VoiceVibes acquired by global sales enablement company

VoiceVibes, a local startup that developed a platform using AI for speech coaching, was acquired by Bigtincan, a global company which makes software to help sales teams, the companies announced this month.

Waltham, Massachusetts-based Bigtincan will bring on VoiceVibes’ technology and team, and the Baltimore company’s brand will be maintained following the acquisition. Terms were not disclosed.

VoiceVibes was founded in 2012 by Debra Bond Cancro, who brought experience from AT&T Bell Labs, Broadcom Corporation and as a founder. The company’s platform focuses on measuring how a speech is perceived — the “vibes” — in 20 areas, like confidence, clarity and pace. It does this by analyzing a sample of speech and giving feedback that’s tuned by millions of data points to what a typical audience would think. (Check out how it analyzed the fall’s presidential debates.)

As Cancro told us in 2019, the company developed a business area built to apply these algorithms to the area of coaching for sales presentations and pitches.

“It’s perfectly aligned” with Bigtincan, Cancro told Technical.ly last week. Bigtincan, which was founded in Melbourne, Australia, and is traded on that country’s stock exchange, has a software platform focused on sales and digital engagement. It has a particular focus on sales enablement, which involves equipping teams with tools to be more effective, and engaging with buyers digitally.

“In the sales space, there were all of these opportunities that were a perfect fit,” Cancro said.

Going forward, Cancro will serve as head of voice analytics at Bigtincan, as she and VoiceVibes’ team add a Baltimore presence to a company that also has offices across the U.S., as well as in Europe and Asia.

“VoiceVibes’ AI-powered coaching platform helps professionals make the best impression, every time they speak,” Bigtincan cofounder David Keane said in a statement. “By adding the VoiceVibes technology, Bigtincan expands our lead in AI for sales enablement and helps our customers train their sellers faster.”

Cancro has ably connected to the local tech community over the years. VoiceVibes received backing from two angel investors. It also received funding from TEDCO, and shared with other founders as part of roundtables focused on women entrepreneurs and edtech. Cancro is also involved with MAGIC, the Carroll County org seeking to grow the entrepreneurial community.

While she will continue to build VoiceVibes, Cancro is also mindful that there’s a role to play for entrepreneurs who have gone on to exit events.

“I definitely want to give back, just as people gave to me,” she said.