Executive Summary
Hassaan Raza is the CEO and Co-Founder of Tavus, a leading generative AI research and infrastructure company headquartered in San Francisco. With a strong background in computer science and extensive engineering experience at major technology firms, Raza is recognized as a thought leader in AI-driven synthetic media. Under his leadership, Tavus has developed frontier technologies for photorealistic digital human replicas, enabling scalable, personalized video experiences. The company is financially backed by prominent venture capital firms, including Sequoia Capital, Scale VC, Y Combinator, and HubSpot, and has notable enterprise customers such as Meta (Facebook) and Salesforce. Raza has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.
Professional Biography
Current Role
- Title: CEO and Co-Founder
- Company: Tavus
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- LinkedIn: [Hassaan Raza on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/in/hassaanraza)
- Contact: hassaan@tavus.io
Raza drives the strategic vision and technical development at Tavus, focusing on advanced AI models to simulate and humanize machine interactions. His day-to-day operations are centered at Tavus’ Mission district offices in San Francisco.
Previous Experience
- Google (2019–2021): Machine Learning projects and Google Cloud Platform.
- Apple (2018): Led security and OS projects for macOS, with roles as both EPM and Software Engineer.
- HP (2014–2015): Early-career position as a software developer.
- Education: Studied Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin.
Technology and Product Leadership
Tavus Overview
- Founded: 2020 by Hassaan Raza & Quinn Favret.
- Team Size: 30 employees (San Francisco).
- Industry: Generative AI, Synthetic Media, Computer Software.
- Area of Focus: Building foundational AI models for photorealistic, conversational digital twins ("AI avatars"), and human-computer interaction via video.
- Product Portfolio:
- Replica API: For generating photorealistic digital replicas from <2 minutes of video using their proprietary “Phoenix” model, based on neural radiance fields (NeRF).
- Lip-Sync API: Enables realistic dubbing and multilingual video personalization with lower quality/complexity requirements.
- Dubbing API: Supports automated translation and voice cloning for global video campaigns.
- Video Campaign API: Full-stack solution including hosting, variable mapping, analytics, and campaign management.
Tavus provides both a SaaS application for non-technical users and a developer API platform for integration into existing enterprise software. The technology differentiates itself by proprietary model development, controlling the entire pipeline and quality, focusing on photorealistic face, body movements, and emotion capture.
Key Innovations
- Phoenix Model: Rapid creation of 3D avatars from minimal video input.
- Deep API Integration: Enables enterprise systems (e.g., Salesforce, Mailchimp) to automate video personalization at scale.
- Security and Consent: Multi-stage automated and manual verification for ethical safeguarding and anti-deepfake measures.
Market Position & Growth
Funding & Investors
- Series A: Raised $18 million in 2024 led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Sequoia Capital (lead for $6.1M seed), Y Combinator, and HubSpot.
- Use of Proceeds: Raza has indicated the funding will further AI research development (e.g., extending the Phoenix model), and scale engineering and ML teams to meet rising customer demand.
Customer Base & Partnerships
- Notable Enterprise Customers:
- Salesforce: Personalizing demo and engagement videos for B2B prospects.
- Meta (Facebook): Leveraging Tavus for upselling and customer engagement.
- Developer Ecosystem: Active integration with CRM and marketing platforms for instant, personalized video outreach.
Use Cases
- Sales Enablement: Personalized video campaigns and demos at scale.
- Marketing: Automated, influencer-based content tailored for specific segments.
- Learning & Development: Localized and individualized training modules.
- Healthcare: Emerging use cases in doctor-patient digital communication.
- Customer Support: Multilingual, AI-powered message delivery.
Strategic Direction and Insights
Raza’s strategy at Tavus centers on democratizing advanced AI video replication while ensuring scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety. The company’s ability to reduce API compute costs and optimize model architecture positions it favorably as adoption increases and model commoditization progresses. Raza is committed to open platform capabilities and deep integrations, seeking to expand use cases beyond current core verticals to become foundational infrastructure across digital communication workflows.
He envisions a future where every digital interaction can utilize a “personal digital twin,” enabling a new layer of authenticity and personalization across industries. Raza’s technical depth and market foresight are reflected in continuous product R&D, industry advocacy, and enterprise partnerships.
Recognition & Public Presence
- Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
- Forbes Technology Council member.
- Frequent interviewee and published thought leader on AI avatars, digital twins, and the evolution of synthetic media (e.g., TechCrunch, Sacra, Cerebral Valley).
- Active on social media and developer platforms (Twitter/X, GitHub).
Personal Interests
Raza’s interests reinforce his commitment to the intersection of technology and human experience, including:
- Human-computer interaction, especially AI empathy and communication.
- Automotive & design history, vintage computing, and architecture.
- Corporate strategy failures and the arc of technology innovation.
Summary Table
| Attribute | Details |
|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Full Name | Hassaan Raza |
| Current Role | CEO & Co-Founder, Tavus |
| Location | San Francisco, CA |
| Contact | hassaan@tavus.io |
| Education | Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin |
| Career Highlights | Google (ML, GCP), Apple (macOS EPM/SWE), HP (SWE) |
| Company Focus | AI avatars, synthetic media, scalable video personalization |
| Funding | $18M Series A (Scale VC), $6.1M Seed (Sequoia Capital, YC, HubSpot) |
| Notable Clients | Meta, Salesforce |
| Media Recognition | Forbes 30 Under 30, Forbes Technology Council, TechCrunch coverage |
| Research/Technical Edge | Proprietary Phoenix model, NeRF-based video replication, multi-API platform |
| Interests | AI/HCI, cars, architecture, vintage computing, corporate strategy |
| Online Presence | [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/in/hassaanraza), [GitHub](https://github.com/hassaan-tavus) |
Hassaan Raza represents a blend of deep technical capability, strategic market vision, and proven execution in generative AI, positioning Tavus as a premier platform for photorealistic, personalized video solutions across the enterprise and developer landscape.
