Introduction of Wispr
It seems like every major AI company—Meta, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic—wants us to start talking to our devices more naturally. With improvements in speech-to-text technology, these companies are encouraging users to chat with their AI bots the same way they’d talk to a friend.
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But a startup called Wispr Flow thinks it can do better than the tech giants. And it’s making a strong case.
Wispr Flow already has apps for Windows and Mac, but now it’s expanding to iOS with a new app that also functions as a voice-powered keyboard. That means you can dictate messages using your voice in any app on your phone.
At first glance, it might sound like just another speech-to-text tool—but Wispr Flow delivers where many others fall short. As someone from India, I’ve never had a great experience with voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. They often struggle to understand my accent or follow my requests. But Wispr Flow was different.
When I first started using the app, I had to make a few corrections here and there. But over time, the accuracy improved significantly. I was soon using my voice to write long emails, send texts, and even draft most of this article. It felt natural—and surprisingly fast.
The app includes a symbol and number keyboard for special characters and lets you add custom names or technical terms to its dictionary. One clever feature: it can recognize whispered speech, which is perfect if you’re in a quiet environment and don’t want to speak out loud. Wispr also claims the app performs well even with weak internet connections.
The company’s co-founder, Tanay Kothari, originally set out to build a wearable device that would let users type just by silently mouthing words. That project eventually evolved into Flow, the software platform behind Wispr. Last year, the company shifted focus entirely to software, launching the Mac app shortly after.
On desktop, you can start dictating in any app by hitting a hotkey. On iOS, it works by switching to the Wispr keyboard—something the company will need to convince users to do regularly.
For now, Wispr Flow is free to use up to 2,000 words per week. There’s also a $12/month subscription (or $144/year) for unlimited usage and early access to new features.
The startup has raised $26 million from investors like NEA, Palo Alto Networks, and 8VC. According to Kothari, 19% of users are converting to the paid plan, and revenue is growing at a solid 60% year over year.
Looking ahead, Wispr is planning to launch an Android app and introduce shared context features for teams—so the app can better understand workplace-specific terms and jargon.
The voice tech space is heating up, with competitors like Aqua, Talktastic, Superwhisper, and Betterdication entering the scene. Still, Kothari is confident Wispr’s deep tech and experienced engineering team will give them a lasting edge.
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