Seattle-based caller ID startup Hiya has acquired Loccus.ai, a company that detects fraudulent "deepfake" calls that use artificial intelligence to impersonate voices.
A Hiya spokesperson said Loccus' employees will join Hiya, and the Loccus brand will fold into Hiya. The spokesperson added Loccus has seven employees but didn't say how many Hiya has post-acquisition.
“The acquisition of Loccus.ai creates a tremendous opportunity for us to offer the most complete and intelligent voice protection solution,” Hiya CEO and founder Alex Algard said in a news release.
The companies didn't disclose financial terms of the deal.
Barcelona, Spain-based Loccus was founded in 2022, according to the company's LinkedIn page. Loccus uses artificial intelligence to tell if a voice is real or AI-generated. The company says on its website its detection has more than 98% accuracy. According to the release, Loccus needs just 1.5 seconds of audio to detect fakes.
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Hiya, meanwhile, spun out of Whitepages in 2016. Its Hiya Connect product labels calls from businesses so consumers recognize the business that is calling and don't see an unrecognized number and mistake it for spam. Its Hiya Protect product, meanwhile, helps carriers and smartphone companies detect and stop spam and fraud calls.
According to Hiya, its services reach more than 500 million consumers. The company works with Samsung and Ericsson.
Hiya is rebranding Loccus' service as Hiya AI Voice Detection, Hiya's spokesperson said.
Hiya in June 2023 moved from its office near Pike Place Market to the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle. The company has 196 employees listed on LinkedIn, including close to 100 in the Seattle area.
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