Rylo (rylo.com), an AI accessibility company formerly known as Nagish, has raised $85 million in growth financing led by General Catalyst and Canaan. The platform provides free FCC-certified real-time captioning for phone calls and in-person conversations, supporting over 50 languages for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. The capital will expand operations and product development.
AI Accessibility Funding Accelerates
The round arrives as live captioning demand surges. Rylo targets $100 million ARR by the end of 2026 and $1 billion by 2028. Its FCC certification allows reimbursement revenue while remaining free to users, a model held by only a handful of providers.
Narrow Scope Limits Existing Tools
Current solutions often focus on single use cases such as calls or meetings. Rylo combines phone captions, live in-person transcription, and sign-language AI after acquiring Sign.mt in 2025. With just 1 percent U.S. market penetration at current run rates, the addressable opportunity remains largely untapped.
Purpose-Built AI Drives Differentiation
Rylo's app delivers sentiment cues, quick replies, and multilingual support without wearables or hardware. CEO Tomer Aharoni emphasized the focus on efficiency:
"We're fighting hard to stay small and use AI as much as possible."
The approach contrasts with narrower competitors like InnoCaption and Ava by covering both calls and conversations in one free, FCC-certified service.
Tier-1 Investors Validate Platform
General Catalyst led via its Customer Value Fund, joined by Canaan, Vertex Ventures, and Contour. The $500 million valuation and $101 million total funding signal strong conviction in vertical AI for regulated accessibility markets. Existing backers increased participation, indicating sustained product-market fit.
Live Captioning Market Triples by 2035
The live captioning market stands at $2.72 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $8.29 billion by 2035 at a 13.2 percent CAGR. Broader AI accessibility tools are expanding even faster. Rylo's rebrand and funding position it to capture share in a space where most communication technology was originally built for hearing users.
Community Focus Shapes Roadmap
With 32 employees and early profitability, Rylo plans to scale its communication engine. Recent activity includes participation in sign-language AI summits and internal emphasis on Deaf community representation in leadership roles.