Key Takeaways
- • Piotr Dabkowski cofounded ElevenLabs, an AI voice agent startup valued at $6.6 billion in October 2025, alongside high school friend Mateusz Staniszewski, with each founder holding an estimated 15% stake.
- • Dabkowski, age 31, is a former Google machine learning engineer who leads research and engineering at ElevenLabs; Staniszewski, a former Palantir deployment strategist, serves as CEO in the company's flat organizational structure.
- • The cofounders bootstrapped ElevenLabs in 2022 after pooling savings and leaving their respective positions at Google and Palantir, capitalizing on their combined expertise in AI and machine learning.
- • Dabkowski holds a degree from Oxford University and is based in Warsaw, Poland, though ElevenLabs operates as a dual-headquarters company with offices in both Warsaw and London.
- • ElevenLabs specializes in AI voice cloning and audio generation technology, positioning itself to address limitations in traditional voice synthesis and sound effects production.
Summary
Piotr Dabkowski, 31, is the cofounder and research head of ElevenLabs, a Warsaw and London-based artificial intelligence voice agent startup that has achieved significant valuation momentum in the AI sector. Private investors valued the company at $6.6 billion in October 2025, reflecting strong institutional confidence in the AI audio generation market. Dabkowski and his cofounder Mateusz Staniszewski each own approximately 15% of the company, representing substantial wealth creation within less than four years of the venture's founding.
Dabkowski brings deep technical credentials to the role, having worked as a machine learning engineer at Google before cofounding ElevenLabs. His cofounder Staniszewski previously served as a deployment strategist at Palantir Technologies, combining infrastructure expertise with Dabkowski's AI research background. The two were high school friends from Poland who began experimenting with artificial intelligence while still employed at their respective firms. In 2022, they made the pivotal decision to leave their positions, pool their personal savings, and commit full-time to developing ElevenLabs.
The company operates without traditional corporate titles, though Staniszewski effectively functions as CEO while Dabkowski leads the research and engineering teams. This lean organizational structure has enabled rapid advancement in AI audio technology. ElevenLabs has focused on developing advanced AI audio models and voice cloning capabilities, positioning the startup to overcome perceived limitations in traditional voice synthesis and sound effects production. The company's technology has attracted partnerships with major publishers, including HarperCollins, signaling adoption beyond pure technology markets.
Dabkowski's educational background includes a bachelor's degree from Oxford University. His Polish citizenship and Warsaw residence reflect the emerging role of Eastern European talent in leading-edge AI development, alongside the company's strategic expansion into London's fintech and technology corridor. At $6.6 billion valuation with dual founders each holding 15% stakes, ElevenLabs represents a notable success in the AI voice generation sector and illustrates how engineers from established tech firms and defense-adjacent companies can create substantial venture value through focused AI research.
Dabkowski brings deep technical credentials to the role, having worked as a machine learning engineer at Google before cofounding ElevenLabs. His cofounder Staniszewski previously served as a deployment strategist at Palantir Technologies, combining infrastructure expertise with Dabkowski's AI research background. The two were high school friends from Poland who began experimenting with artificial intelligence while still employed at their respective firms. In 2022, they made the pivotal decision to leave their positions, pool their personal savings, and commit full-time to developing ElevenLabs.
The company operates without traditional corporate titles, though Staniszewski effectively functions as CEO while Dabkowski leads the research and engineering teams. This lean organizational structure has enabled rapid advancement in AI audio technology. ElevenLabs has focused on developing advanced AI audio models and voice cloning capabilities, positioning the startup to overcome perceived limitations in traditional voice synthesis and sound effects production. The company's technology has attracted partnerships with major publishers, including HarperCollins, signaling adoption beyond pure technology markets.
Dabkowski's educational background includes a bachelor's degree from Oxford University. His Polish citizenship and Warsaw residence reflect the emerging role of Eastern European talent in leading-edge AI development, alongside the company's strategic expansion into London's fintech and technology corridor. At $6.6 billion valuation with dual founders each holding 15% stakes, ElevenLabs represents a notable success in the AI voice generation sector and illustrates how engineers from established tech firms and defense-adjacent companies can create substantial venture value through focused AI research.
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