DeepL Voice named to Fast Company's 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list

Recognition highlights DeepL's breakthrough voice-to-voice AI translation technology and its impact on how people communicate and work across languages in real time

NEW YORK and COLOGNE, Germany, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepL, a global leader in Language AI, today announced that that DeepL Voice, its real-time speech translation solution, has been named to Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech list, which recognizes breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform industries and shape the future.

DeepL Voice was selected in the Applied AI category for its voice to voice translation technology, enabling people to speak naturally in their own language while another instantly hears the meaning in theirs. The result is more natural, real-time communication across languages, with fewer barriers to global participation and collaboration.

"Voice AI is fundamentally changing the way companies build teams and operate globally," said Jarek Kutylowski. "When language is no longer a barrier, companies can bring in the right expertise wherever it exists, make better use of the talent they already have, and enable teams to work much more effectively with colleagues, customers and partners across borders. In a world where great talent is becoming harder to find, that can have a profound impact on how businesses grow."

Since introducing voice to voice capabilities within DeepL Voice in April 2026, the company has continued to push the technology forward. DeepL released new Voice AI models in September that now preserve each speaker's distinct voice, tone, rhythm and expression across languages, making multilingual conversations feel far more natural. Instead of hearing the same synthetic voice for every translation, different speakers remain recognizable, even in conversations with multiple participants.

"The most exciting technology innovations are the ones that move beyond promise to demonstrate real potential for impact," said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "The companies and teams recognized on this year's list are tackling ambitious problems with new ideas, products, and approaches that have the potential to fundamentally shape the years ahead."

DeepL Voice is already delivering measurable impact among businesses around the world. Aramark and Avendra International use DeepL Voice to help global teams communicate across languages, cutting meeting times by up to 50% while enabling near-100% participation from non-native speakers. Inetum, a European IT consultancy uses DeepL Voice to scale knowledge sharing and consultant deployment across borders, supporting more than 28,000 employees across 19 countries.

DeepL is also expanding where Voice can operate. Through the DeepL Voice API, businesses can bring real-time multilingual speech into contact centers, custom applications and their own products.

For more information on DeepL Voice and to try it yourself, visit https://www.deepl.com/en/products/voice.

View the complete Fast Company 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list here.

About DeepL
DeepL is a global AI company building the language infrastructure that powers global business. More than 200,000 business teams and millions of individuals use DeepL's Language AI platform to communicate globally, collaborate and operate across languages in real time. By combining breakthrough AI models with enterprise-grade security and privacy, DeepL enables organizations to work seamlessly across markets and cultures. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jarek Kutylowski, DeepL now has more than 900 employees and is backed by leading investors including Benchmark, IVP and Index Ventures. Learn more at www.deepl.com.

About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com.

SOURCE DeepL