SoapBox Labs gets funding to develop voice tech for Spanish-speaking children

Irish speech recognition company SoapBox Labs has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop voice technology that will support literacy for Spanish-speaking children in the US.

The new Spanish voice engine will support millions of students across the US, with Spanish was the most commonly reported home language of English language learners in 2020.

“Investing in the power of our voice engine technology to support the next generation of dual language learners is a critical step towards addressing literacy gaps in the US, and around the world,” said Martyn Farrows, chief executive of SoapBox Labs. “With this funding from the Gates Foundation, we look forward to working with our education partners to power more inclusive voice-enabled tools and systems to support children of every age, accent and background on their learning journeys.”

SoapBox has developed voice technology aimed at young voices and educational use cases, that can accurately understand children’s unique speech patterns, differences in accents or dialects, and power early literacy and language tools that can give feedback to teachers to helps pinpoint individual challenges and personalize support.

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The company was last year awarded the first product certification to an educational technology company that focuses on equity in the design of artificial intelligence systems, Prioritising Racial Equity in AI Design. It serves as an important indicator for education stakeholders and families that products recognise the importance of mitigating racial bias in new learning tools and technologies.