VU Start-up Speaklee starts new project to tackle waiting lists for speech therapy
The project brings together Speaklee’s expertise in AI speech technology and VU Amsterdam’s deep linguistic research by building PhonoLearn AI. While current digital tools often only recognize individual sounds, the collaborative goal is to develop a new generation of AI that does much more.
The end goal? To address the growing shortage of speech and language therapy services. Quint Wiersma, CEO says: “it is a step toward a hybrid care model where digital support and professional expertise work hand-in-hand.”
What Speaklee and VU researchers are building researchers
While current digital tools often only recognize individual sounds, the collaborative goal is to develop a new generation of AI that:
- Identifies Phonological Processes: Automatically detects the error patterns essential for a proper diagnosis.
- Supports Professionals: Provides therapists with objective, interpretable insights to help them work more efficiently.
- Ensures Ethical Innovation: Follows ELSA principles to keep the technology human-centered and transparent.
Quint Wiersma, founder of Speaklee: “With the support of our partners this project is more than just a technical milestone. It is a step toward a hybrid care model where digital support and professional expertise work hand-in-hand to reduce waiting times and improve outcomes for children everywhere. We are honored to embark on this research journey with the VU Amsterdam and look forward to the impact we can make together”.
Securing the requisite funding
Speaklee, in close collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Department of Language, Literature, and Communication), has been granted the Topsector ICT mkb subsidy of €425K, for the joint project of PhonoLearn AI. Speaklee is part of Demonstrator Lab VU, the University’s incubator where academics become entrepreneurs.
