Amsterdam-based Dubformer, a startup which specialises in professional AI dubbing, has raised $3.6M (nearly €3.38M) in a seed funding round.
Almaz Capital led the round, which included participation from s16vc, FinSight, and angel investors, including Arul Menezes (founder of Microsoft Translator) and Funa Maduka (former head of International Original Film at Netflix).
The funding will support the development of Dubformer’s AI technologies, focusing on improving emotional depth in voice performance to expand content accessibility worldwide.
AI dubbing for media & entertainment
Despite progress in AI dubbing, the quality of AI-generated dubbed content remains distinguishable from human voices. Research indicates that emotional voices are more likely to be perceived as human, while neutral tones are often linked to AI. This affects viewer perception and engagement. And this is where Dubformer
Founded in September 2023 by Anton Dvorkovich, Dubformer addresses industry challenges with Emotion Transfer, a technology which enhances dubbing by transferring emotions rather than cloning voices.
Emotion Transfer generates detailed speech elements like intonation, emotion, and pace using source audio as a reference. This approach, known as generative dubbing, goes beyond voice replication.
Since languages have distinct prosodic features, exact mimicry of all speech nuances is not possible. Instead, this method aims to produce dubbing that is more natural than traditional text-to-speech or voice cloning technologies.
Anton Dvorkovich, founder & CEO of Dubformer, says, “With Emotion Transfer, we also capture the acoustic characteristics — such as echoes and reverberations — enhancing the overall experience. Our focus is on creating full immersion, making sure the dubbing never feels out of place.”
Dubformer’s technology is also accessible to users and creators through its open platform and API.
Growth and development
Since its launch, Dubformer claims to have experienced rapid growth. In the past six months, its platform has expanded by over 50 percent month over month.
The company now serves over 200 clients in the US and Europe, including Paramount, Little Dot Studios, and Mainstream Media. As the demand for AI-driven dubbing increases, Dubformer has also partnered with Voxx (Los Angeles), Presto (Czech Republic), and Gobavo (Turkey).
Founder Dvorkovich, says, “In a rapidly evolving AI dubbing landscape, Dubformer is committed to driving the industry forward by addressing its key challenges. Through capturing the emotional essence of content, we enable media companies to expand their global audience reach while reducing localization costs — all without compromising viewer satisfaction.”
Currently, the company is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with offices in Wilmington, Delaware, US, and Belgrade, Serbia.
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