Podonos, a Los Gatos, CA–based startup specializing in voice AI model evaluation and benchmarking, has secured a pre-seed round.
Investors
The round was led by Serac Ventures, with additional participation from NAVER D2SF and KAIST Venture Investment Holdings.
Serac Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2022. The firm focuses on investing in early-stage companies in sectors such as financial technology, SaaS, the future of work, and the creator economy. Serac is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with a presence in San Francisco, California.
Podonos Use of Funds
The company will use the funding to accelerate hiring, enhance its automated model analysis tools, and expand into new industry verticals.
About Podonos
Podonos is an AI company that provides a platform for businesses to evaluate and improve their voice AI models. Its platform combines a global network of more than 150,000 human evaluators with an AI-driven automation engine. Podonos offers comprehensive testing of pronunciation, emotion, noise tolerance, and persona alignment for both AI model developers and service providers. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Podonos already serves companies such as Resemble AI, Play AI, and Sanas AI.
Funding Details
Company: Podonos, Inc.
Raised: Undisclosed
Round: Pre-seed
Funding Date: September 2025
Lead Investor: Serac Ventures
Additional Investors: NAVER D2SF, KAIST Venture Investment Holdings
Company Website: https://www.podonos.com/
Software Category: Voice AI Evaluation / AI Benchmarking
Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naver-d2sf-invests-in-podonos-a-voice-ai-model-evaluation-startup-based-in-north-america-302550893.html