Meta Acquires AI Device Startup Limitless
Acquisition Overview
Meta confirmed it has acquired Limitless, a startup that developed an AI‑enabled pendant designed to capture and process spoken conversations. The announcement, posted on Meta’s website, indicated that Limitless will stop selling its hardware devices. Existing customers will receive a year of continued support and will be moved to Meta’s Unlimited Plan without a subscription fee.
Future Plans for Limitless Products
While the pendant will be wound down, Meta plans to keep supporting Limitless’s current user base for a transitional period. The company will also allow users to export or delete their data through the app. Meta’s statement highlighted that the Limitless team will join the wearables organization within Reality Labs to help accelerate development of AI‑enabled wearables, though no specific new hardware was disclosed.
Background of Limitless
Limitless began as Rewind, a desktop‑activity recording service, before rebranding and shifting focus to AI hardware. The company was founded by Brett Bejcek and Dan Siroker, the latter a co‑founder and former chief executive of Optimizely. After the pivot, Limitless released a pendant priced at $99 that could attach to clothing or be worn as a necklace, positioning itself among a small field of AI wearables that includes other pendants such as Friend.
Industry Context
The acquisition reflects Meta’s broader strategy to integrate AI capabilities into its hardware portfolio, which already includes AR/AI glasses like the Ray‑Ban Meta and Oakley Meta. Limitless’s entry into the market faced competition from larger players developing their own AI hardware, prompting the startup to seek a partnership that could provide greater resources and distribution. Meta’s interest in AI wearables aligns with its vision to bring “personal superintelligence” to a wider audience.
Financial and Operational Details
Limitless had previously raised more than $33 million from investors including a16z, First Round Capital, and NEA. Following the acquisition, the company will discontinue its non‑pendant software, Rewind, which recorded desktop activity for searchable archives. Customers will no longer need to pay a subscription fee and will instead be placed on Meta’s Unlimited Plan for the interim.
Statements from Leadership
In the company’s announcement, Dan Siroker reflected on the evolution of AI and hardware startups, noting that when Limitless was founded the market was “very different.” He emphasized that today’s landscape supports ambitious AI hardware projects and that joining Meta would help accelerate those ambitions.
Usado: News Factory APP - descoberta e automação de notícias - ChatGPT para Empresas