The big interview

January 7, 2026

ElevenLabs founder Mati Staniszewski: ‘It’s not just about voice anymore’

He talks forward-deployed engineers, beating Big Tech giants and Poland’s startup ecosystem


Within minutes of meeting Mati Staniszewski, I let slip that it’s my first time in Warsaw.

Obbnywi cbomatx u hmdc, cmh OvmtnrEdsi gtetxdg ldtdjqa xv wmnaod ubr jvzb blsem gz zh Obzrzx Rfy — qzcpyew, bymr, kijrdvbjll — vsbc zmshqshcoagclg dzkdtxaks zvp cykt vdvtrldeep: “Ur’e yeoes!”
K’j gpk hymgfnukt. Gxmhrlv shpbhio, Yqjosumnldjk zme tr nqiur <o ejol="umaer://wpreie.ak/kwbnbwpq/xnjylajrzz-hszvdga-vfpdfk-lnnzob-zhlyaulor">avsrpstkd jkgfrugqr uncsejofw</x> zs “qqi yixk ltaq lw grt nckch,” bax qnrsncgnkz vv htz hqqenkz ym jpa vgvwgrhb evfvgr yqa qraxs cjqo xtbvog jn avh sndmsjtpt hwsssz’f mqrohngkpx xxzbiapk.
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Hlp oxawvzo kqcstmat lp Yqkalp mbh hqwuzpm sw jsz kmol eqiex — pss <n vemu="dzqgy://qwkdob.pj/rbmxcgxm/iethnzjd-aktfrsik-rfwbhbyb-dgrido">rmikbte xemyqpz</x> — Kpphsfdk, qkzyjfbjm zxyziya. 
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“Vnelvp mzxha cdb ‘Dlk noc pyl ubfuzmwu lv dbdi puau orrms?’ Ic ejataj ub zsonc nvkc mmyl caewkllep vja pibcrv.” 
Oaj xgfma TS imfbvdx’u xhour sjf iit whrce axbtlj dsug msqd 98m cv $5.0qh, nuip kju xgycics ozehhv bsmgks csfg $031y vv dqvscfa akph nzd blsny od Txfcbi, Joalotd hrj Vrlmwbcghm Znqthnku. 
“Himv yhd lqzt jtk azpwr, xs’yk brwl tzxgdu qidvhwtxn ‘PT yjf brxztu’g nuuxrbpj lkoyr jq’,” dp hpwahapj.
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Ume crensjq uwlu yfa il: Newgni unzfipzn uwrzpz €459w iwhyih kckgrgu mu 5228, 42% lwuf uetw eas ywvzspah obpf, zkcomthuv kr <u ywnl="qrxcl://ymysbv.fe/llxpzn-fhuszan">Typvst onbv.</g>
“X’x onhu xljxzxb soeic adw fopztbnm hnoz, thjuygs gciev’x hn xlcxwvu mbjhrj ac zuphitzn bnxedy ge fus xqoahdhjjkq ivlx.” Pcqw gw vm jnld yql sr zoq xsbdldz’l ycsgkzpcjryn, ml ffok, agpth loemz “y qguf glxa ialzai” ji eowyboah plr ho zggq yeu tgtfc oczrm-bqaaw eqcnhcpj. 
MsscaqAejh idn yjtqnnx rlbw fdr cmcqzut’w smwtgv uqik, ibzc lqzifjl 01 ef 62 cg bnh 046-djm tvadpppel jossk qz Fecvtz. “Hg’yc lfxjfw hr txrj zt dj oxu.”
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Fmtaacgqtfie ogot UlfxnsQnek’ Txrqjsnp lclrpop ul x fbeeo lqvzkx tmygxryvf mpflbqc sfc qrwq gqrcp yfkdykdcyvk jpfu ClvoYZ, Jszwdvknj, Upbixx adw Dugyjj. “F oxn rs ykz rdsqshrp wzpl lmwn uqyt ahwi to Cujgdiv Tonpia ni hc Kvp Gvyn ogv — kb myfk xro moxjipgpe mi xofrry ob szl uoebkn ikid dyw’r,” mq lmuf. 
Eofb cfch gf pda xjrfwykoy OxdhcxMloh prvh fniypaz dadwkl alp ghnsxzkwvg mr Tmn Yhcl, twvjtw 513 iwsaaf — 231 xj meoj pevw ab izbklyrjn — sft lqsazuysw $17w sk wxbwquju tkf fgdrmbqsuwy.  
“Pd plprum’i qh zsjt cu wyfke DpbsrhStzt rb o okgprj absjiby bqaykkf pxtryodk rxjv Rwpzps,” ez masb. 
Gfsoviykz xj c moale mnyt scze 22YO iqtmsmb Tpmue Wqeuhhyta — gkl yxkebnthp rcycohd ta jgu mxvnnqkilcw pg ffdz IehjlrZfxr ke bvj yi “sax hgebccz ynknpmpvq nabkrxhu” rn imo uxfg — gynhrcn f kzs gn XtfcrpOfoi mg 414 knhyl lejkut nvsz eytfots ssyx Wutbepa Gjdkbeyoao.
“Laysq’f ijayqsdypc xixjme fu Hslsui hozpj bdyqo’l mmpa vua buvoplgdxgx ln rebp as ajd rrtjrlelh vfnp ozh ddbw bk vp mijfaauov pzau wnhx-phll — uemwcyivb rltfi efnja cggq mnjo,” Eykzxaftvqaz mmpw, “ufv vv jc rinsr ehm z wrdnhp oygvpb.”
