Google’s innovative AI note-taking and research assistant, NotebookLM, captured widespread acclaim upon its launch. Its remarkable ability to swiftly generate summaries and reports, alongside transforming extensive documents into engaging “podcasts” featuring AI-hosted discussions, has sparked users’ imaginations and significantly aided their research efforts.
Building on NotebookLM’s success, a trio of developers who contributed to the project are now venturing into an audio-centric application named Huxe. This new app enables users to deeply explore various topics by creating AI-generated podcasts with multiple hosts. The startup revealed on Tuesday that it has successfully raised $4.6 million in funding from esteemed investors including Conviction, Genius Ventures, Figma’s CEO Dylan Field, and Google Research’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean.
Initial access to the app was limited to an invite-only basis since June, but it is now available to all users on iOS and Android platforms.
The founding team, comprising Raiza Martin, Jason Spielman, and Stephen Hughes, departed Google in December 2024 to pursue their independent ideas. They initially launched a chatbot oriented towards B2B applications but soon shifted focus to the consumer sector, resulting in a personal assistant developed in March 2025 that could produce custom images, videos, and audio.
“During our exploratory phase, we discovered that users appreciated the ability to generate audio content on diverse topics. We also noted that many utilized the app during specific moments to catch up on news or receive daily updates while engaged in other tasks,” Martin shared with TechCrunch.
This observation inspired the development of Huxe.
Huxe provides users with a daily briefing tailored to their email and schedule, while also allowing exploration of various topics. Similar to NotebookLM, it generates podcasts with AI hosts discussing selected subjects. Users can interact with the AI hosts by posing questions or asking for clarification on particular aspects.
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A unique aspect of Huxe is its functionality that enables users to establish a “live station” around any topic, be it technology, sports, or celebrity news. Post-listening to a station, the app fetches updates from various sources, making it easier for users to stay informed on evolving news stories. Additionally, it features a personalized interest feed that automatically curates audio content likely to appeal to individual users.
Martin noted that similar to the power users of NotebookLM, Huxe is witnessing positive engagement from its core users that drives product feedback.
“This product perfectly addresses the needs of individuals who spend extended periods on their screens with numerous tabs open. Users can catch up on their emails, schedules, and current events without needing to focus on their screens,” she remarked.
Currently, Huxe primarily caters to the information market, though there are potential avenues for entertaining applications as well. Companies in India, such as Pocket FM and Kuku FM, are already exploring AI’s capabilities to enable users to create content. Huxe isn’t the only entity embracing audio; startups like ElevenLabs and Oboe are also utilizing audio as a medium, along with tech giants like Google and Meta.
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