Cisco just made a strategic move in the AI translation space, acquiring Y Combinator-backed startup EzDubs to integrate real-time translation directly into its Webex collaboration platform. The deal, announced over the weekend with undisclosed terms, positions Cisco to compete with tech giants rolling out AI-powered communication features while EzDubs shuts down its consumer apps by December 15.
Cisco is betting big on AI-powered communication with its weekend acquisition of EzDubs, a Y Combinator-backed startup that built real-time translation technology preserving speakers' original voices. The networking giant didn't disclose financial terms, but the deal signals Cisco's push to stay competitive as enterprise communication platforms race to embed AI features.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. EzDubs co-founder Kareem Nassar previously worked at Cisco's Speech AI group before launching the startup in 2023 alongside Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy and Amrutavarsh Kinagi. That inside knowledge of Cisco's infrastructure likely made integration planning smoother from day one.
EzDubs had raised $4.2 million in seed funding led by Venture Highway, founded by former WhatsApp chief business officer Neeraj Arora. The investor lineup reads like a who's who of tech leadership - Replit CEO Amjad Masad, Applied Intuition CEO Qasar Younis, and Replicate CEO Ben Firshman, whose own company was just acquired by Cloudflare on Monday.
The acquisition immediately transforms Cisco's collaboration suite. EzDubs' technology will integrate into Cisco Collaboration, spanning both hardware and software products. Users can expect live translation features rolling out across Webex video calling and messaging platforms, with Cisco indicating the tech could also become available to partners and developers through APIs.
"The EzDubs team will join Cisco Collaboration, working side-by-side with our product, engineering, and go-to-market teams," said Snorre Kjesbu, SVP of Collaboration at Cisco. "Together, we will chart a new course for the industry, one where AI doesn't just support collaboration, but truly empowers it."
But there's a trade-off. EzDubs is shutting down its consumer apps by December 15, ending direct-to-consumer translation services that supported over 30 languages. The startup had gained attention with its video dubbing tool that on X, plus real-time phone call translation that preserved voice and emotion.
