According to insider sources, AI-powered voice recording card company Plaud is rumored to have secured funding from tech giant Tencent in mid-2025. Initially valued at US$1 billion, its valuation has now reportedly surged to around US$2 billion. Furthermore, the company is said to be forging ahead with hardware collaboration alongside Tencent Meeting. However, both Plaud and Tencent have swiftly dismissed these reports as unfounded.
Plaud has adeptly capitalized on the burgeoning trend of AI voice recording hardware, a movement initially sparked by ChatGPT. It swiftly rose to prominence in 2023 by effectively addressing a key pain point for Apple phone users: the challenge of recording overseas calls. By 2025, Plaud's revenue has witnessed a threefold increase, with global sales eclipsing the one million unit mark. Nevertheless, the company finds itself contending with stiff competition from industry titans in the Chinese market, presenting significant hurdles to its continued growth and expansion.