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LiveKit reaches unicorn status after $100 million funding round

LiveKit has raised $100 million in fresh funding, pushing its valuation to $1 billion. The latest investment round was led by Index Ventures, with continued backing from existing investors Altimeter Capital Management, Hanabi Capital, and Redpoint Ventures.

The raise comes just 10 months after the company’s previous funding round, underscoring strong investor confidence in LiveKit’s technology and its growing role in the rapidly expanding voice AI ecosystem.

Powering Real-Time AI Conversations

Founded in 2021 by Russ d’Sa and David Zhao, LiveKit started as an open-source project designed to help developers build applications capable of transmitting real-time audio and video with minimal latency. The idea gained traction during the pandemic, when demand for reliable video and voice communication surged as work, education, and social interactions moved online.

LiveKit has since evolved into a key infrastructure provider for some of the most prominent names in technology. Most notably, the company powers the voice mode used in OpenAI’s ChatGPT, enabling real-time conversational experiences. Its customer base also includes xAI, Salesforce, Tesla, as well as organizations operating in more critical environments such as 911 emergency response services and mental health support providers.

As voice-driven interfaces become central to AI applications, LiveKit’s low-latency communication technology has emerged as a foundational layer for companies seeking to deliver natural, real-time interactions at scale.

From Open Source to Enterprise Growth

While LiveKit initially offered its tools for free to developers, its business model shifted as adoption grew. The founders recognized that large organizations needed a fully managed, cloud-based version of the software to support mission-critical use cases. In response, LiveKit began offering enterprise-grade services, a move that significantly accelerated its revenue growth.

This transition has positioned the company at the intersection of two major trends: the rise of voice-enabled AI and the increasing demand for reliable real-time communication infrastructure. Investors see LiveKit as well placed to benefit from both, particularly as AI-powered assistants, customer service bots, and real-time collaboration tools become more widespread.

With its latest funding, LiveKit plans to expand its engineering team, enhance its platform capabilities, and scale its cloud services globally. The company’s rapid ascent to unicorn status highlights how infrastructure players, often working behind the scenes, are becoming some of the most valuable businesses in the AI era.