rebound
It's been a long journey for SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN). Founded in 2005, the company has worked for decades to assemble a voice AI platform that enables customized conversational experiences. It's powered by more than 200 patents, and major businesses including Honda and Oracle have already signed on as customers. This year, analysts expect sales to grow by nearly 90% and in 2026, another 25% sales growth is expected. And yet somehow, SoundHound stock is down 50% in value since the year began. This stock is primed for a rebound, but there are a few risks you should be aware of before jumping in. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » SoundHound has an impressive AI business The past five years have brought heavy revenue growth for SoundHound. Sales over that time period have risen by more than 370%. Looking ahead, analysts forecast more heavy growth in the year to come -- expectations that have risen wildly over the past half year. What's driving all this growth? Demand for its voice AI suite, which helps companies incorporate AI into verticals like customer support, personal assistants, and product ordering. For example, SoundHound's work with Honda is to help Honda drivers engage with its vehicles more, like chatting with the car or truck about maintenance needs. The company's work with White Castle, for comparison, deals with drive-thru order windows, helping customers order faster, more accurately, and with less cost to the company. SOUN Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts Basically anywhere you might speak to a person or machine, SoundHound has a solution. That creates a balanced mix of end markets for the company, everything from automotive, restaurants, and financial services to healthcare and insurance sectors' customers. The AI voice market is expected to reach nearly $50 billion in value by 2034, with annual growth averaging roughly 35%. With trailing annual sales of just $102 million, it's clear that SoundHound has a lot of room for potential growth. Shares are down 50% this year not because end market growth has lagged or because sales growth is expected to be low. Rather, shares dipped hard simply because they were already valued at nosebleed levels. Before the decline, SOUN stock traded at an astounding 100 times sales. Now, shares trade at just 37 times sales. That's still expensive, but perhaps reasonable for such a small company targeting such a large opportunity. But there are a few important risks to consider before buying in. Don't invest in SoundHound before understanding these risks SoundHound is a tiny competitor. That creates huge upside potential, but it also creates risks. Most of the company's competitors are significantly larger -- think Big Tech firms with deep pockets. Long term, it's not clear whether the company can actually compete with these well-financed businesses, especially considering its research and development budget over the past 12 months totaled just $80 million. But it's not just competition. Investors will likely need to wait years for the company's hefty valuation premium to be justified. That should be no problem for long-term investors. With annual sales growth rates of 80% or more, even a 37 times sales valuation can become a steal, but that will take time. SoundHound stock looks ready to rebound after the correction. But it's a long-term rebound that investors should be targeting, not a short-term spike. High-premium growth stocks like this can be very volatile, and investors should be ready for that even if they do commit to a holding period of several years or more. Should you invest $1,000 in SoundHound AI right now? Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $642,582!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $829,879!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is975% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to172%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Did Nvidia Make a Colossal Mistake by Selling SoundHound AI Stock?
SoundHound AI stock surged by almost 30% since the company reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2025. Nvidia owned 1.73 million shares in SoundHound AI, but the chip giant sold its entire stake toward the end of 2024. SoundHound's business is growing rapidly, but that doesn't mean Nvidia made the wrong move by selling the stock. 10 stocks we like better than SoundHound AI › Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) added an eye-popping $2.8 trillion to its market capitalization since the start of 2023, thanks to soaring demand for its data center chips that are the best in the world for developing artificial intelligence (AI). The company also invested in a portfolio of other AI stocks, and SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) was one of them. SoundHound is a specialist in conversational AI, and it has an impressive list of customers that includes some of the biggest brands in the world from industries like hospitality and car manufacturing. But when Nvidia filed its 13-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the final quarter of 2024, SoundHound stock was notably missing -- it turns out the chip giant sold its entire stake toward the end of last year. SoundHound recently reported its latest financial results for the first quarter of 2025 (ended March 31), and its stock soared by almost 30% since. Did Nvidia sell its position too early? SoundHound's conversational AI technology understands voice prompts and can respond in kind, and it has been deployed by some of the biggest businesses in the world to transform the way we interact with our devices, our cars, and even our favorite restaurants. SoundHound is active in almost 13,000 quick-service restaurants, operated by chains like White Castle, Chipotle, and Papa John's. Its Voice AI technology can autonomously take orders from customers over the phone, in-store, and in the drive-thru, reducing the