Brief

AI audio startup Sonilo raises $11 million led by B Capital

The funding will support computing power, creator tools and licensing deals for Sonilo’s video‑to‑audio platform.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:38:06 GMT

San Francisco‑based generative‑audio startup Sonilo announced an $11 million financing round on Monday, with B Capital leading and Redpoint also participating, according to Variety.

Founded by former TikTok AI and music division staff, Sonilo’s core "Sound World Model" links video comprehension to audio generation, creating music and sound effects that match a scene’s pacing, emotion and story. Users can upload video, type a description, or combine both to receive a synced soundtrack ready for commercial use.

CEO and co‑founder Shawn Song, a Carnegie Mellon alumnus who led multimodal AI work at TikTok, said the platform is built to understand visual stories frame by frame. CTO Alex Yin holds a doctorate in computer music from the University of York, while COO Keli Li previously ran TikTok’s global music operation. CMO Trista Taylor has helped develop consumer AI apps that earned a16z’s Top 50 rankings.

B Capital general partner Daisy Cai said generative audio will become essential to the AI‑native video stack, noting Sonilo’s dual‑mode generation approach. Early licensing partner Shutterstock and distribution partners TapNow and ComfyUI are also involved. The company plans to launch a consumer app in Q4 and finalize publishing agreements with major rights organizations within weeks.

Key facts

Sonilo raised $11 million in a financing round led by B Capital. (variety.com)
The round also included participation from Redpoint. (variety.com)
Sonilo’s Sound World Model generates music and sound effects synced to video content. (variety.com)
CEO Shawn Song previously led multimodal AI work at TikTok. (variety.com)
The company aims to launch a consumer app in the fourth quarter. (variety.com)