Hearing tech startup Legato launches its AI hearing glasses

Hearing tech startup Legato announced on Thursday that its flagship AI-based hearing glasses are now available for purchase. The glasses, called Legato Frames, integrate the company’s patented hearing-assistance technology into the arms of eyewear frames. Starting at $999, Legato Frames are designed for adults with up to moderate levels of hearing loss.

The glasses stem from the startup’s goal of making hearing care more accessible by addressing the cost, comfort, and stigma associated with traditional hearing aids.

Unlike traditional hearing aids, which often use directional microphones to focus on sounds coming from a particular direction and can struggle in noisy environments, Legato takes a different approach. Its AI-powered system distinguishes voices from background noise and amplifies voices while reducing unwanted sounds.

While the frames have an open-ear design, sound isn’t broadcast to people around you. The frames feature a dual-speaker system that directs sound toward the wearer while canceling sound that escapes, reducing sound by 99% just a few inches away from the ear.

All processing happens directly on the glasses, with no cameras or recording, the company says.

The glasses weigh 34 grams with lenses and offer 10-12 hours of battery life. Legato Frames are available in three styles and support prescription lenses and Bluetooth streaming for music and calls.

The official launch of the glasses comes a few weeks after the startup emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global.

Legato was founded in 2024 by Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine, who bring deep experience in wearables and hearing care from Bose, where Trivedi led the creation of Bose Frames and Romine ran the hearing aids division. After their time at Bose, Trivedi joined EssilorLuxottica, where he led smart eyewear efforts and worked on the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, while Romine went on to serve as COO of hearing care company Audicus. The pair then joined forces to explore the intersection of hearing technology and smart eyewear.

Legato Frames can be purchased on the startup’s website or through select eye care providers in the U.S., where they are eligible for coverage by vision insurance.

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Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.

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