Voices.com, the largest global voice over online marketplace, today announced an $18 million growth investment from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, the growth-focused private investment platform within Morgan Stanley Investment Management. This represents the Company´s first institutional investment since its founding in 2005. Investment funds will be used to scale global operations, expand client and subscriber product offerings and further enhance Voices.com´s leading proprietary technology and systems.
Voices.com is the leading global platform connecting buyers of audio and voice over products and services with the largest online selection of over 200,000 voice actors representing over 100 languages and dialects. Its flagship website, www.voices.com, records approximately two million unique visitors annually and has enabled over 250,000 transactions to date. Users leverage the site to complete animation, documentary, corporate content, film, radio, video game and other projects.
The global voice over industry is measured at over $4 billion annually, with the online portion growing rapidly. This is being driven by demand for high quality, accessible, heterogeneous voice over talent, which is seamlessly selected and delivered through the Company’s end-to-end online platform. Work is generally completed within 24-48 hours, dramatically shortening production schedules when compared to historical recording methods.
Business clients include thousands of the world´s largest brands, such as Supercell, creator of the popular mobile games Clash of Clans and Boom Beach; Whirlpool; David Studio Colombia S.A.S., the in-house audiovisual post-production company for Ogilvy & Mather Colombia; S.A.S. and the team behind the South American Coca-Cola commercials; and Made.for.Digital, an Amsterdam-based production company that has sourced voice over talent for the likes of Bose and Chevrolet.
“Voices.com has broken the traditional barriers of time, geography and access to bring the best voice over actors to our clients without sacrificing product quality, thanks to technological advances. This investment marks the beginning of a new era for the Company and will enable us to even better serve our diverse set of constituents,†Voices.com CEO and Co-Founder David Ciccarelli explains. “Content creators, whether video producers or brand managers at companies large and small, expect voice over work to move at the speed of thought, and Voices.com makes that possible. As we embark on our next phase of growth, we will stay laser focused on delivering increased value to both our business clients and voice over talent."
"We are excited to enter into this partnership with Voices.com," adds Robert Bassman, Managing Principal at Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital. “Through its online leadership position, the Company is addressing a large market with evolving customer demands – from traditional broadcast and radio advertisements to audiobooks and podcasts to digital media formats. The Company’s technology-enabled self- and full-service product offerings combined with its broad access to talent provide a compelling value proposition. We are excited to be part of the Company´s future growth and look forward to working with the Voices.com team as it continues to scale its business."
“Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital’s involvement and investment experience closely aligns with the vision we´ve had for Voices.com’s continued growth. Its passion for and support of our shared vision promises to open up a whole new world of opportunities for our business, employees, talent and customers,†says Voices.com Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Stephanie Ciccarelli.
About Voices.com
Founded in 2005, Voices.com is the largest global online marketplace for audio and voice over products and services comprised of nearly half a million business clients and voice actors. Its flagship website, www.voices.com, records approximately two million unique visitors annually and has enabled over 250,000 transactions to date. Headquartered in London, Canada, the Company employs more than 100 people and has clients and voice talent in 139 countries. For more information, visit www.voices.com or follow Voices on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital
Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital is the growth-focused private investment platform within Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital targets growth equity and credit investments within technology, healthcare, consumer, digital media and other high growth sectors. For over three decades, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital has successfully pursued growth investment opportunities and has completed investments in over 190 companies leveraging the global brand and network of Morgan Stanley.
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