We are pleased to announce our very first investments for Project Voice Capital Partners, and the Q1 vintage of investments arising from the Project Voice Capital Partners Rolling Fund, our partnership with the team at AngelList.
Originally part of the Alexa Accelerator powered by Techstars, Novel Effect and the team of husband/wife entrepreneurs Matt and Melissa Hammersley found new footing during the pandemic bringing conversational AI to literacy and children's storytelling.
Educators, librarians, and school administrators across the globe have observed student engagement increase significantly through Novel Effect's unique mobile app and AI-driven audio-first approach.
"The team behind Project Voice Capital Partners has followed Novel Effect's story from the beginning," said CEO Matt Hammersley. "We're proud to have them as investors as the company enters an exciting next chapter to come."
Venture-grade conversational AI startups can come from anywhere around the globe, and we're excited that Osaka, Japan-based susuROBO is among our first investments.
The company, led by Maxim Makatchev (formerly of Huawei and Jibo), brings conversational AI tools such as Japanese culture-inspired avatars to content creators.
"We are grateful to have the support of the Project Voice Capital Partners team, supporting the pre-seed round into our young company," Makatchev remarked. "It's often about more than just the money, but where the money's coming from, and PVCP is the perfect fit."