2. Company profile
• Mission:
• Enable Voice Communication/Operation in any environment
• Unleash the potential of voice as a Natural User Interface (NUI)
• Means: Speech enhancement microphone, operating in any noise environment
• Technology, Product & Business Status:
• Operational prototype, validating the core technology
• Commercialization verified for consumer electronics (cost & size)
• Joint Development Agreement signed with Top Automotive OEM
• Investment and collaboration agreement Signed with 3M corp
Feb-132 VocalZoom Presentation
3. Yechiel Kurtz,
Active Chairman &
President (MBA, BScEE):
23 yrs of operational and
investment experience as an
executive with Apax Partners
and MRV Communications
(Nasdaq MRVC). Involved as
an Angel in several startups,
from inception to exit.
Tal Bakish,
Founder & CEO
(B.Sc Physics):
11 yrs experience in VLSI
engineering with Cisco
Systems, IBM, Modu-mobile,
Intel, Connect-One,
Transwitch & Compass-EOS;
Founder in several startups.
Gabi Horovitz,
VP R&D
(MsCEE, BsCEE):
24 yrs of R&D practice, with
unique multidisciplinary
experience in optics,
electronics and signal
processing algorithms.
Proven success in developing
a product from concept to
commercial product …
Jaron Peleg, Director
of NPI & Operations (BSc
Mechanical engineering):
Over 23 years of experience
in system engineering and
operations with companies
such as Elbit Systems,
NexTec and ChipExpress.
Thierry,
Physics expert
(Ph.D. Chemical Physics):
Extensive experience in a
wide variety of technological
fields: chemistry, physics,
optics and lasers, electronics,
and material processing.
Worked in V-Gen, Arkema,
bTendo and Mempile.
Mark Raipel,
DSP expert
(MsCEE , BsCEE):
24 years of experience in
voice DSP algorithms for
commercial products in
companies such as DSPG and
AudioCodes.
Dr. Yekutiel Avargel and
Prof. Israel Cohen, Signal
Processing:
Prof. Cohen is one of the
leading authorities on signal
processing for speech
enhancement; Dr. Avargel has
collaborated with Prof. Cohen
for several years
Stas Tiomkin,
Voice recognition
Advisor:
Vast experience with VR
engines , Consultant in many
companies such as IBM,
AudioCodes and RadLive.
Team
Feb-133 VocalZoom Presentation
4. Need & Opportunity
Main problem:
Noise (including other speaker’s voice)
limits usage only to quiet environments
Opportunity: enable widespread
use of voice in significant markets
•Personal & Commercial communications
(Notebooks, Automotive, conferencing,
cellphones, etc.)
•Speech Operation
(Automotive, Notebooks, Gaming,
dictation, etc.)
Automotive Cellphones Calls
Home EntertainmentCall Centers
Conferencing
Feb-134 VocalZoom Presentation
5. VocalZoom’s innovation
Combination of two independent sensors,
optical and acoustic, provides an unparalleled
improvement in Speech Enhancement
Noisy Audio Signal is received
by Acoustic Microphone
Digital filters are applied
to the Noisy Audio Signal
based on the Optical Signal
Optical sensor, immune to acoustic noise,
measures vibrations from throat/face of speaker
and converts data into Audio Signal
The result:
Noise Free audio signal
Feb-135 VocalZoom Presentation
6. Original recording:Original recording:
-5: -10 dB Voice vs. Noise (very hgh noise)-5: -10 dB Voice vs. Noise (very hgh noise)
Google voice result:Google voice result:
0%0% ((ZEROZERO) Word Recognition rate) Word Recognition rate
With VZ technology:With VZ technology:
> 20dB Voice vs. Noise> 20dB Voice vs. Noise
Google voice result:Google voice result:
100% Word Recognition rate100% Word Recognition rate
Very strong background noise
Feb-136 VocalZoom Presentation
Click to listen to original recording Click to listen to processed signal using VZ technology
7. Original recording:Original recording:
3dB Voice vs. Noise (mid-high noise)3dB Voice vs. Noise (mid-high noise)
With VZ technology:With VZ technology:
17dB Voice vs. Noise (very good SNR)17dB Voice vs. Noise (very good SNR)
Cocktail Party Noise
Feb-137 VocalZoom Presentation
Click to listen to original recording Click to listen to processed signal using VZ technology
8. Original recording:Original recording:
2dB Voice vs. Noise (mid-high noise)2dB Voice vs. Noise (mid-high noise)
Google voice result:Google voice result:
0%0% ((ZEROZERO) Word Recognition rate) Word Recognition rate
With VZ technology:With VZ technology:
20dB Voice vs. Noise (very good SNR)20dB Voice vs. Noise (very good SNR)
Google voice result:Google voice result:
100% (perfect) Word Recognition rate100% (perfect) Word Recognition rate
Restaurant Noise
Feb-138 VocalZoom Presentation
Click to listen to original recording Click to listen to processed signal using VZ technology
10. Automotive OEM - Testing Summary
• In-car testing on female and male subjects,
driving at 100 KMH (60 MPH)
• Car tests noise scenarios:
open/closed windows;
with/without background speaker
• Without VZ:
