DeepL Expands AI Translation Services with Traditional Chinese Launch in Asia

German artificial intelligence translation startup DeepL has launched traditional Chinese as a language option, aiming to expand its footprint in Asia. DeepL, valued at $2 billion, focuses on providing translation software primarily for business use rather than everyday consumers.

Traditional Chinese, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, was chosen due to the regions’ status as crucial business hubs for technology and finance. Jaroslaw “Jarek” Kutylowski, CEO of DeepL, noted that Taiwan and Hong Kong are strong technological markets, with Taiwan being a significant exporter, particularly in the chip industry, housing the world’s largest chipmaker, TSMC.

This launch marks another step in DeepL’s expansion in Asia, where it already supports Japanese and Korean languages. The company’s approach to traditional Chinese will initially be managed from Japan, with potential future physical offices in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Last week, DeepL introduced its next-generation large language model (LLM), claiming it surpasses the latest offerings from competitors like ChatGPT, Google, and Microsoft in translation quality. The LLM, trained on extensive datasets, is the backbone of DeepL’s translation services.

DeepL has 33 languages in its portfolio, targeting corporate clients to facilitate global communication. The addition of traditional Chinese aims to assist international businesses in engaging with partners and clients in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

DeepL’s entry into traditional Chinese also positions it against major Chinese tech giants like Baidu and Tencent, which offer their own translation tools. Kutylowski highlighted DeepL’s capability to accurately support multiple languages, allowing businesses in Hong Kong and Taiwan to communicate globally. He hinted at plans to add more Asian languages to DeepL’s offerings in the coming months.

Currently focusing on written translations, DeepL is also developing a spoken language translation product, although no specific launch date has been provided. Kutylowski emphasized that spoken language translation will play a crucial role in the company’s strategy in Asia, potentially becoming a significant revenue source.

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