ElevenLabs, a company specializing in artificial intelligence, plans to expand its operations in New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the expansion will bring 230 new jobs and involve a $33 million investment in research and development.
Governor Hochul stated, “New York is becoming one of the world’s premiere destinations for artificial intelligence companies, and ElevenLabs’ decision to expand here is proof that our strategy is working. With 230 new high-quality jobs, a $33 million R&D investment, and a fast-growing global footprint, ElevenLabs is choosing the Empire State because of our unmatched talent, energy and commitment to responsible technological advancement. We look forward to supporting the company’s continued growth in New York.”
Founded in 2022 by Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dąbkowski, ElevenLabs initially focused on creating AI voice models but has since broadened its technology offerings to include platforms for speech, music, image, and video generation. The company serves millions of users worldwide.
The expansion includes relocating from Spring Street to a larger office at 40 Crosby Street in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood. Nearly 100 of the new positions are expected to be software engineering roles. The state’s economic development agency, Empire State Development (ESD), will support ElevenLabs with up to $4.4 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits based on job creation and R&D investments.
Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development said, “ElevenLabs is at the forefront of innovation in generative AI audio, and its expansion in New York City reinforces our state’s leadership in attracting the world’s most dynamic technology companies. This project will create hundreds of good-paying jobs, deepen New York’s bench of engineering talent, and support cutting-edge R&D that strengthens our growing AI ecosystem. ESD is proud to support ElevenLabs as it scales its U.S. operations here in the Empire State.”
Mati Staniszewski, Co-Founder of ElevenLabs added: “New York City is a global center for innovation, talent, and creative energy, making it the ideal place for ElevenLabs to scale our U.S. presence. This expansion allows us to deepen our investment in frontier AI research, expand our industry partnerships, and advance our mission of reimagining human-technology interaction. We want to lead New York’s rapidly expanding AI ecosystemand this investment puts us in position to do so.”
Assemblymember Steve Otis commented on the announcement: “News of the ElevenLabs expansion is another success story in New York’s program to attract cutting-edge technology growth in our state. Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, and the Legislature have prioritized making New York a leader as a home for growing technology companies and responsible artificial intelligence development. Time and time again companies choose New York because of our educated workforce, the work of our economic development team at ESD, and the synergy we are creating by bringing so many technology innovators to New York. Congratulations to Governor Hochul and ElevenLabs on the expansion announced today.”
This move supports Governor Hochul’s broader initiative aimed at establishing New York as a national leader in responsible AI development through programs such as workforce training initiatives and partnerships designed for safe AI innovation.
Empire State Development continues its role as New York’s main economic development agency promoting business growth across sectors including clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing.
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