Can Matthew McConaughey’s AI-backed ElevenLabs become Hollywood’s voice of the future?

ElevenLabs, the AI audio company backed by Matthew McConaughey, is positioning itself as a major force in Hollywood as it expands its influence across film, television, and digital entertainment.

Founded in 2021 by Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dąbkowski, the company was originally created to improve the quality of dubbed audio in films. It has since grown into one of the leading players in AI voice technology, using advanced text-to-speech systems designed to replicate natural human expression with increasing accuracy.

The company recently raised $500 million in funding and is now valued at approximately $11 billion. A significant portion of its revenue reportedly comes from corporate clients using its technology for customer service systems, while content creators on platforms like YouTube are also adopting its tools for multilingual voiceovers and localization.

ElevenLabs has begun expanding deeper into the entertainment industry, with growing interest from studios exploring how AI-generated voices could be integrated into production workflows. The company has also partnered with high-profile figures, including actors who have licensed or collaborated on voice-related projects.

Among its most notable supporters is Matthew McConaughey, who joined as an investor and has used ElevenLabs technology to translate his newsletter into Spanish. The actor has publicly praised the platform’s storytelling potential and continues to explore further collaborations.

Despite its rapid rise, ElevenLabs has also faced scrutiny from voice actors concerned about job displacement. The company previously settled a legal dispute involving allegations of misused voice data, though it denied wrongdoing.

As AI continues to reshape creative industries, ElevenLabs says its focus is on collaboration rather than replacement, encouraging artists and studios to integrate its tools into existing storytelling workflows as it pushes further into Hollywood’s production ecosystem.