Synthesia (company)

Synthesia Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryArtificial intelligence
Founded2017 (2017)
FounderLourdes Agapito
Matthias Niessner
Victor Riparbelli
Steffen Tjerrild
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsSynthetic media
Video editing software
Number of employees
550[1] (2025)
Websitewww.synthesia.io

Synthesia Limited is a British multinational artificial intelligence company based in London, United Kingdom. It is a synthetic media-generation software developer and creator of AI-generated video content, including audio-visual agents and cloned avatars. Britain's largest generative-AI firm, it is used by 70% of FTSE 100 and over 90% of Fortune 100 companies.

Overview

Synthesia is most often used by corporations for localized communication, orientation, employee training videos,[2][3] advertising campaigns, reporting, product demonstrations, customer service, and to create chatbots.[4][5][6]

Its software algorithm mimics speech and facial movements based on video recordings of an individual’s speech and facial expressions. From this, a text-to-speech video is created to look and sound like the individual.[7][8] Swiss bank UBS incorporated Synthesia AI-powered avatars of their human financial experts, for instance, in 2025.[6]

Users create content via the platform's pre-generated AI presenters[4] or by creating digital representations of themselves, or personal avatars, using the platform's AI video editing tool.[9] These avatars can be used to narrate videos generated from text. As of August 2021, Synthesia's voice database included multiple gender options in over 60 languages.[9][10] Its free voice library doubled by 2025, to 140 languages and accents,[11] and its Express-Voice technology can clone a user's own voice, or generate a synthetic one.[12]

Deepfakes

The platform prohibits use of its software to create non-consensual clones, including of celebrities or political figures for satirical purposes.[13] Explicit consent must be provided in addition to a strict pre-screening regimen for use of an individual's likeness to avoid “deepfaking”.[14]

While the company prohibits use of its technology for misinformation or "news-like content",[15] an October 2023 Freedom House report stated that Synthesia tools had been used by governments in Venezuela, China, Burkina Faso, and Russia to create videos of fake TV news outlets with AI-generated avatars in order to spread propaganda.[16][17] Actor Dan Dewhirst signed a contract with the company in 2021, becoming one of the first actors whose likeness would be made into an AI avatar, finding his likeness used in the Venezuelan generated-videos.[18] The company stated, in February 2024, that it had improved its misuse detection systems,[15] and, in April 2024, that new users of its technology are screened by the company, and content employing it is further vetted by Synthesia moderators.[19]

History

Synthesia's software utilizes deep learning architecture developed by Lourdes Agapito and Matthias Niessner. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Agapito, Niessner, Victor Riparbelli, and Steffen Tjerrild.[20] In 2018, the company first demonstrated the software's capabilities on the BBC programme Click when it presented a digitization of Matthew Amroliwala speaking Spanish, Mandarin, and Hindi.[21] Through Synthesia's first two years of existence, it employed 10 people and struggled to make sales, leading to an expansion of the company's focus. It moved on from just targeting entertainment studios to a variety of businesses.[22]

In 2020, Synthesia users were reported to include Amazon, Tiffany & Co. and IHG Hotels & Resorts.[23][24]

In January 2024, the company introduced its AI video assistant, which turns text-to-video.[25] That April, with a reported 55,000 customers, including half of the Fortune 100, Synthesia launched "expressive avatars".[19] That September, an enhanced dubbing feature was launched,[26] to translate video in 30 languages with naturalized lip-syncing.[27]

Peter Hill joined Synthesia as CTO in January 2025, following 25 years at Amazon, and two years as CEO and CPO of Wildfire Studios.[28] That March, a million dollar base of shares was formed to furnish human actors, employed to generate digital avatars, with company stock, which all of its employees hold.[29] By June of that year, 150,000 individuals from among Synthesia's 65,000 customers had created AI-generated avatars of themselves.[3]

In July 2025, the company's new global headquarters at Regent’s Place was opened by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who described Britain's largest generative-AI company, then valued at over $2 billion, as a "London success story".[30] By that October, its technology was employed by 90% of the Fortune 100,[31] and Synthesia 3.0 was launched, with hyper-realistic digital avatars equipped with AI-powered dubbing and translation, and a built-in video assistant.[32][33] In January 2026, it reached a $4 billion valuation, with 70% of FTSE 100 companies noted among its customers.[34]

Funding

The company raised $3.1 million in seed funding in 2019.[5] In April 2021, the company raised $12.5 million in Series A funding.[9] In December 2021, it raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by Kleiner Perkins and GV (then Google Ventures).[35]

Synthesia gained a total valuation of $1 billion, and achieved unicorn status, when it raised $90 million from Accel and Nvidia partnership NVentures, in June 2023, during its Series C funding round.[36][37][23]

Counting 60,000 customers by January 2025, including over 60% of Fortune 100 companies; the company raised $180 million in a Series D round led by NEA,[38] with new investors World Innovation Lab (WiL), Atlassian Ventures and PSP Growth, as well as existing investors GV, MMC Ventures and FirstMark, doubling Synthesia's valuation to $2.1 billion.[39][40] Capital raised by 2025 had reached $330 million,[40] with investments slated to further product innovation, talent growth, and company expansion in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia.[38]

