AI for Human Connection: Enabling Equitable Communication with Nagish

In today's world, communication is paramount. Yet, this essential aspect of life can be a daily challenge for individuals with hearing loss. Enter Nagish, a company revolutionizing how the deaf and hard-of-hearing community interacts with the world. 

We’re thrilled to announce Canaan's Series A investment in Nagish and its potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions.

Nagish (meaning "accessible" in Hebrew) addresses a fundamental need in the hard-of-hearing community: seamless communication. This community has long faced significant communication challenges, affecting nearly every aspect of daily life – from personal relationships to professional opportunities. Traditional methods like hearing aids, TTY (teletypewriter) devices, and relay services have provided some assistance. Still, they often fail to offer the seamless, real-time interaction critical for true inclusivity. They are cumbersome, slow, and must be integrated into the modern, mobile-first world. Nagish provides a powerful new solution purpose-built for the hard-of-hearing community: an intuitive mobile app using AI to convert spoken word into text in real time and vice versa, making communication much easier and more natural for individuals with hearing loss.

The power of Nagish lies in its real-world applications. This tech isn’t an abstract concept but a tangible tool transforming daily life for the growing population of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. (Estimates suggest that there will be 700 million people with disabling hearing loss by 2050. That’s one in every ten people!) Imagine a hard-of-hearing individual trying to make a phone call, attend a business meeting, or even have a casual conversation with a friend. With Nagish, these interactions become effortless and natural. The app transcribes spoken words into text and converts typed text back into speech in real time with particular attention to the nuanced needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that basic transcription doesn’t address, e.g., identifying the difference between an automated voice and a live operator, or the difference between a pause in conversation and a hold. This allows for smooth, uninterrupted communication.

For some, the ability to participate in real-time conversations with colleagues through Nagish has already led to better job performance and enhanced career prospects. For others, the ability to communicate through Nagish with family and friends has restored confidence and drastically improved the quality of life. These are success stories and powerful examples of how Nagish transforms lives. By breaking down communication barriers, Nagish is not just another AI tool. It’s a catalyst for empowerment, independence, and social inclusion, inspiring a new era of communication for individuals with hearing loss.

Of note, Nagish recently achieved a significant milestone, being certified by the FCC as one of the few trusted and regulated providers of relay services. This certification is a testament to Nagish's commitment to equal communication access, its ability to meet federal standards and provide reliable services, and its dedication to the hard-of-hearing community. It also ensures accessibility to all users who need it, regardless of their economic situation. 

Our mission at Canaan is to back visionary entrepreneurs who are transforming industries and improving lives, and Nagish exemplifies this mission perfectly. From the beginning, Tomer Aharoni and Alon Ezer have been deeply committed to understanding the needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and ingraining that knowledge into Nagish. They have several deaf team members, spend time with individuals in the deaf community, and do advocacy work in the industry. The team’s passion is evident in every aspect of the company, from the meticulous development of the app to their relentless dedication to user testing and continuous improvement. 

We’re proud to support Nagish and its push toward a world where communication knows no barriers and every voice is heard. We can’t wait to see what’s next!