Poised

High-Level Overview

Poised is an AI-powered communication coaching platform that delivers real-time feedback on speech during online meetings, helping professionals improve clarity, confidence, and engagement.[1][2][3][6] It targets users in leadership, product management, sales, marketing, design, and interviewing roles, integrating seamlessly with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Meet to analyze pace, tone, filler words, and eye contact while ensuring private, encrypted feedback.[1][3][6] Founded in 2020 in San Francisco, Poised raised $4.5M in seed funding from backers including Jeff Weiner (Executive Chairman of LinkedIn) and Worklife Ventures, before being acquired by Deepgram in June 2024, signaling strong validation in the voice AI space.[1][3][4]

The tool solves the problem of ineffective virtual communication by providing actionable, personalized insights—such as reducing "ums," varying tone, and boosting clarity scores—without disrupting meetings or sharing data with others.[3][6][7] Post-meeting analytics track progress privately, fostering continuous improvement for individuals and teams.[1][7]

Origin Story

Poised was founded in 2020 in San Francisco by a team passionate about transforming communication through AI, emerging amid the surge in remote work and virtual meetings that amplified the need for polished speaking skills.[1][3] The idea stemmed from recognizing how professionals struggle with self-awareness in high-stakes calls—filler words, monotone delivery, or poor pacing—without real-time coaching, leading to the creation of an unobtrusive AI "coach" that works invisibly during live sessions.[3][4]

Early traction came quickly, with the company raising a $4.5M seed round backed by prominent figures like Jeff Weiner and executives from Zoom, Slack, Loom, LinkedIn, and Lattice, validating its potential in the burgeoning voice AI market.[1][4] A pivotal moment arrived in June 2024 when Deepgram, a leader in voice AI, acquired Poised, integrating its technology to advance seamless AI in daily workflows: "Voice is poised to become the predominant interface for human-computer interaction."[1][3]

Core Differentiators

Poised stands out in the AI communication coaching space through these key strengths:

• Real-time, private feedback: Analyzes speech, pace, tone, filler words, and eye contact live during meetings, offering subtle on-screen suggestions without alerting others—unlike summary-focused competitors like Read AI.[1][3][7]
• Seamless integrations and ease: Works natively with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and Slack on Mac/Windows, with no complex setup; users control recording and data encryption for full privacy.[3][6]
• Personalized coaching metrics: Delivers Confidence and Clarity scores, post-meeting insights, and progress tracking tailored to individual styles, helping users reduce habits like excessive "ums" and build long-term skills.[6][7]
• User-centric design: Emphasizes speed, ownership, diversity, and candid communication in its culture, backed by top VCs, with G2 reviews praising its passive tracking for measurable speaking improvements.[4][7]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Poised rides the explosive growth of voice AI and hybrid work trends, where virtual meetings dominate professional life but expose communication gaps that hinder career advancement.[1][3] Its timing was ideal post-2020, capitalizing on platforms like Zoom while addressing the "voice as the next UI" shift—amplified by Deepgram's acquisition to embed AI deeply into workflows.[1][3]

Market forces like rising demand for soft skills in remote teams, multi-language support needs, and privacy regulations favor Poised's private, real-time model over broader transcription tools.[1][3] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing coaching—once reserved for executives—for all professionals, paving the way for voice AI in sales pitches, interviews, and leadership, while competitors like Read AI focus more on summaries than live skill-building.[1]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Post-acquisition by Deepgram, Poised is positioned to scale its AI coach into enterprise-grade voice interfaces, potentially expanding to mobile, multilingual feedback, and team analytics while maintaining privacy.[1][3] Trends like multimodal AI (voice + video) and generative coaching will shape its path, evolving from meeting sidekick to core workflow enhancer amid voice's rise as the dominant HCI paradigm.[1]

Its influence could grow by powering Deepgram's platform for millions, turning everyday calls into skill-building opportunities and setting a benchmark for ethical, user-owned AI in professional development—reinforcing its original mission to make confident communication accessible to all.[3][4]