Replicating a Loved One's Voice in 20 Seconds

Replicating a Loved One's Voice in 20 Seconds: AI Bridges the Distance in Care  

Shenzhen Technology University's "Pebble" Project Secures State Capital Investment and Entry into National-Level Innovation Hub*

Twenty seconds of voice sampling achieves 92% fidelity, allowing children miles away to "be there" for their parents through sound. Recently, "Pebble"—an AI-powered family companionship product developed by a student startup team at Shenzhen Technology University—passed rigorous evaluation to officially join "Model Speed Space" (Mo Su Space) in Shanghai's Xuhui Riverside district. This young team of six interdisciplinary students has secured a seed investment letter of intent from Shanghai Xuhui Capital (state-owned capital), with a post-investment valuation of RMB 10 million, establishing a new paradigm for AI empowering the silver economy.

 

 

Youth Power Tackling Elderly Care Challenges  

As China's population ages rapidly, citizens aged 60 and above have exceeded 296 million, with over 152 million seniors already connected to the internet. However, data reveals that 40.4% of elderly users cannot operate smartphones, and over 60% of "empty nest" seniors reduce initiated communication due to "not wanting to disturb their children." Traditional smart devices remain operationally complex and emotionally distant, creating urgent demand for accessible solutions.

"We wanted to build something that truly understands seniors," says Yang Lin, project lead of "Pebble" at Shenzhen Technology University. After a year of intensive research involving over 1,000 interviews, the team identified the core pain point: seniors need companionship but cannot navigate complex devices. The product adopts extreme minimalism—palm-sized, weighing only 200 grams, with a single physical button. Seniors simply press and speak to hear replies from a "digital twin" using their children's voices.

"Mom, did you take your blood pressure medication today?" When the device initiates care using a familiar voice, many elderly trial users are moved to tears. This "companionship through voice" innovation effectively lowers the barrier to technology adoption, allowing innovation to serve emotional needs genuinely.

 

 

Independent Innovation Drives Technical Breakthrough

"Pebble's" core competitiveness lies in the team's proprietary AI voice cloning technology. Users provide just 20 seconds of voice samples, from which the system extracts 128-dimensional voiceprint features. Through a hybrid "cloud training + edge deployment" architecture, the deep learning model is compressed to 80MB, running smoothly on hardware costing merely RMB 100-plus, achieving 92% voice fidelity.

"Compared to traditional solutions requiring hours of recording, our technology reduces sampling time to 20 seconds, drastically lowering the user threshold," explains the project's technical lead. The technology has secured 1 invention patent and 1 utility model patent, with 2 software copyrights pending, establishing a robust IP moat.

Notably, the product employs local deployment, with voiceprint data encrypted and stored on-device. Only information actively synchronized by users uploads to the cloud, supported by a "one-click data deletion" feature, fully ensuring data security and compliance with the Personal Information Protection Law's special protection requirements for sensitive biometric data.

State Capital Validation Underscores Social Value  

Sources indicate that "Pebble" has received an investment letter of intent for RMB 500,000 from Shanghai Xuhui Capital's (state-owned capital) wholly-owned seed fund, with a post-money valuation of RMB 10 million. As state-owned capital, Shanghai Xuhui Capital maintains stringent investment criteria, focusing on social value, technical barriers, and team capabilities. Securing state backing fully demonstrates the project's investment worthiness and social significance.

"This represents not only recognition of our technology but affirmation of our social mission," Yang Lin states. The team adheres to "tech for good" principles, hoping to use technological innovation to let "care" transcend physical distance, ensuring every senior feels the warmth of family companionship.

 

 

Entry into Model Speed Space Marks New Chapter  

In late 2025, "Pebble" passed rigorous evaluation to officially join "Model Speed Space" at Shanghai's Xuhui Riverside—a premier innovation hub for the AI industry. As a leading large-model ecosystem community in China, Model Speed Space has established a three-dimensional industrial service system integrating "physical space aggregation + professional service empowerment." It has gathered over 60 enterprises spanning the entire chain, including toolchains, embodied intelligence, AI+manufacturing, AI+healthcare, and AI+new consumption. Additionally, it collaborates with professional financial institutions such as Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank to build differentiated financial service channels for resident startups, providing full-cycle capital solutions from credit support and financial planning to investment-loan linkage, creating fertile ground for technology commercialization.

