New Delhi, September 30, 2026: Aarush Yadav, an Indian founder and computer science student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is building a wearable device that lets people interact with computers without speaking aloud. Yadav is the cofounder and CEO of The Subvocal Company, which has secured approximately $1.3 million in pre-seed funding from Afore Capital, Y Combinator, and angel investors.
The company is developing a discreet wearable that decodes silently mouthed speech into text and computer commands, with minimal visible movement and no audible voice. It aims to make interacting with computers and AI agents practical in settings where speaking aloud would be disruptive or inconvenient.
Technology & Development
Yadav works on the sensing hardware and embedded firmware that acquire physical signals used by the company’s speech-decoding software. His responsibilities include:
- Sensor-data acquisition
- Hardware-software integration
- Connecting physical signals of silently mouthed speech to text and command interpretation
Alongside technical work, Yadav leads fundraising strategy, team building, and go-to-market planning.
He said: “Computers have become far more powerful, but the way we talk to them has changed very little. We believe the best way to interact with computers and AI agents will be silent, seamless, and far faster than what exists today. This funding gives us the resources to build the future of human-computer interaction.”
Founders’ Journey
Yadav and cofounder Arnav Kumar were Georgia Tech computer science students when they attended Stanford University’s TreeHacks in February 2026.
- Built an early prototype using muscle-sensing electrodes, machine learning, and language-model assistance
- Translated facial muscle signals into text and commands
- Though they did not win, the experience revealed consumer potential
- Raised funding and moved to San Francisco to develop the product full-time
Funding Milestones
- Afore Capital: Initial $500,000 investment in April 2026 at prototype stage
- Subsequent Afore investment + angel funding + Y Combinator’s $500,000 commitment
- Total pre-seed funding: ~$1.3 million
The Subvocal Company is part of Y Combinator’s Fall 2026 batch, with an acceptance rate of ~1%. It also won YC’s Group 1 Product Showcase, voted by alumni and batchmates.
Product Potential
Prototypes have reached text-entry speeds above 200 words per minute, with no audible speech and minimal visible mouth movement.
The team is now:
- Developing the technology into a consumer product
- Expanding its team
- Planning to open pre-orders in the coming months