workload on employees so they can spend more time on other tasks. SoundHound also offers a product called Employee Assist, which stands ready to provide workers with information on menu items and in-store procedures. In the automotive industry, SoundHound's Chat AI in-car voice assistant is used by top brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis (the owner of Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge). It can answer questions on a broad range of topics, and it can also provide-real time information on sports scores and stock prices. SoundHound also launched a new platform called Voice Commerce earlier this year, which allows drivers to place food orders from the comfort of their vehicle. It can even recommend restaurants and provide directions using the car's GPS system. SoundHound expanded its product portfolio even further when it acquired another AI company called Amelia in August last year. Amelia's platform allows businesses to create custom AI agents that can be deployed to serve customers or even help employees with specific tasks. It's used in industries like healthcare, financial services, insurance, and more, which is helping SoundHound diversify its revenue base. SoundHound generated $29.1 million in total revenue during the first quarter of 2025, which was a whopping 151% increase from the year-ago period. The inclusion of Amelia's revenue boosted the result, but the company also continued to experience broad demand for its core products. Management is no longer updating investors on SoundHound's order backlog, but CFO Nitesh Sharan said it continued to grow from the previous quarter three months earlier, when it was an eye-popping $1.2 billion. The company expects to convert that backlog into revenue over a period of six years, so it could be a great predictor of future top-line results. The strong first-quarter results prompted SoundHound to reaffirm its full-year guidance for 2025, suggesting revenue could soar 97% year over year to $167 million (at the midpoint of the forecasted range). Nvidia never disclosed why it sold SoundHound stock, but its current valuation is one reason investors might want to steer clear for now. It trades at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 40.8 as of this writing, which makes it significantly more expensive than Nvidia itself. That doesn't make much sense considering the AI chip giant is one of the highest-quality companies in the world, with a track record of success spanning decades: SoundHound stock looks a little less expensive if we value it using its future potential revenue. If we assume the company generates $167 million this year as management expects, that places its stock at a forward P/S ratio at 27.1. But considering that figure is still higher than Nvidia's P/S ratio today, I definitely wouldn't say the stock looks attractive. Plus, SoundHound's bottom line poses a key risk. The company generated a rare profit of $129 million on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis during the first quarter, but only because of a $176 million benefit relating to one of its acquisitions. On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes one-off and non-cash components, SoundHound still lost $22.3 million, which was a 10% increase from the year-ago period. SoundHound had $246 million in cash and equivalents on hand at the end of the quarter, so it can afford to keep losing money at the current pace for the next couple of years. However, if the company does require more cash in the future, it might have to issue more stock, which would result in significant dilution for existing shareholders. Nvidia only held 1.73 million shares in SoundHound, which would have been worth just $19.5 million based on its current stock price. Considering Nvidia is nearly a $3.3 trillion company, even a complete loss probably wouldn't have affected its finances at all. Even though we don't know why Nvidia sold its entire stake, SoundHound's valuation is enough reason for investors to tread very carefully if they are looking to buy. Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $620,719!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $829,511!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 959% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 170% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2025 Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Stellantis and recommends the following options: short June 2025 $55 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Did Nvidia Make a Colossal Mistake by Selling SoundHound AI Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Economic Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
ED lens on Jaggi brothers; Flipkart begins India shift
Happy Tuesday! After a Sebi probe, Gensol Engineering is now on the Enforcement Directorate's radar. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch. Also in the letter: ■ Yulu's fresh raise■ Voice AI gains traction■ Zetwerk IPO-bound Gensol-BluSmart crisis: ED may grill Jaggi brothers for Mahadev betting app link Following Sebi's probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now investigating investments in Gensol Engineering and plans to question directors Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi in connection with the Rs 5,000-crore Mahadev betting scam. Driving the news: The ED suspects that the Jaggi brothers used illegal betting proceeds to manipulate stock prices and has seized five lakh shares. Authorities have confiscated securities worth Rs 573 crore, including assets linked to Gensol. Context setting: The Mahadev scam revolves around the Mahadev Book app, which illegally offered sports betting and gambling services in India. The operation used fake accounts to launder funds. The network gained traction through high-profile Bollywood endorsements and opulent events funded by illicit gains. Eversource makes Rs 1,200 crore offer for BluSmart, but deal clouded by Gensol