Krisp

# High-Level Overview

Krisp is an AI-powered audio processing software company that specializes in real-time noise suppression and voice enhancement for remote communication.[1] Founded in 2017 by Davit Baghdasaryan and Artavazd Minasyan, the company develops machine learning-based technology that removes background noise, echo, and cross-talk from audio during meetings and calls.[1][4] Krisp serves millions of users across teleconferencing, remote work, podcasting, and video production, with integrations into platforms like Zoom, Skype, Slack, and Discord.[1]

The company addresses a fundamental pain point in distributed work: audio quality degradation caused by background noise and network limitations. Beyond noise cancellation, Krisp has expanded into a comprehensive AI meeting assistant platform that includes transcription, meeting summaries, action item tracking, and ChatGPT integration for conversation insights.[1][5] As a privately held company based in Berkeley, California, Krisp operates a fully-remote team across nine countries.[4]

# Origin Story

The founding story reflects a classic problem-to-solution arc. Davit Baghdasaryan, while working at Twilio in 2017, constantly experienced background noise during meetings and wondered whether machine learning could solve the problem.[3] He shared this idea with Artavazd Minasyan, a longtime friend who was seeking an interesting scientific challenge. Together with Stepan Sargsyan (Krisp's Chief Scientist), they formed a research team with strong foundational credentials—backgrounds in physics, a Ph.D. in mathematics, and several scientific publications—but notably, no prior experience in machine learning or digital signal processing.[3]

After six months of intensive work, the team developed the first prototype of their noise-cancellation technology.[3] Though imperfect, it represented a fundamentally new approach to noise cancellation with significant potential. Davit left Twilio in 2017, and the three co-founders officially launched Krisp (originally named 2Hz) with the mission to create AI-powered, revolutionary voice technologies that would enable more effective communication.[3]

# Core Differentiators

• Proprietary deep neural networks: Krisp's bi-directional noise removal technology uses advanced artificial intelligence built on proprietary deep neural networks, enabling it to eliminate unwanted background noise, acoustic echo, and isolate individual speakers' voices.[4]

• Real-time, on-device processing: The 2024 introduction of on-device transcription eliminated the need to upload recordings to external software, addressing privacy and latency concerns.[1]

• Seamless platform integration: Rather than requiring users to switch applications, Krisp integrates directly into existing tools—Zoom, Skype, Slack, Discord, Google Calendar, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier—making adoption frictionless.[1][5]

• Expanded AI capabilities: Beyond noise cancellation, Krisp now offers AI-powered meeting transcripts, summaries, action item tracking, accent conversion for clearer communication, and direct ChatGPT integration for extracting insights from conversations.[1][5]

• Industry recognition: Krisp was named to Forbes' America's Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies of 2020 and TIME's 100 Best Inventions of 2020, and has won two Webby Awards.[1]

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Krisp operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: the normalization of remote work, the rise of AI-powered productivity tools, and the increasing demand for communication quality in distributed teams. The company's timing has been fortuitous—Discord's adoption of Krisp's noise suppression technology in July 2020 coincided with the pandemic-driven surge in remote communication.[1]

The broader shift toward AI meeting assistants reflects a market recognizing that communication infrastructure is no longer just about connectivity but about *quality* and *intelligence*. Krisp's expansion from a single-purpose noise cancellation tool into a comprehensive meeting platform positions it within the growing category of AI-native productivity software. By embedding AI between users and their hardware (microphones, speakers, cameras), Krisp creates a "superpowers" layer that enhances human communication in real-time—a model increasingly adopted across the productivity software ecosystem.[4]

The company also influences how other platforms approach audio quality; Discord's integration of Krisp technology demonstrates how specialized AI solutions can become embedded infrastructure within larger communication networks.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

Krisp's evolution from a noise-cancellation startup to a full-featured AI meeting assistant reflects the broader consolidation of communication tools around intelligence layers. The company's private status and fully-remote, distributed team structure position it well for continued growth in an increasingly global workforce.

The next frontier for Krisp likely involves deeper integration with enterprise workflows—moving beyond meeting enhancement into actionable intelligence extraction, CRM automation, and cross-meeting pattern recognition. As remote work becomes permanent infrastructure rather than temporary adaptation, companies like Krisp that solve the *quality* problem (not just connectivity) will become essential. The question is whether Krisp remains a specialized tool acquired by larger platforms, or whether it evolves into a standalone platform that competes directly with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other communication hubs.