About Lyrebird
Lyrebird is a Technology company based in Montreal (Canada) founded in 2017 by Jose Sotelo, Kundan Kumar, and Alexandre De Brebisson, and was acquired by Descript in September 2019. Speech synthesis from audio clips is enabled for developers. It operates in the Technology and Media & Entertainment sectors. Lyrebird has raised $120 thousand across 1 funding round from investors including Descript and Y Combinator. Its focus areas include High Tech, Native AI Infrastructure, Natural Language Processing and NLP Platforms.
Company details
Lyrebird was founded in 2017 in Montreal, Canada, focusing on AI-driven speech synthesis within the technology sector. A platform is provided to developers, allowing voice replication from one-minute audio recordings. Up to 1000 sentences can be generated in under half a second, with emotions integrated for natural output. The technology originated from the MILA lab at the University of Montreal. As of April 2018, the developer API remained in development.
- Headquarters Montreal, Canada
- Founders Jose Sotelo, Kundan Kumar, Alexandre De Brebisson
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsTechnologyMedia & Entertainment
- Emailβ’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’
- Website lyrebird.ai
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Descript (Sep 2019)
Funding Insights of Lyrebird
Lyrebird has successfully raised a total of $120K through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $120 thousand completed in June 2017. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $120,000
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Seed β $120,000
- First Round $120,000
(Jun 2017)
- Investors Count 1
All 1 funding rounds of Lyrebird with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2017 | $120,000 | Seed | β | Y Combinator | β |
2 investors in total: 2 institutional.
Investors in Lyrebird
Lyrebird has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Descript and Y Combinator.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Early-stage startups are accelerated via funding and educational programs. | ycombinator.com | Mountain View, United States | ||
Automated transcribing solution provider for audio files | 2017 | descript.com | San Francisco, United States |
Investor details for Lyrebird
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Lyrebird
3 people are tracked at Lyrebird (3 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Jose Sotelo | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Kundan Kumar | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Alexandre De Brebisson | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Lyrebird
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
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Timeline of Lyrebird
3 dated milestones of Lyrebird across 2 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Lyrebird is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $120K.
- Exit Acquired by Descript.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Lyrebird
Lyrebird was founded in 2017.
Lyrebird is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. It is registered at Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Lyrebird is a funded company, having raised a total of $120K across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $120K, raised on Jun 2017.
Lyrebird was founded in 2017 in Montreal, Canada, focusing on AI-driven speech synthesis within the technology sector. A platform is provided to developers, allowing voice replication from one-minute audio recordings. Up to 1000 sentences can be generated in under half a second, with emotions integrated for natural output. The technology originated from the MILA lab at the University of Montreal. As of April 2018, the developer API remained in development.
Lyrebird has 2 investors. Key investors include Descript, and Y Combinator.
Yes. Lyrebird was acquired by Descript in September 2019.

