Meta is continuing its aggressive push into artificial intelligence with the reported acquisition of WaveForms, a rising startup in the AI audio space. This move comes as part of Meta’s larger strategy to compete with other tech giants in the race to develop advanced voice and emotional AI technologies.
Founded just eight months ago in December 2024, WaveForms has already made headlines with its work on emotional general intelligence and the Speech Turing Test. The startup’s goal has been to create audio models so advanced that listeners cannot distinguish between human and AI-generated voices. That level of realism is now a hot commodity in the world of generative AI, especially as tech companies explore new ways to make virtual assistants feel more human.
WaveForms was co-founded by Alexis Conneau, a former researcher at Meta and OpenAI, along with Coralie Lemaitre, who previously worked with Google in advertising strategy. Despite being a new entrant, WaveForms quickly attracted attention from investors and raised 40 million dollars in early 2025, led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
As part of the acquisition, both founders are expected to join Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. While Meta has not officially confirmed the deal, multiple sources suggest that the company will integrate WaveForms’ tech stack to enhance its own voice-focused AI systems. Meta already acquired another voice startup, Play AI, just a month ago, reinforcing its commitment to audio-led AI innovation.
WaveForms’ work is particularly relevant for Meta at a time when the company is trying to catch up with OpenAI and Google. Both rivals have launched realistic voice models through ChatGPT and Gemini, enabling natural two-way voice conversations. Meta’s own voice assistant is still playing catch-up in terms of realism and emotion, and acquiring talent and technology from specialized startups could help close that gap.
The push into emotional voice AI also aligns with Meta’s broader goals in virtual reality and the metaverse. Creating believable, emotionally responsive avatars and voice agents is key to building immersive digital environments, whether in VR headsets or AI-powered chat platforms.
For now, the acquisition marks another step in Meta’s AI expansion journey. With former OpenAI and Google talent now inside its labs and two voice AI startups under its belt, Meta is clearly betting that the future of AI will speak with emotion, nuance, and authenticity.
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