"Joining Model Speed Space means gaining comprehensive support encompassing policy benefits, resource matching, and technical empowerment," Yang Lin notes. The team will fully leverage the space's computing resources, industrial ecosystem, and capital connection advantages to accelerate product iteration and market promotion.

A representative from Model Speed Space commented that the "Pebble" project focuses on the silver economy—a livelihood sector receiving national priority—with clear technical roadmaps, feasible business models, and strong execution capabilities, aligning perfectly with Model Speed Space's goal of "cultivating new quality productive forces and creating breakthrough innovation industrial clusters."

Broad Market Prospects with Clear Business Model  

Projections indicate China's silver economy will reach RMB 13.9 trillion in 2024, expanding to RMB 21.1 trillion by 2027. Penetration of smart elderly companion devices stands at merely 8%, indicating massive growth potential in this early-stage market.

"Pebble" employs a persified profit model combining "product sales + IP licensing + value-added services." Priced at RMB 298 per unit with costs controlled at RMB 89.40, the product maintains significant cost advantages. The team forecasts sales of 5,034 units in 2026, generating net profits of RMB 1.125 million; by 2028, sales are expected to exceed 16,000 units, with net profits reaching RMB 3.742 million.

Beyond elderly companionship products, the team has developed a cultural IP custom companionship product line targeting Gen Z IP enthusiasts, enabling character voiceprint restoration and IP content integration based on character traits. This breaks through the "static attribute" limitations of traditional IP merchandise. By 2027, the team expects to expand partnerships to 5 IPs, contributing RMB 500,000 in annual net profit.

 

 

Youth Entrepreneurship Reflects Generational Responsibility  

The "Pebble" team comprises six interdisciplinary students from Shenzhen Technology University, with core expertise spanning AI algorithms, embedded development, and IP content curation. Incubated with technical resources from the university's College of New Materials and New Energy, the young team combines solid technical foundations with intense entrepreneurial passion.

"From classroom to laboratory, from laboratory to market—the university has built a full-chain innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for us," Yang Lin explains. Through deep integration of industry, academia, and research, the university has constructed comprehensive policy support systems and opened premium platform resources. During the critical incubation phase, a mentorship team led by Dr. Ma Lei, Deputy Secretary of the College Party Committee, provided full-cycle professional guidance spanning strategic planning, core technology iteration, and supply chain system construction.

"Student entrepreneurship requires not only technical capability but social responsibility," notes Zeng Qi, the team's strategic mentor. "By tightly integrating technological innovation with livelihood needs, the 'Pebble' project embodies the responsibility and innovative spirit of youth in the new era."

Policy Tailwinds Boost Industry Development  

In recent years, the state has prioritized the silver economy and AI industry development. The *Opinions on Developing the Silver Economy and Enhancing Elderly Welfare* explicitly supports "age-friendly smart products," while the *Implementation Plan for AI "Modeling Shanghai"* targets key areas including intelligent terminals and embodied intelligence to advance large-model vertical applications.

Recently, eight ministries including the Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly issued the *Several Measures on Cultivating Elderly Care Business Entities to Promote Silver Economy Development*, encouraging research and development in geriatric technology and product innovation, strengthening digital-intelligent upgrades in elderly care services, and applying big data, cloud computing, and AI technologies to elderly health monitoring, safety alerts, and personalized services.

"Policy pidends combined with market demand create historic opportunities for 'Pebble,'" Yang Lin concludes. The team will seize these opportunities, adhering to technological innovation and deep market cultivation, striving to become a benchmark enterprise in the AI family companionship sector, contributing technological solutions to addressing population aging.

From the laboratories of Shenzhen Technology University to the innovation highlands of Shanghai's Model Speed Space; from the entrepreneurial dreams of six university students to a state-backed innovation project—"Pebble's" growth trajectory represents a vivid reflection of youth innovation and entrepreneurship in the new era. At the historic intersection of artificial intelligence and the silver economy, this young team upholds the original aspiration of "Voice by Your Side, Love Without Time Difference," using technological innovation to warm the lives of hundreds of millions of seniors, writing a new chapter that belongs to the contemporary generation.