Specialized startups vs. generic models
At the same time, specialized AI translation startups like DeepL and Unbabel are betting they can carve out a niche vs. foundation models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic and competing big tech products.
These specialized startups emphasize their focus on compliance, accuracy, purpose-built models, and workflow tools as differentiators.
In May, Germany-based DeepL raised a $300M Series B round at a $2B valuation just over a year after hitting a $1B valuation. It reports over 100,000 business customers.