A Queensland startup is working on giving throat cancer patients their real voice back. All it needs is about 10 seconds of old audio. A voicemail, a home video, a clip off social media.
The first device
Laronix’s first product, AVA Voice, is a wearable electronic voice prosthesis for people who have had their larynx removed. It reads the wearer’s breathing signals when they go to speak, and uses AI to produce the voice. It has been approved by the FDA in the US and the TGA in Australia.
The new part
The newer technology, called MIRA-AI, recreates a patient’s own natural voice instead of a generic synthetic one. It needs as little as 10 seconds of recorded speech, and is not tied to any language or accent. It was developed with Google after Laronix joined the Google for Startups program in 2025. Pre-release testing is under way with clinicians in Australia and at major US hospitals, with a broader release planned for next year, subject to fundraising.
The founder
Dr Farzaneh Ahmadi founded Laronix and has worked on the problem since 2020. The company is based on the Gold Coast. Along the way it has picked up a $2M seed round led by Scale Investors and $3.2M in non-dilutive federal funding in 2025.
My read
Everyone argues about AI voice cloning being used to steal a voice. The best thing it can do is give one back.