Deal at innovative speech-to-text dictation software company represents unique case of Google for Startups Accelerator mentorship program leading to major investment
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AI—Talkatoo, creators of the easy-to-use, efficient, and platform-agnostic dictation software for animal health professionals, today announced it has closed a new, oversubscribed round of funding, led by Klick Ventures.
Klick is joined in the investment by Blu Ventures, Concrete Ventures, Manifold Group, Globalive Capital, as well as notable angel investor Dr. Ivan Zak, CEO at Galaxy Vets. The capital from the U.S. and Canadian investors will be used to further accelerate Talkatoo’s explosive double-digit growth and leadership in the animal health sector.
“Talkatoo is quickly becoming known among veterinary professionals as the dictation tool of choice as it lets them allocate more time to patient care,” said company CEO Shawn Wilkie. “Not only does our software instantly transcribe notes on all applications, but it leverages both artificial intelligence and our proprietary, built-in medical dictionary to help ensure that complicated medical terms are identified and accurately transcribed in clinical reports, records, and other important communications.”
“We love Talkatoo’s innovative approach to solving an important unmet need in the animal health space,” said Leerom Segal, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Klick Group. “We are very excited about Talkatoo’s future and the competitive advantage they offer as professional organizations increasingly adopt voice technology for added convenience and productivity at work.”
One of only 12 companies selected to the exclusive Google for Startups Accelerator program’s Voice AI cohort, Talkatoo was originally paired up with Klick for mentorship.
Head of Google’s U.S. Startup Developer Ecosystem Jason Scott said Klick’s investment in Talkatoo is a rare instance of a program mentor becoming an investor, which speaks volumes about both Klick’s commitment to health innovation and the strength of Talkatoo’s product offering.
Voice AI cascading into animal health
“We were thrilled to welcome Talkatoo into our inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator: Voice AI program,” said Scott. “Talkatoo’s ability to provide veterinary professionals with a simple, elegant, and empowering voice-enabled solution that’s consistent and reliable across devices will have an incredible impact on the industry. At Google, we’re proud to be part of their journey.”
Google Research Scientist Bill Byrne, a speech and dialogue interface pioneer, said, “We expect continued growth in the Voice AI market as it cascades into industry verticals with breakthrough tools that provide value to business professionals and enhance the workplace. Talkatoo’s vision of providing veterinary professionals with an innovative and enjoyable voice recognition experience across various devices will undoubtedly drive adoption in this space.”
According to Segal, “The more we got to know Shawn, his vision, and the impressive inroads he and his team have been making in animal health, the more we wanted to invest in Talkatoo and help contribute to their success as a disruptive market leader.”
Talkatoo has been called “an invaluable resource to the veterinary community” by industry insiders. Earlier this year, Patterson Veterinary announced it was providing Talkatoo software to thousands of veterinary practices across the U.S. through its veterinary practice management software.
About Talkatoo
Talkatoo is a technology company that does dictation software differently. Its software helps busy veterinary professionals cut documentation time in half, so they can spend more time with patients and less time on after-hours typing. Talkatoo’s affordable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model, user-friendly interface, and its ability to integrate with all applications without lengthy training or expensive hardware set it apart from traditional boxed dictation software. To see Talkatoo in action, click here.
About Klick Ventures
Klick Ventures is a health innovation-focused venture group built on over two decades of partnering with life science companies to commercialize their businesses successfully. With its $25-million Klick Brave Fund 1, unique approach backed by proven playbooks, and highly experienced integrated team, Klick Ventures partners with investors and entrepreneurs, deploying its private resources and sharing the risk in ventures that transform healthcare and improve lives. For example, Klick played a foundational role in disrupting the non-emergency medical transportation model by co-founding and incubating Circulation, which was successfully built and exited in under two years.
The Klick Group of companies – Klick Health (including Klick Katalyst), Klick Media Group, Klick Applied Sciences (including Klick Labs), Klick Consulting, Klick Ventures, and Sensei Labs – is an ecosystem of brilliant talent collectively working to maximize their people and clients’ full potential. Established in 1997, Klick has teams in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and across North America. Klick has consistently been named a Best Managed Company and Great Place to Work. In 2020, the company was recognized with 14 Best Workplace awards, including Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces for Inclusion, Employee-Recommended Workplaces, Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and FORTUNE’s Best Places to Work in New York.
Contacts
For media inquiries:
Marisa McWilliams, Manager, Communications, Klick Group
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 862-335-8165
Sheryl Steinberg, SVP, Communications, Klick Group
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 416-214-4977 ext. 2412
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