Mati Staniszewski personally interviews every hire as ElevenLabs expands to 400 employees, outperforming tech giants in voice AI benchmarks and securing multimillion-dollar contracts. The CEO maintains a hands-on hiring approach, crossing $200 million in annual revenue with just 250 employees organized into micro-teams of five to 10 people each.

Staniszewski plans to continue interviewing hires as the company grows to 1,000 employees, viewing it as essential for quality control. ElevenLabs originated from his frustration with Poland’s movie dubbing system, sparking the idea for a voice cloning startup during a hack weekend project in early 2021.

ElevenLabs raised $19 million in June 2023 from Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital after a unique courtship process. The startup faced challenges in fundraising, with 30 to 50 investors rejecting the company initially. European talent density is credited for ElevenLabs’ competitive advantage against Silicon Valley rivals.

The company plans international expansion with small outposts in Brazil, Japan, India, and Mexico while maintaining its micro-team structure. ElevenLabs serves call centers and customer support platforms with its voice AI technology, with the largest contract reaching $2 million annually.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski Reveals Why He Interviews Every Hire Even As Startup Passes $200 Million Revenue And $6.6 Billion Valuation