Listen Labs Abandons $125M Funding Round Amid Salesforce Acquisition Talks

Listen Labs, an AI research startup that uses voice-based artificial intelligence to interview customers, has withdrawn from a $125 million Series C funding round. The deal was expected to value the company at $1.5 billion with Menlo Ventures leading the investment.

The unexpected move is rare in the venture capital market and may indicate ongoing negotiations for Salesforce to acquire Listen Labs. Reports suggest that the potential acquisition could be worth around $2 billion, although talks are still in progress.

Listen Labs' technology enables companies to analyze customer needs and responses more quickly. The startup's customers include Microsoft, Canva, Anthropic, and Sweetgreen.