Voice AI unicorn ElevenLabs announces McConaughey as early investor and launch partner for Spanish ‘Lyrics of Livin’.’

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New York and London-based ElevenLabs, a voice AI research and deployment company, has announced a partnership with Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, who will also serve as a new investor in the company.

Additionally, McConaughey is set to collaborate on a Spanish-language audio version of his newsletter titled “Lyrics of Livin’.” The announcement was made at the inaugural Summit held by ElevenLabs.

According to the company, the project will utilise ElevenLabs’ technology to clone McConaughey’s voice, allowing the audio to be produced without him needing to speak Spanish.

“I’m proud to share that I’ve been an investor in ElevenLabs for several years now,” says Matthew McConaughey. “It’s been amazing to see the growth from those early days to where the company and the technology are now. What’s remained constant is the extraordinary storytelling capabilities and creative potential that ElevenLabs unlocks – something that stood out to me from the start and that speaks to me as a professional storyteller.”

“When I first met Matthew, I was struck by how genuinely he connected with our vision and what we’re trying to do at ElevenLabs,” added Mati Staniszewski, CEO and Co-Founder of ElevenLabs. “He wasn’t just excited by the tech – he understood what we’re aiming to achieve creatively. We’re so grateful for his continued insight and support, especially as we expand our work in the creative space.”

Ropes in Sir Michael Caine

A week back, ElevenLabs also inked a partnership with British cultural icon and award-winning actor Sir Michael Caine, announcing that his voice will be available on the ElevenReader app and on the newly launched Iconic Marketplace, which is designed to connect creators with famous talent.

The Iconic Marketplace features a curated catalogue of licensed voices, allowing studios, brands, and storytellers to request access for their creative projects. 

In addition to Caine, over 25 voices are available at launch, including Dr. Maya Angelou, Alan Turing, Liza Minnelli, and Art Garfunkel. 

“For years, I’ve lent my voice to stories that moved people — tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit. Now, I’m helping others find theirs. With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices — not just mine, but anyone’s,” says Sir Michael Caine. 

“ElevenLabs is at the very forefront of technology, using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.  ElevenLabs gives everyone the tools to be heard.  It’s not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them, opening doors for new storytellers everywhere. I’ve spent a lifetime telling stories. ElevenLabs will help the next generation tell theirs,” adds Caine. 

ElevenLabs: Making content accessible in any language and voice

Founded in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski, a former Google machine learning engineer, and Mati Staniszewski, a former Palantir deployment strategist, ElevenLabs specialises in natural speech synthesis.

It is an AI audio company focused on creating technology for generating realistic and context-aware speech, voices, and sound effects in 32 languages.

Its tools are designed for a range of users, including individuals, businesses, and creative professionals.

Applications include voicing audiobooks, animating characters, localising media, creating dynamic content, and supporting accessibility needs. The company emphasises the safe development and deployment of its AI voice technology.

In September, NVIDIA invested an undisclosed amount in the company as a part of its broader £2B strategy for AI startups in the UK, with a focus on hubs like London and Cambridge.

Back in August, ElevenLabs launched Eleven Music, a platform that lets users create studio-quality music from text prompts.

It was developed in collaboration with artists, labels, and publishers, and includes measures to protect the rights of content holders.