The Amsterdam-based speech AI startup is developing highly accurate, customisable speech recognition tools for European languages, available on demand.
Amsterdam-based Reson8, a speech technology company developing hyper-customised automatic speech recognition (ASR), has raised €5 million in a pre-seed round led by Balderton Capital, with participation from NP Hard.
The company aims to address limitations in existing speech recognition systems, where performance often declines across European languages, dialects, and domain-specific terminology. Instead of relying on generic models, Reson8 is building acoustically precise systems that can be adapted in real time using contextual data such as documents, websites, and calendars. Its approach uses lightweight, modular adapters to tailor recognition to specific conversations without increasing latency.
Founded by Thomas Kluiters, Raoul Ritter, and Jarno Verhagen, the team brings experience in high-performance systems, AI, and speech technology. The company is focused on developing models that adapt to how language is used in real-world settings, particularly in professional environments where accuracy is critical.
Reson8’s technology is designed for applications in sectors such as healthcare, legal, and customer support, where specialised vocabulary and fast-paced communication can challenge traditional systems. By prioritising precision and adaptability, the platform aims to reduce errors in transcription and improve usability across different use cases.
Generic speech models break the moment you leave English, and customers increasingly want control over where their data lives. We believe Europe can build its own speech infrastructure that is customisable, accurate, and operated locally,
said Raoul Ritter, co-founder of Reson8.
In contrast to providers reliant on US-based infrastructure, Reson8 is building and operating its own European infrastructure, offering greater control over data residency and compliance with regional requirements. At launch, the platform will support more than 20 European languages.
The funding will be used to expand the company’s infrastructure footprint in Europe, continue development of its speech models and inference stack, and grow the team.