SpokenLayer is a New York–based audio company, founded in 2012 by 📝Will Mayo, that turns publishers' written content into short-form audio and distributes and monetizes it wherever people listen, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Its customers are news and media publishers and the brands that advertise alongside their audio.
SpokenLayer launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2012 with a plan to add a human-voiced layer to the web, building a network of voice-over talent to read publisher content for distribution as podcasts (TechCrunch). The arrival of smart speakers gave the model a second life: the company became a supplier of publisher news briefings for voice platforms, working with outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Politico, Condé Nast, and McClatchy. In July 2019 former Pandora executive Andy Lipset became CEO and Mayo moved to Chief Strategy Officer (Radio Online). Its backers have included Beasley Media Group, Guardian Media Group Ventures, Betaworks, North Base Media, Graham Holdings, and Matter Ventures.
I'm an investor in SpokenLayer and have served as a CFO advisor, including work on ListenDot. Before Alexa, Will built the business on very little money, and without his perseverance it would have been left to die a noble death.