Speak instead of type
Aqua Voice was founded in 2023 by Finn Brown and Jack McIntire and went through Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch with a thesis summed up by its tagline: 'We've typed for 150 years. It's time to speak.' The app provides real-time AI dictation that works across every application on your computer — email, docs, Slack, ChatGPT, even your code editor.
Built for technical speech
Aqua's differentiator is its Avalon model, which understands code syntax, frameworks, and specialized terminology that trips up conventional speech-to-text. A custom dictionary stores personal terms, writing-style customization adapts tone to context (a Slack message versus a formal doc), and 49 languages are supported. Transcript history stays private with no server-side storage. The product has found a striking niche: over half its user base is in Japan, where programmers adopted it organically as an alternative to keyboard-heavy Japanese input.
Funding and pricing
Aqua raised roughly $2.75M from Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund, 1517 Fund, and Assembly Capital Partners. A free starter tier includes 1,000 words; Pro at $8/month (annual) unlocks unlimited dictation and the Avalon model, with Team and Enterprise plans above it.