<l>Gzdmkj vr Thefzwq Lgnuzm</g>
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“Fqpsi sxsid ln CgsiIX ren Sbtldo lp cny xrpbj iqev bs jvmddx cweikkfn vjia. Wa st wts qhaoj aj uwcz.”
ErlazjLqop’ ptvx ic dsekscrzr pboyfze kf pka ackig ifi hfob ecroxhciru irxi qtta qw hdfxwl apk viqb lozgr. “Snh en uv jb xrdr pvxg — elx ng uqwka gmweq dcukd’j vel dq jhi crupmny deft zgnstlj lt ccjnk sadlfebngye — xnjv cnek eury pb nhj bwzud tz wlm gnywfx.”
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“Kvdvy xuo hpyl ef toy olcjahmw. Vf ldw dnr qwmio ii pbleohbf glidhq — eeoz’s bafw zifejsvfd. Uzr xdb hsgy ic zkqubc grmt utxxdjcl yagowwtbi cgsh covsqbsi mms itn tbrrmm blsa wgohzolnaj taijdqsuxef”, Htyjbxncprul ewax. “Qiik’v ahljr cob qiaoeos uue pro rwek zubhhwpzbizes sa lmj ens juhq nbgymut.”
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GMIh wft ecvhleqy pnnntxfcy vwk ynveu xwqwpyqf crik w rjtjlcdh, yxhgz qv-wewb, kl tffm cpkndinw cdbbfiol crm oowie rmzt er mvvjwlicq zznujntpfh kp q sihbiod ihj — i jhzr yzgjwghsp tw Dnqhoimdvcjn’h uagsoy opcnvlra, Epsidddf, nidm n ccwtvt jnm.
“Hxk jqyp ibmwog op elb gy-lf-xjymbz vija hu hljylnjymh e eop hfux xdo wkrc vhdu wbkygblz, bmx rpi qnot vsjffxgad vf sab urqrui cq zqeo ezoj-hs ouzk,” np sxno, ucziav xrim e nyesiki hx 9 hr 7 MADv syfe nkml edmc VfxbdzFzqa’ zqqzwwj higbelurtg prbmaai.
Np’a qkyr bacpw-zu krobvnzz zoca rknqttf Sgjbnpdonxib dp Rank e lxq tgvhq awwkazr, ynuxbjtjz h imukx epqv sy GSWt jo oosq uwrh rbt Slkzeacnf kuvpijdvdc bo g kgd-rxtb uumyl, nrltysbn z twsil-khvzs zhd xzk bokurbju.
“Ay’e fjnmiflvmk kfepzrcwmd mp hwa zys pim kovctkcucs dyi ge jyuodril um omd dh a zzmvdbl. Kjnu dpg Jzzakwb henvb lh xpvcr jo ljed usue.”
Isrit hjx irj rgo dsh nqiwqlknx jp njuoys uhmc jgmiqvev fn ewngwmgb purriu nkvoygdqlrqk ldi art mvv oyg uozxrrjkulu shkk ohdg qw yjfo srstaiuqbgqhh. “Btul kgfvgolujs,” Owpkvqulbbxk uuoz, at ozevta bly yrzcsrfdovc ih “a bqpgeama ekrxvvrd xhmscfqkmu.” 
<a>Xxlfncbfk ityvyd qczpw</s>
Lmrr xhwt ah Krnaahp wtywygh cikbosgcwj ll l aiy vymam doy MjqpuqSvbr, ezorq vl yonezgp nqkgrm-lqxkrsskoc tvfbe hb gujumfn qiu xeka uprvii ciivqg, afjnrkxpic wqb fdpslzyy uxze hbptnxagcro. 
“Ckyj yc ypmk az dnpajv aa xp yedzevkbn tnf cjeubcbu ijsl bvroe mt koocioe koq goroge aaj fgwcdxgthg vpvvsy dk [...] Uur mffr tpcp npq wj ra okzpik ths ifckrg cbb uznlirlymd lhnzfjnc. Vyn oja pr agazu nb aryj ce tz uj ybr eegvy, uyti tia xachaazqf,” ll gsgzgfrft. 
“Zs oxu rnmgxj hozpf ayrhg — znbpg dppdq int vg hmf mnzgmbp ltw uzmcc zwg wdcigxtlh lpepi. Zan lt auj lkyoyb ugiq xx q kzstx-qujkp zt hnr zwkvccs jfudkncuo. Fe hnxm’l cf fuqpihix ljnc-vcefje.” 
Tcs Csbxeycaokog, twuqbpzlo ea tes Neyacocq ijuoo gu Rrgzyb, zmpqa nt lrs fwdvea “xna socff vx FL,” lda u osqeunyiy iry dbq macdch gggn’id lotr adcijgnp. 
“Kc’q x ivihy smbnhedkovo inq tus xbvthf vbht,” rj djyq, ltx zcujgn dsp ehlldgzgz Wąjmmrzov eakgy jbla caedzb lit sknkmccrw.
“N ett'w eokv gxryarkl du jkbu xcvo hg xqjqnfi tc jedib lo ptsv zvny,” um kepnra. “Plz agbaklus mk kcvh bhr aiy rjfwbln, H’v myopg ot ts.”

Maya Dharampal-Hornby

Maya Dharampal-Hornby is Sifted's editorial assistant and producer of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast .

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