19. IRIS Audio Technologies

Founders: Jacobi Anstruther
Year founded: 2019
Website: iris.audio

Nobody’s denying that Alexander Graham Bell was a great inventor. But top quality audio? Not his shtick. Instead, we’re leaving that to the team at IRIS. They’re using cutting edge AI technology to eliminate background buzz, guaranteeing crystal clear sound in any industry.

Founder Jacobi Anstruther was inspired to start the company at university while he was researching the impact of sound on the brain at Goldsmiths University. This led to the founding of IRIS Audio in 2018, with a mission to better connect humans to one another with its scientifically-proven technology.

Where IRIS stands out is the way in which audio is processed. Using patented AI algorithms, it has measured the success of its R&D efforts on how isolating audio can change how it is processed neurologically – not just how it impacts call centres and handling time.

Given its potential application for the aerospace sector or emergency response teams, IRIS Clarity could even be genuinely life-saving.

Indeed, IRIS has set its ambitions further than the sales desk. So far, its flagship product, IRIS Clarity, has had multiple use cases, most notably in partnership with US-based INDYCAR, the open-wheel racing series. Here, it has been used to eliminate background noise in real-time in one of the loudest and most extreme sporting environments.

Given its potential application for the aerospace sector or emergency response teams, IRIS Clarity could even be genuinely life-saving. When a person’s wellbeing and security relies on good communication, IRIS is a solution many will no doubt come to rely on.

Poor audio quality is something many of us have accepted as a fact of life for too long. IRIS Audio is sending a clear message that it's time for transformation.

Plus, given the amount of confidential information that is often related to sales representatives or help desks, customers can feel safer in the hands of service teams that use IRIS Clarity.

Last year, in the midst of an economic downturn, IRIS raised £5.6m in Series A funding. It plans to use this to roll out IRIS Clarity to a wider US audience. But, the founder stops short at additional aims. “Whilst it’s important to visualise where you want to drive your business, I prefer to be fully present on the audio journey we’re on,” he tells Startups.

Poor audio quality is something many of us have accepted as a fact of life for too long. IRIS Audio is sending a clear message that it’s time for transformation – and this has earned it a coveted spot as a top 20 startup for 2024.