Recognition rate dropped to 0-40%
• With VZ:
VR engine maintained 60%-95% recognition rate
Feb-1310 VocalZoom Presentation
11. • US Patent 7,775,113 for direct sampling on active speaker
• US Patent 8,286,493 for dual Acoustic/Optical sensors
• Patent (pending) for unique speech enhancement algorithm
• Patent (pending) for advanced improvement
of Voice Recognition rates
• Patent (pending) for Optical Sensor implementation
• Patent (pending) for application-related IP
Intellectual Property
Feb-1311 VocalZoom Presentation
12. Product Offering
• Integrated Speech Enhancement microphone:
• 1st
gen size target 10x10 mm;
• Integrated Speech Enhancement microphone:
• 2nd
gen size target 6x6 mm;
• Timeline:
20142013
2015
2012
Jul
Fully Functional
demonstration unit,
including tracking real-
time (PC) processing
Q1-Q2
Eng Samples
with 1st
Gen ASIC
Q3-Q4
1st
generation
sales units
Jan
POC
demo
unit
Oct
Fully Functional
Dev. Kit with
embedded
processing
Q1-Q2
Eng Samples
with 2nd
Gen ASIC
Feb-1312 VocalZoom Presentation
ASIC +
DSP
ASIC +
DSP
Laser
diode
Laser
diode
photo
diode
photo
diode
13. Integration options
• Simple analog microphone replacement
(with power)
• Simple digital microphone
(I2S interface)
• Feature-rich digital microphone,
providing parameters such as Pitch,
VAD and Speaker location,
in addition to Audio
Feb-1313 VocalZoom Presentation
14. Competition
• Several “noise cancelation” technologies exist (Directional Mics, Mic Arrays, and Bone
Conduction mics), but they all have major disadvantages:
• Mainly address stationary noise (wind, machinery, etc.)
• Can’t eliminate other voices (except bone conduction)
• Bone Conduction requires physical contact, and therefore can’t be integrated into end-user devices
• VocalZoom’s Competitive Advantage
• The only remote sensing technology able to isolate a target voice from any other noise
• Test results indicate a profound affect on Voice Recognition accuracy
Feb-1314 VocalZoom Presentation
15. Market potential
Application VZ value add VZ
TAM ($m(
Long term assumptions
Automotive OEM Improve voice quality and enable handsfree operation 300 50%of will include interactive
multimedia
Automotive aftermarket Improve voice quality and enable SR operation 150
Notebooks/ Tablets Enable conferencing and SR operation 625 50%will include SR capabilities
Home Entertainment
systems
Enable handsfree operation 430 25%will have interactive multimedia
Wired /Wireless headsets Improve voice quality and VR with superior ease of
use
200 Addresses the > $50 product market
(33%(
Smartphones Improve voice quality and VR operation 250 Addresses the mid-high market (25%(
Feb-1315 VocalZoom Presentation
16. Notebook/Tablet
Use case, Value add and Competition:
• Speech recognition for dictation and search
• Enabler for a huge market increase in VR usage,
for already large markets (Google Search, Siri, etc.)
• No direct competition
• Personal Audio and Video communications
• Enabler for conducting personal A/V communications
anywhere
• Main competition from mic-array, which has inferior
performance
Feb-1316 VocalZoom Presentation
17. Notebook NUI Comparable
• The market for touch screens, the latest
NUI addition, has grown significantly since
introduced
• At launch, a Touch Screen for iphone 4S
cost apple $14 in 2011 (isuppli teardown)
• People are willing to pay for a better UI
• Much more information can be expressed
by Voice, giving it the potential to be the
ultimate NUI
Feb-1317 VocalZoom Presentation
18. Home Entertainment
Use case, Value add and Competition:
• Speech recognition for voice operation, as well as superior quality for conferencing
• Enabler for robust handsfree operation in an inherently noisy environment
• No direct competition (under noisy conditions)
• Market validation:
• Companies such as Samsung have announced a voice-operated TV…
• But performance is less than adequate
• CNET review:
“when speaking to the TV's mic from the couch
I often had to repeat commands, and any extra
noise in the room was liable to interfere. ”
Feb-1318 VocalZoom Presentation
19. Personal & Commercial headsets
Use case, Value add and Competition:
• Usage as pickup sensor, positioned at close
proximity to the earpiece (very small boom)
• Superior voice quality and Speech Recognition
compared to acoustic mic
• Similar performance to Bone Conduction
(e.g. Jawbone), but with no physical contact
Feb-1319 VocalZoom Presentation
20. Summary
• Clear value proposition:
Addresses the needs of large and fast-growing markets
such as Speech Recognition and Communications
• Highly differentiated and unique product offering:
No other solution is known to offer the combination
of remote operation, near-zero noise and speaker isolation
• High quality team:
The Company’s staff includes individuals
with highly relevant experience in all required technologies
Feb-1320 VocalZoom Presentation