Seattle-based voice-technology startup WellSaid Labs has named Brian Cook as the company's next CEO.
Cook will take over later this month for co-founder and CEO Matthew Hocking, who is stepping into the executive chairman role and will help Cook with the transition. Cook co-founded the Bellevue-based automation company Nintex and was the company's CEO for more than nine years, according to his LinkedIn page.
"I’m looking forward to taking on a new role to facilitate the company’s success in its next chapter,” Hocking said in a news release. “Brian Cook’s depth of experience in building and scaling companies will be invaluable as we look to expand our reach and bring the power of AI voice to enterprises in every industry.”
Cook stepped down as Nintex's CEO in 2013, his LinkedIn page notes, after which he stayed with the company for more than four years as chairman. He also co-founded an employee directory app called Hyperfish, which LiveTiles acquired in 2018. He also founded an investment fund called Incredible Capital.
Hocking, meanwhile, has led WellSaid Labs since the company's founding in 2018. WellSaid Labs spun out from the Allen Institute for AI, where Hocking was an entrepreneur in residence and Michael Petrochuk, now WellSaid Labs' co-founder and chief technology officer, was the CTO in residence. Hocking previously co-founded the moving app and website Ghostruck.
WellSaid Labs allows clients to convert text to speech in one click. Clients can choose from a variety of voice avatars and dictate the pace, loudness and pauses to better convey the right emotions. According to the release, WellSaid Labs has more than 15,000 clients, including Intel, Peloton and FedEx.
WellSaid Labs raised a $10 million Series A round in 2021, at which time the company had 12 employees. The company has 75 employees listed on LinkedIn now. WellSaid Labs has open roles on its website in engineering, marketing and operations.
