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ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski says AI development need not stop across the industry: companies should slow deployment when a technology is unsafe, and move ahead when it has been adequately tested. Separately, The Economic Times reports that Prosus has discussed possible investments in Indian fintech startups Kiwi and Oolka; neither reported deal is confirmed as closed.

What did ElevenLabs’ CEO say about slowing AI?

Speaking at an ElevenLabs event in Bengaluru on October 6, 2026, cofounder and CEO Mati Staniszewski argued for evaluating deployment according to safety rather than imposing an industry-wide pause. His position, as reported by The Economic Times, was that unsafe technology should be deployed more slowly, while technology that has been adequately tested can move forward.

Staniszewski told the publication: “There is increasing collaboration across the industry in the space to make sure that people work together to assess this risk,” adding, “But we need to balance the benefits for society and the risks.” These are his views, not evidence of an agreed industry-wide safety standard or a particular testing protocol.

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What did he say about ElevenLabs in India?

Staniszewski described India as ElevenLabs’ second-largest market and said it was growing rapidly. He called India “a voice-first country,” pointing to high usage, early pickup, and new use cases.

Indian language support: current count in the report versus planned expansion

The Economic Times reported that Eleven V4 supported 14 Indian languages at the time of its October 2026 article, and that ElevenLabs planned to expand voice AI to all 22 officially recognised Indian languages “in the coming months.” That 22-language figure was a plan, not confirmation that the full set was already available. ElevenLabs’ current product information describes Eleven v4 as supporting more than 90 languages overall, but does not establish that all 22 Indian languages are supported. See the company’s Eleven v4 announcement and India page.

Enterprise agents

The Economic Times also reported that ElevenLabs was promoting ElevenAgents for enterprise use: a platform to create, deploy, and monitor conversational AI agents, with support across more than 90 languages and enterprise security and controls. ElevenLabs markets enterprise voice AI, including agents for financial services, on its India page. Those are vendor descriptions; they do not independently establish product performance or suitability for a particular business.

What is behind ElevenLabs’ $22 billion valuation?

ElevenLabs announced that it completed a $300 million employee tender offer at a $22 billion valuation. The company’s announcement confirms those figures. The Economic Times reported that the valuation had doubled in roughly eight months; that comparison is the publication’s characterization, not a separate valuation disclosed in the company announcement.

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What Prosus investment discussions were reported?

The Economic Times reported separate discussions involving two Indian fintech companies. It described Prosus’s conversations with Kiwi as exploratory, and reported more advanced funding discussions involving Oolka and Bessemer Venture Partners. The amounts below are reported fundraising targets or terms under discussion, not completed investments.

Company Reported stage Reported financing details
Kiwi Exploratory investment discussions with Prosus Kiwi was seeking around $40 million, according to The Economic Times.
Oolka Advanced funding discussions involving Prosus and Bessemer Venture Partners A reported $40–50 million fundraise at a $200 million post-money valuation, according to The Economic Times.

Kiwi offers bank-issued RuPay credit cards and credit lines for UPI payments, according to the report. The article also said Prosus was in talks with savings startup Bachatt. The discussion stages matter: the reported target amounts and valuation do not show that a round has closed, or that Prosus has committed capital.

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How do the reports fit Prosus’s existing India fintech activity?

The Economic Times described Prosus’s India fintech exposure as historically anchored by PayU and reported that the investor had broadened direct investments into lending, housing finance, and savings. It named Mintifi, Vastu Housing Finance, and Navi among its investments. Prosus’s HY2026 financial statements support the historical context of investments in Mintifi and Vastu. That filing does not independently confirm the reported Kiwi or Oolka discussions, or the reported Navi and Bachatt developments.

The available reporting does not provide comparable operating results, credit-risk measures, or performance data for Kiwi and Oolka. The difference established here is the reported stage of talks and financing terms, not which company is stronger.

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