SoundHound AI CFO to Depart in 2026, Shares Drop 8.5%

SoundHound AI, Inc., a Santa Clara, California-based provider of voice-enabled artificial intelligence solutions, announced on Thursday that its chief financial officer, Nitesh Sharan, will depart the company on April 3, 2026, to assume a leadership role at a quantum computing firm. The news, attributed to personal reasons with no ties to operational or financial disputes, triggered a sharp decline in the company's shares, which fell 8.5 percent to close at $6.76 on Thursday after an initial 5.5 percent drop the previous day.

Sharan, who joined SoundHound in 2022, will remain as an advisor during the transition and plans to retain his shares as a long-term investor, according to a company statement. Stepping in as interim chief financial officer is James Hom, a co-founder of the company who previously held the role from its inception in 2005 and currently serves as chief product officer. SoundHound has engaged an executive search firm to identify a permanent replacement. The company credited Sharan with expanding the finance team and supporting an eightfold revenue increase during his tenure.

The executive change comes amid robust financial results reported earlier in the year....