probe Eversource Capital has made a non-binding offer of Rs 1,200 crore for the struggling ride-hailing service BluSmart, according to sources. However, the deal may stall due to ongoing regulatory investigations into Gensol Engineering, BluSmart's key EV fleet supplier. Also Read: Anmol Jaggi pitched strategic changes at BluSmart ahead of Sebi crackdown on Gensol Deal details: Eversource Capital is also exploring alternative acquisition routes, including direct talks with Gensol's lenders — Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) — who hold a lien on BluSmart's EV fleet, people aware of the matter told us. A slump sale, which would shield Eversource from BluSmart's existing liabilities, is also under consideration. The current offer remains subject to due diligence. Read ETtech's in-depth coverage of the Gensol-BluSmart crisis: Flipkart's board clears plan for ecommerce firm's reverse flip to India Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart group The board of Flipkart has approved shifting the company's domicile from Singapore to India, according to sources. The move comes as the Walmart-owned ecommerce giant prepares for a public listing on Indian stock exchanges by 2026. Driving the news: 'Flipkart's board has approved the plan to flip back when they met last week in Singapore…the process will now kick off,' said a person familiar with the matter. Flipkart's much-anticipated IPO is expected to be a landmark moment for India's startup ecosystem, which was significantly shaped by the Bengaluru-based company. Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd has recently initiated a capital restructuring, as per filings with the Registrar of Companies. A Flipkart spokesperson confirmed the relocation. Recent flip-backs: With this move, Flipkart joins a growing list of firms redomiciling to India. Dream11 shifted its base from the US to India earlier this year via the fast-track route. Other firms that have returned to India from the US or Singapore include Zepto, Pine Labs, Groww and Kreditbee. Meanwhile, Meesho, Razorpay, Eruditus, Udaan and Khatabook are in various stages of the flip-back process. Also Read: Google invests $350 million in Flipkart as part of nearly $1 billion funding round Mobility startup Yulu eyes $80 million raise riding on quick commerce buzz Amit Gupta, cofounder & CEO, Yulu Bengaluru-based mobility startup Yulu is in talks to raise $75-80 million (around Rs 650-700 crore) to tap into the growing quick commerce market. The company is in discussions with global impact funds and private equity investors, according to sources. Driving the news: Existing investors Bajaj Auto and Magna International are expected to participate. Cofounder and CEO Amit Gupta confirmed a mix of equity and debt for the raise. The $75-80 million capital will be raised as primary investment, with secondary deals possible if some investors fall short of shareholding thresholds. Financials: Yulu hit a $30 million annual revenue run rate last year. Its valuation is expected to rise 20-25% from its last round in February 2024, when it raised $19 million at a $210 million valuation. To date, Yulu has raised $124 million from investors including Blume Ventures, 3one4 Capital, and Northern Arc Capital, according to Tracxn. Future outlook: Gupta told ET that Yulu plans to expand its fleet from 45,000 to 75,000-80,000 scooters by end-2025. Conversational AI startups hear sound of money as demand rises Indian voice AI startups are drawing growing business interest as demand for conversational AI rises in customer service and call centres. What's happening: Experimental pilots are now evolving into full-time deployments as model accuracy and reliability improve, according to experts. Investor interest in voice technology is rising sharply. Venture capital funding surged to $202 million in 2024 across 12 deals, up from $7 million in 2023, per Venture Intelligence. The Indian conversational AI market is currently valued at $516.8 million and is projected to reach $4.9 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.4%, according to market research firm IMARC Group. Automation is a key growth driver. Use cases: Voice AI adoption is accelerating in ecommerce, contact centres, and financial services. Experts told us that India stands apart as a voice-first market, unlike many others globally. Challenges: A major hurdle is achieving natural-sounding speech, as users expect human-like interactions. Voice AI continues to struggle with regional languages, particularly in capturing nuances like tone, emotion, and empathy. Concerns persist over AI replacing call centre jobs, though the current focus is on handling high call volume during peak periods, not eliminating roles. Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Zetwerk gears up for IPO in 12-24 months: Manufacturing unicorn Zetwerk is planning to go public within the next 12 to 24 months, founder and CEO Amrit Acharya told employees in an internal note. The company will begin preparations for its listing during the current financial year. Unacademy now 'default alive', to cut cash burn to Rs 200 crore in 2025: CEO Gaurav Munjal | SoftBank-backed edtech startup Unacademy aims to reduce its cash burn to under Rs 200 crore in calendar year 2025, down from over Rs 1,000 crore three years ago, cofounder and chief executive officer Gaurav Munjal said in a post on X. A third of Druva's code will be written by AI by 2025-end, says data security unicorn's CEO: Jaspreet Singh, founder and chief executive of data security startup Druva, said artificial intelligence represents a significant opportunity, especially in engineering. Global Picks We Are Reading ■ OpenAI and start-ups race to generate code and transform software industry (FT) ■ Uncovered emails showed how Meta struggled to keep Facebook culturally relevant (TechCrunch) ■ EU delayed punishing Apple, Meta just before trade talks started (WSJ) Updated On Apr 22, 2025, 07:42 AM IST
