Audion, a leading European audio advertising platform, has raised $15 million and announced its expansion into the United States, marking a significant step in its effort to define the emerging Performance Audio category. CEO Arthur Larrey will relocate to New York City to lead U.S. operations.
The company is building infrastructure to transform digital audio into a scalable, performance-driven advertising channel powered by AI, addressing a gap that has long held audio back relative to search, social, and connected TV. Despite digital audio reaching hundreds of millions of listeners each month, ad investment has lagged due to fragmented buying environments and limited performance visibility.
Audion’s platform combines four core capabilities: addressable audio targeting at scale, where AI analyzes millions of hours of audio content to identify contextual signals including tone, topics, and environment; credible measurement through integration with third-party providers across conversions, store visits, and brand lift; AI-driven in-flight optimization based on real-time performance signals; and adaptive creative that responds dynamically to context, timing, and audience signals. Together, these systems allow campaigns to be planned, activated, and optimized as a unified performance engine.
The $15 million will support U.S. go-to-market operations, partnerships, and continued product development. Audion’s expansion targets U.S. brands and agencies seeking alternatives to increasingly saturated performance channels, positioning audio as a competitive option for budgets traditionally allocated to search and social.
KEY QUOTES:
“Audio has always delivered highly engaged audiences, but it hasn’t been treated as a true performance channel. We’re building the infrastructure to change that while bringing the scale, measurement, and optimization that marketers expect to audio. With this funding and our expansion into the U.S., we’re accelerating the shift and defining the Performance Audio category. The U.S. is the most important advertising market globally, and a critical step in building a global Performance Audio platform. We’re investing ahead of demand because we believe audio is on the verge of becoming a core performance channel.”
Arthur Larrey, CEO, Audion
“Audion combines standout fundamentals, a world-class team, and a bold product vision. As audio converges with video and expands the market opportunity by an order of magnitude, its new AI core product unlocks audio as a scalable performance channel, positioning the company to become a global leader.”
Marc Menasé, Chief Investments Officer, Founders Future
