How do you hold a conversation in a world that wasn’t built for you?
For millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, everyday communication at school, at work, in hospitals or on public transport can be an ongoing challenge. There are an estimated 70 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people worldwide who use sign language to communicate and more than 150,000 in the UK alone. The need for accessible, real-time tools has never been more urgent. And yet, reliable solutions are still few and far between.
That’s exactly what Silence Speaks set out to change. Built at the intersection of AI innovation and lived experience, the startup has developed an intelligent sign language translation app that converts text, voice, and video into expressive sign language via avatars. It’s technology designed not just to translate, but to connect, bridging a gap that too many have been forced to navigate alone.
This bold approach to inclusion is what earned Silence Speaks recognition as this year’s StartUp for Good, Digital StartUp and regional winner at the 2025 South East StartUp Awards, a celebration of startups solving real-world problems with purpose, vision, and integrity.
Founded by Pavan Madduru, a former Vodafone AI leader with over two decades of experience in ethical tech innovation, Silence Speaks was built on both professional expertise and personal insight. After travelling with a deaf engineer friend, Madduru witnessed just how difficult and often isolating day-to-day life could be without accessible communication tools. It made clear the need for a more effective, real-time approach to sign language translation and laid the foundation for Silence Speaks.