University City-based AI firm makes two more acquisitions

ST. LOUIS — University City technology company Capacity said Wednesday it has acquired two more companies — one that turns text into speech and another that answers customer service questions

Capacity helps companies automate work, primarily through artificial intelligence. Its software answers questions from company employees and customers via email, text messages, websites, and Slack channels.

The deals announced Wednesday include CereProc, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based company that creates “synthetic speech,” and SmartAction, a Fort Worth, Texas-based company that brings AI-powered agents to companies’ contact centers.

With the announcement, Capacity has made five acquisitions since the start of 2023. Last year, it acquired Textel, a cloud-based texting platform; St. Louis-based Denim Social, which makes software for the financial services industry; and San Diego-based LumenVox, which specializes in speech recognition and voice authentication technology.

Capacity was co-founded in 2017 by David Karandish, a Washington University graduate who founded and sold software company Answers. The company was originally called Jane.ai but changed its name in 2019.