Hearing tech startup Legato launches its AI hearing glasses — SkimNews
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- Legato Frames launched Thursday at $999, designed for adults with up to moderate hearing loss and sold through the startup's website and select U.S. eye care providers, where they are eligible for vision insurance coverage.
- Legato's AI system distinguishes voices from background noise and amplifies voices while reducing unwanted sounds, positioning the product against directional-mic hearing aids that the article says struggle in noisy environments.
- Legato Frames use an open-ear design with dual speakers that direct sound toward the wearer and cancel escaping audio by 99% within a few inches of the ear.
- Legato Frames weigh 34 grams with lenses, offer 10-12 hours of battery life, ship in three styles with prescription-lens support, and stream Bluetooth audio; all processing happens on-device with no cameras or recording.
- Legato exited stealth weeks earlier with $12 million in funding from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global.
- Founders Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine launched Legato in 2024 after Bose tenures — Trivedi led Bose Frames and later smart-eyewear efforts at EssilorLuxottica on Meta Ray-Ban, while Romine ran Bose's hearing aids division before serving as Audicus COO.
Why it matters: Legato is pitching $999 AI hearing glasses to the vast underserved population with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, undercutting traditional hearing aids that often run into the thousands and carry stigma. The founders' Bose Frames, Meta Ray-Ban, and Audicus pedigree gives Legato rare hardware credibility in a consumer hearing-aid category that has long been dominated by clinical brands.
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