Everyone Deserves to be Understood
We build Speech AI that removes communication barriers across accents, languages, and noise so every voice is heard clearly.
Founded in 2020, we are pioneers of real-time Speech AI technology. Our patented, market-leading platform breaks communication barriers so everyone can understand and be understood.
Our beginning
It started with a focused mission: help call center agents be understood, regardless of accent. But we discovered a bigger problem: misunderstandings don’t just come from accents, they come from language gaps, background noise, and low‑quality audio that distorts what people are trying to say. So we expanded our vision and built a unified Speech AI platform designed to remove friction from every conversation. Today, Sanas brings clarity to hundreds of thousands of voices and we’re building toward a world where every conversation is heard the way it was meant to be.
2020: An Idea Among Friends
Sanas founded at Stanford University by Shawn Zhang, Max Serebryakov, and Andrés Pérez Soderi after a classmate shares his experience of losing a contact center job due to accent bias.
2021: First Movers
Raised $5 million Seed round led by General Catalyst, DN Capital, Human Capital, and Quiet Capital, launching the world's first real‑time accent translation technology. Sharath Keshava Narayana joins as CEO and Co‑founder.
2022: Expansion
Raised $32 million Series A led by Insight Partners with participation from Google and Assurant Ventures; all seed investors also participate.
2023: More Users in More Cities
Sanas Accent Translation reached commercial scale, with 5,000 contact center agents across 25 cities using the product daily.
2024: Patent Granted
Sanas granted a broad patent for real‑time accent conversion AI technology in the United States and India. Product adoption grows to more than 30,000 contact center agents. Launched free Noise Cancellation.
2025: Series B
Raised $65 million Series B led by Quadrille Capital with strategic investment from Teleperformance and Alorica. The company expands into a unified Speech AI platform, launching Language Translation and Speech Enhancement alongside an SDK for developers. Product adoption surpasses 750,000 users globally.
2026: Product Expansion
Enterprise rollout of Language Translation.
"We didn't start Sanas to change how people speak. We started Sanas to change how the world listens."
Sharath Narayana and Shawn Zhang, Co‑founders of Sanas
Our Team
- Team
- Board members
- Advisors
Sharath Keshava Narayana, CEO and Sanas co-founder, brings over 20 years of enterprise software sales experience and AI expertise. A serial entrepreneur and prolific investor, he co-founded Observe.AI and invests through Carya Venture Partners. Sharath is committed to driving technological innovations and fostering inclusive communication globally.
Shawn Zhang, CTO and Sanas co-founder, leverages his engineering expertise from Stanford’s AI Lab to pioneer AI-driven solutions. Inspired by a friend's experience with accent bias, Shawn co-founded Sanas. His leadership in AI research and development ensures Sanas’s technology transforms global communication to be more inclusive.
Anant Singh, Chief Sales Officer and Founding Member at Sanas, has a proven track record in international business development and revenue growth at companies like Observe.AI and Akamai Technologies. Anant specializes in strategic partnerships, and his leadership drives the global expansion of Sanas's real-time speech understanding suite of products.
SVP of Finance at Sanas, Michael brings 25+ years of financial expertise from Couchbase, Zscaler, Khan Academy, and Intuit. With a background in Accounting and Finance from Texas A&M, he drives financial strategy and business growth. His experience across high-tech, education, and SaaS ensures Sanas scales efficiently while maximizing impact.
GM & Founding Member at Sanas, Monal has over 20 years of experience in strategic product, engineering and account management. Formerly at Datto and Unbxd, Monal excels in building fast growing products and strong client relationships. His dedication ensures Sanas delivers quality products so customers are empowered, maximizing value and success.
SVP of Engineering at Sanas, Nitesh has deep expertise in building and scaling world-class engineering teams. With experience leading R&D centers and delivering cloud-based solutions for telco and enterprise customers, he drives innovation and efficiency. A culture champion, he fosters high-performance teams dedicated to collaboration and customer success.
Saralynn, our SVP of People, has over 18 years’ experience in HR and a master’s in employment law. Saralynn excels in scaling teams, driving engagement, and fostering people-focused cultures. Her expertise in tech startups enables her to navigate complex challenges while creating environments where employees thrive, fueling innovation and operational success at Sanas.
Backed by the world’s leading investors
