Amsterdam-based Dubformer, a startup specialising in professional AI dubbing for TV, broadcast, and film, has secured a $3.6 million seed round to advance its proprietary Emotion Transfer technology. The investment was led by Almaz Capital, with participation from s16vc, FinSight, and angel investors Arul Menezes (founder of Microsoft Translator) and Funa Maduka (former Head of International Original Film at Netflix).
This funding will accelerate localisation efforts in Europe and beyond, catering to major media companies seeking high-quality, emotionally expressive dubbing. Unlike traditional AI voice cloning, Dubformer’s technology captures intonation, rhythm, and acoustic nuances, ensuring studio-grade dubbing that meets the demanding standards of the film and television industry.
A growing market with unmet meeds
The video localisation market, valued at $7 billion, is expanding at a 16% CAGR as global demand for localised content surges. However, most AI dubbing tools prioritise B2C applications, leaving professional media companies underserved.
Studies suggest that emotion-rich voices are perceived as more human, while neutral AI-generated voices reduce engagement. This highlights a critical gap in existing solutions. AI dubbing must capture emotional depth to create a convincing and immersive experience for global audiences.
Adding urgency to the matter, the European Accessibility Act mandates improved audio localisation for inclusivity, encouraging companies to invest in advanced dubbing technologies to comply with regulations and avoid legal fines.
Dubformer’s technological specialisations
Founded in September 2023 by Anton Dvorkovich, a machine translation expert and former Head of NLP & Speech at Yandex, Dubformer has quickly established itself as a key player in AI dubbing.
Its core innovation, Emotion Transfer, sets it apart from conventional AI dubbing solutions. Instead of simply replicating voices, this generative AI technique transfers the emotional characteristics of speech, ensuring:
- Authentic intonation and pacing that reflect the original performance
- More immersive and natural-sounding dubbing
- Adaptation to different linguistic prosodies, enhancing realism
In 2024, Dubformer’s AI technology was ranked highest in speech translation at WMT, the leading machine translation competition attended by Google Translate, DeepL, and ChatGPT.
The company has expanded to over 200 clients across the US and Europe, including Paramount, Little Dot Studios, and Mainstream Media. It has Partnered with Voxx (Los Angeles), Presto (Czech Republic), and Gobavo (Turkey)
Grown at 50% month-over-month, signaling strong market traction.
With offices in Amsterdam, Wilmington (Delaware), and Belgrade, Dubformer is scaling its global presence to meet the rising demand for high-quality AI dubbing.
A revolution in AI dubbing
With its AI-driven approach and focus on studio-quality dubbing, Dubformer is well-positioned to lead the future of media localisation, bridging linguistic gaps and making global content more engaging and accessible than ever.
Dubformer’s next steps include:
- Expanding its R&D to further refine Emotion Transfer
- Increasing its language coverage beyond 130+ languages
- Strengthening partnerships with media giants and production studios
“With Emotion Transfer, we also capture the acoustic characteristics — such as echoes and reverberations — enhancing the overall experience. Our focus is on creating full immersion, making sure the dubbing never feels out of place,” said Anton Dvorkovich, Founder & CEO of Dubformer.
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