A Boston startup building tiny microphones and voice-activated technology has picked up $18 million more in funding, with Amazon again among the company’s backers.
Vesper's funding round led by Boston venture firm Accomplice drew 11 investors, including headphone and speaker giant Bose and Amazon's Alexa Fund, a wing of the company that invests in voice technology, the company said in a news release Tuesday. Both companies have previously backed the startup.
With the latest fundraise, Vesper has raised a total of $73 million in the 12 years since it launched.
The new money will enable the company to scale production of its smart microphones and accelerometers from tens of millions of units per year to hundreds of millions of units. The funds will also be used to support research and development and expand into new markets, according to the release.
“This financing will allow us to serve new customers and applications and help accelerate the transition to edge AI enabled always listening systems,” said CEO Matt Crowley in a statement.
The company is known for its piezoelectric microphones, which use crystals to convert sound waves to electricity. The company has ambitions to put its microphones everywhere, from remotes and appliances to wind turbines and car engines, its CEO told BostInno in 2018. The devices are already used in headsets, bathroom fixtures, trash cans and office furniture and more.
