Wispr Flow Raises $30M from Menlo Ventures for Its AI-Powered Dictation App
Startups specializing in voice AI technology are currently gaining notable traction. Firms like ElevenLabs and Cartesia have recently secured substantial funding. Moreover, AI-driven applications such as Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies AI are attracting attention and investment from venture capitalists.
In alignment with this trend, dictation app Wispr Flow has successfully completed a Series A funding round, raising $30 million from Menlo Ventures, with participation from NEA, 8VC, and notable individuals such as Opal CEO Kenneth Schlenker, Pinterest founder Evan Sharp, Carta CEO Henry Ward, and Lindy CEO Flo Crivelli. Matt Kraning from Menlo Ventures, who had previously invested in the company as an angel investor, will join the board. In total, Wispr Flow has raised $56 million to date.
The founder and CEO of the company, Tanay Kothari, originally sought to develop a device that would allow users to type by mouthing words silently, which was the centerpiece of its early funding efforts.
However, last year, the focus shifted to Wispr Flow, a software interface designed for the associated hardware device.
They released a Mac app in October 2024, followed by a Windows version in March 2025, and an iOS app just this month. Kothari mentioned that since the initial rollout, numerous Silicon Valley VCs have been utilizing the product.
“It seems like every top-tier venture fund in the valley is using Wispr Flow for emails, memos, and documents. They find it addictive and use it daily. This has led to a significant rise in inbound interest,” Kothari noted about the uptick in investor inquiries.
Interestingly, Granola experienced a similar influx of investor interest, driven by robust usage among VCs.
Kothari also mentioned that the startup is close to achieving profitability based on its existing growth rate. Initially reluctant to seek funding, he became concerned about potential competition from large tech companies with significant distribution advantages. Consequently, he decided to pursue investment to enhance revenue and market reach.
Menlo Ventures CEO Matt Kraning, who is also an avid user of Wispr Flow, expressed his belief that existing input methods, such as keyboards, force us to “wait for our thumbs to keep up with our thoughts.”
“Wispr Flow is creating an efficient way to express digital thoughts and intents. The app effectively captures users’ intended speech, considering how people naturally communicate while developing its models, rather than solely focusing on word error rates,” he shared with TechCrunch.
User Growth and Future Plans
The startup has reported a 50% month-over-month growth in its user base. Kothari indicated that 40% of the app’s users are located in the U.S., 30% in Europe, and the remaining 30% spread globally. Moreover, over 30% of users come from non-technical backgrounds.
“AI tools are increasingly being embraced by a wider audience, yet accessible interfaces for non-technical users remain limited. The prevailing ChatGPT-style interface was introduced over three years ago. We aim to design for all user types, eliminating the need for them to write system prompts to engage with AI,” Kothari emphasized.
Currently, Wispr Flow supports dictation in 104 languages, with 40% of dictations in English and 60% in various languages, including Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Hindi, and Mandarin as the most spoken.
The funding will be allocated to expand the current team of 18, focusing on engineering and market strategies. They also plan to launch an Android app and cater to corporate users by implementing company-wide phrase contexts and support teams.
The startup’s vision is to evolve Flow into an AI-powered assistant that comprehends personal contexts and assists users with everyday tasks such as messaging, note-taking, and setting reminders. Additionally, the company is collaborating with unnamed AI hardware partners to improve the interaction layer.
