Cambridge Enterprise invested £375k in the rising star speech-technology spin-out VocalIQ.

VocalIQ has developed software that helps people communicate more naturally with their computers – from those in smart devices to those found in cars and homes. The company is the brain child of its chair Steve Young, Professor of Information Engineering, and its CEO and co-founder Blaise Thomson, who is an expert in machine learning and dialogue system design. VocalIQ is widely credited with using a fresh approach to solve the challenges presented by existing voice recognition systems.

In 2014, VocalIQ began working with a US automotive manufacturer to develop an advanced voice-control system for vehicles that would allow spoken commands to access navigation and entertainment systems and accessories.

Image: Detail on some buttons on a car's steering wheel.