ElevenLabs, the London-founded and New York-headquartered AI voice company, officially launched its Canadian operations, announcing plans to open a Toronto office and increase its Canadian workforce from 13 to 26 employees by the end of 2026 under new general manager Max Lemmens.
- Toronto office opening planned within months
- Canadian headcount to double by end of 2026
- Max Lemmens appointed as GM of Canada
What happened
ElevenLabs announced the launch of its Canadian operations and revealed plans to open a dedicated Toronto office in the coming months. The company currently employs 13 people across Vancouver, Toronto, and Montréal, servicing notable Canadian clients such as The Globe and Mail and Telus Digital. This move formalizes a presence that has been steadily growing since the startup entered the Canadian market.
To lead this expansion, ElevenLabs promoted Max Lemmens to general manager for Canada. Lemmens joined the company last year and has experience supporting major customers including Revolut and Klarna. The startup intends to double its Canadian workforce to about 26 employees by the end of 2026 as part of its broader international growth strategy.
Why it matters
ElevenLabs is a fast-growing player in the AI voice sector, having recently closed a $500 million USD Series D funding round at an $11 billion valuation. Its technology is adopted by major international clients such as Deutsche Telekom, Meta, and the Ukrainian government, illustrating its ability to scale conversational AI globally. Expanding in Canada positions the company to leverage the country’s emerging AI market and bilingual environment.
Canada’s government has set ambitious targets to boost AI adoption among domestic businesses from 12 percent today to 60 percent by 2034. ElevenLabs’ expansion aligns with this national strategy, as the company views voice and audio AI as an underexploited opportunity in Canada’s diverse tech ecosystem. Its local presence and specialized leadership could accelerate integration of natural-sounding AI solutions in Canadian enterprises.
What to watch next
ElevenLabs’ success in Canada will depend on how effectively it expands its engineering and client-facing teams to meet growing demand. Observers will be keen to see whether it can secure additional Canadian customers beyond its current roster, including Blackbox AI and Boosted.ai, and how well it integrates within the broader North American market.
The company’s progress may also provide early indicators about the pace of AI adoption among Canadian businesses, especially in voice-driven applications. Tracking ElevenLabs’ growth trajectory and potential employee stock offering, rumored to value the company at twice its last financing round, will offer insight into investor confidence in Canada’s AI ecosystem.