Peterborough-based podcast maker secures £50k grant to develop services

​A Peterborough-based AI start-up business has secured a £50,000 grant to develop an innovative audio advertising system for small businesses.

Start-up business Klaxon AI has been awarded the funding by the government-backed agency Innovate UK to develop an innovative audio advertising system for small businesses.

The funding will allow the newly created business to develop a self-serve podcast advertising creation system aimed at small business owners.

Arup Biswas. co-founder and chief executive, said: “Podcasts are the fastest growing medium worldwide but they are time-consuming, challenging and expensive to make, meaning that most creators quit before their fourth episode.

“Our mission is to democratise podcasting by enabling anyone anywhere to create a podcast in minutes without the need for expensive equipment, technical expertise, a script, or even a broadcast voice.

Mr Biswas, who won the UK Marketing Specialist of the Year two years ago, added: “We have just launched our innovative fully-managed service for businesses and existing content creators, and this Innovate UK funding will accelerate the extension of this service to enable anyone to create podcast adverts too.”

Klaxon AI was founded last year by media professionals Mr Biswas and Mark Woodward.

The business harnesses artificial intelligence to research, script, voice and create podcasts at the touch of a button.

Mr Biswas said the user selects a topic, length, language and voice for the podcast and the software then delivers a finished podcast in minutes.