In April 2025, Adobe Inc. invested £10 million in the company for a strategic partnership.[1][41] Synthesia subseqently rejected a $3 billion acquisition offer from Adobe, choosing to remain independent.[1] With a revenue stream then exceeding $100 million annually; GV led a Series E funding round in October 2025, resulting in Synthesia's $4 billion valuation,[42] raising $200 million from GV, Nvidia and Accel to develop, in 2026, interactive audio-visual avatar "agents" that converse on topic, for automated sales training and corporate communications, such as recruiting.[43]

Recognition

In 2021, Synthesia partnered with Lay's to create the Messi Messages campaign featuring Argentine footballer Lionel Messi. Users created personalized messages with Synthesia's software and sent custom artificial reality video messages from Messi based on their text input.[44] The campaign received a Cannes Lion Award under the Bronze category.[45][46]

In February 2025, UK Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle commended Synthesia's "pioneering generative AI innovations."[28][40]

References

  1. ^ a b c Prescott, Katie (23 October 2025). "Unicorn AI start-up Synthesia rejects $3bn Adobe takeover". The Times.
  2. ^ Crook, Jordan (8 December 2021). "Synthesia raises $50M to leverage synthetic avatars for corporate training and more". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b Garfinkle, Allie. "AI video avatars are already serving some of the world's biggest companies". Fortune. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b Khalid, Amrita. "The Next Great Tool for Winning Customers and Training Employees: Deepfakes". Inc.
  5. ^ a b Roettgers, Janko (22 August 2019). "How AI Tech Is Changing Dubbing, Making Stars Like David Beckham Multilingual". Variety. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b Foy, Simon (18 May 2025). "UBS deploys AI analyst clones". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  7. ^ Simonite, Tom. "Deepfakes Are Now Making Business Pitches". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Dubbing is coming to a small screen near you". The Economist. 21 December 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Crook, Jordan (20 April 2021). "Synthesia's AI video generation platform hooks $12.5 million Series A led by FirstMark". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. ^ Dale, Robert (8 April 2022). "The voice synthesis business: 2022 update". Natural Language Engineering. 28 (3): 401–408. doi:10.1017/S1351324922000146. ISSN 1351-3249.
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  15. ^ a b In Big Election Year, A.I.’s Architects Move Against Its Misuse The New York Times accessed 19 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Generative AI Is the Newest Tool in the Dictator's Handbook". Gizmodo. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  17. ^ Ganguly, Manisha (16 October 2024). "'It's not me, it's just my face': the models who found their likenesses had been used in AI propaganda". The Guardian.
  18. ^ Goldbart, Max (17 October 2024). "'Prometheus' Actor Warns Against AI Avatars After He Says Face Used For Venezuelan Propaganda". Deadline.
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  22. ^ Fearn, Nicholas (26 November 2025). "AI video start-up takes wide-angle view to boost growth". Financial Times.
  23. ^ a b Singh, Jaspreet. "AI startup Synthesia gains unicorn status after Nvidia-backed fundraise". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  24. ^ "AI Video Creation Pioneer Synthesia Raises $90 Million Series C Led by Accel". Business Wire. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  25. ^ Synthesia launches LLM-powered assistant to turn any text file or link into AI video Venture Beat accessed 19 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Have a global audience? This AI video platform translates your content in one click". ZDNET. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  27. ^ Lolade (31 October 2025). "Top 10 AI Dubbing Tools". AutoGPT. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  28. ^ a b Nvidia-backed AI video platform Synthesia doubles valuation to $2.1 billion CNBC. January 15, 2025
  29. ^ Heikkilä, Melissa (25 March 2025). "Synthesia offers shares to actors who help create its AI models". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  30. ^ "A $2bn AI unicorn tests London's nerve". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  31. ^ Cousins, James (3 October 2025). "9 European AI rocket startups to watch in 2025 — TFN". Tech Funding News. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  32. ^ "AI Video Clone Startup Launches New Tools". Bloomberg News. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Synthesia's AI clones are more expressive than ever. Soon they'll be able to talk back". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  34. ^ Milmo, Dan (26 January 2026). "UK maker of AI avatars nearly doubles valuation to $4bn after funding round". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  35. ^ Lee, Jane Lanhee (8 December 2021). "AI video avatar platform Synthesia raises $50 mln in venture capital". Reuters. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
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  37. ^ Wiggers, Kyle. "Synthesia secures $90M for AI that generates custom avatars". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  38. ^ a b Synthesia hits $2.1 bln in valuation after latest fundraise Reuters. January 14, 2025
  39. ^ AI video platform Synthesia raises $180M, doubling valuation to $2.1B Silicon Angle. January 15, 2025
  40. ^ a b c Saunders, Tom (15 January 2025). "British start-up Synthesia hits $2.1bn valuation on AI video boom". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  41. ^ Browne, Ryan (15 April 2025). "Adobe takes stake in Synthesia, startup behind AI clones for corporate videos". CNBC. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  42. ^ Shrivastava, Rashi; Tong, Anna (29 October 2025). "AI Startup Synthesia Valued At $4 Billion in $200 Million Raise". Forbes.
  43. ^ "Nvidia-Backed Synthesia Doubles Valuation to $4 Billion In New Round". Bloomberg News. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  44. ^ "You can now send personalised videos from an AI version of Messi. It's weird". ESPN.com. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  45. ^ "The Work | Lions Entry | Messi Messages". The Work. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  46. ^ Mai, Toan; Tran, Quynh. "2020-21". LoveTheWorkMore.com. Retrieved 8 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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