Nvidia's Jensen Huang Mentored SoundHound AI Founder For A Decade, Helping Turn A Dorm-Room Idea Into $5.4 Billion Voice Tech Powerhouse

Nvidia Corporation NVDA CEO Jensen Huang's decade-long mentorship of SoundHound AI Inc. SOUN founder Keyvan Mohajer helped transform a Stanford University dorm project into a multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence voice technology company.

A Chance Meeting Sparks Mentorship

Nearly 10 years ago, Mohajer crossed paths with Huang, a meeting that grew into a close professional relationship. Huang's passion for breakthrough ideas led him to take a keen interest in SoundHound AI, which Mohajer originally launched from his Stanford dorm room in 2004.

"It's been one of the good things in my life to cross paths with Jensen and Nvidia," Mohajer told Fortune. "He's an amazing person, engineer and leader. Our relationship with him has been great."

Huang's hands-on guidance included sending Mohajer research papers on Sunday mornings and asking for feedback, a routine that shaped the entrepreneur's leadership style and approach to innovation.

Nvidia's Investment And SoundHound's Surge

SoundHound went public in 2022 and Nvidia later became an investor, purchasing 1.73 million shares in the company.

As of now, SoundHound's market cap has soared to about $5.81 billion.

In August, SoundHound reported second-quarter sales of $42.68 million, up 217% year-over-year and beating estimates.

The company also narrowed its adjusted loss to 3 cents per share, ahead of forecasts.

CEO Mohajer called it the company's "all-time strongest quarter" and raised its full-year revenue outlook to $160 million–$178 million.

So far this year, the stock has fallen 29.27%, though it remains up 227.82% overall, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Inspiration From Huang And Chaplin

Beyond Huang, Mohajer said he draws inspiration from Charlie Chaplin, particularly Modern Times (1936).

"What really inspired me was that Charlie Chaplin, he directed it, he produced it, he was the main actor, he wrote the story, and he made the music," Mohajer said. "It's just an example of something being so hands-on—and they're all amazing."

Mohajer said he wants to emulate that approach by learning every aspect of his company—from technology to recruitment to business strategy—expanding his skills with each challenge.

Analysts Turn Bullish

On Aug. 11, Ladenburg Thalmann upgraded the stock to Buy, raising its price target from $9 to $16, following a similar move from Wedbush Securities.

SoundHound holds a consensus price target of $11.75 based on ratings from eight analysts. The three latest updates came from Ladenburg Thalmann, Wedbush and Piper Sandler, setting an average target of $14.67, suggesting a potential 3.80% upside from their latest projections.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that SOUN is maintaining a solid upward trajectory across short, medium and long-term periods. Additional performance insights are available here.

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