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Press Release
MADISON, WI — March 9, 2026

SALT Software Joins Cobalt Speech and Language to Pioneer the Next Generation of Clinical Assessment

The partnership combines 40+ years of gold-standard clinical evaluation and data with cutting-edge AI to automate assessment and empower speech-language pathologists.

SALT Software, the trusted leader in language sample analysis, today announces its acquisition by Cobalt Speech and Language, a premier provider of speech technology solutions. This strategic union is designed to bridge the gap between rigorous clinical standards and the efficiency demanded by modern speech pathology.

For over four decades, SALT has set the benchmark for assessing language development. By integrating Cobalt's advanced AI resources, SALT aims to address the hurdle of manual transcription and coding, allowing clinicians to focus more on intervention as well as streamlined progress monitoring.

A Shared Vision for the Industry

This partnership arose from a recognition that while SALT's methodology is timeless, the delivery mechanism requires evolution. "SALT would not be able to leverage the ongoing advancements in AI without a partner like Cobalt Speech and Language," said Karen Andriacchi, SALT's CEO. "This collaboration ensures that our databases remain the cornerstone of clinical decision-making while modern technology makes them more accessible than ever."

Benefits for Clinicians and Researchers

The integration of Cobalt's engineering with SALT's clinical expertise focuses on three key advancements:

  • More Frequent, Consistent Assessments: By automating the tedious aspects of transcription, SLPs will be able to assess spoken language more frequently, moving from "snapshots" of progress to continuous monitoring.
  • Enhanced Precision: SALT will continue to grow and expand its criterion-referenced databases. With AI-driven ingestion of data, SLPs will gain access to even more precise comparisons to help diagnose language disorders with confidence.
  • Research Standardization: The new tools will provide researchers with consistent, automated metrics, significantly improving the ability to meaningfully compare results within and across different studies.

Leadership Commentary

"I look forward to continuing to grow our databases and collaborate with researchers," said Karen. "This partnership protects the integrity of our work while giving us the resources to scale our impact."

Scott, CEO of Cobalt Speech and Language, added: "We are excited about working with such a committed group of professionals. We share Karen's vision of what AI can do for SLPs and are committed to developing tools that link to the reference databases that SALT has built up over more than 4 decades of professional work."

Contact
Karen Andriacchi · SALT Software · 608-841-1393 · www.saltsoftware.com
May 21, 2023

Cobalt Speech Announces End-to-End Speech Recognition and Transcription Service

The leap in accuracy of automatic speech recognition (ASR) is largely due to the ongoing switch from a hybrid approach of carefully strung-together models to end-to-end (E2E) model architectures.

May 21, 2023

Cobalt Extends Application Window for Free Trial of Speech Recognition Technology

After a strong response to the initial free trial of Cobalt Transcribe, the application window was extended to give more companies and academic institutions time to apply.

May 21, 2023

Cobalt Speech and Language Offers Free Trial of Speech Recognition Technology

Cobalt invited companies and academic institutions to apply for a 100-day free trial of Cobalt Transcribe, its automatic speech recognition service.