LiveKit, a company dedicated to building infrastructure software for real-time AI voice and video applications, recently announced the successful raising of $100 million in funding at a valuation of $1 billion.

This funding round, occurring just 10 months after LiveKit's previous financing, was led by Index Ventures. Existing investors Altimeter Capital Management, Hanabi Capital, and Redpoint Ventures also participated.

LiveKit powers the voice mode for OpenAI's ChatGPT. Other clients of the startup include xAI, Salesforce, Tesla, as well as 911 emergency service operators and mental health service providers.

Founded in 2021 by Russ d’Sa and David Zhao, the company began as an open-source software project aimed at developing applications capable of transmitting real-time audio and video without interruption. This period coincided with the global pandemic when virtual meetings via Zoom became widespread.

Although LiveKit initially started as a free developer tool, its business rapidly expanded after the founders recognized the need for a hosted cloud version among large companies. It subsequently began offering these services to enterprises during the boom in voice AI technology.