Hearing tech startup Legato emerges from stealth with $12M and a peek at its AI hearing glasses

Hearing impairment impacts around 50 million adults in the United States, yet only roughly 20% of those diagnosed seek assistance. Legato, an innovative hearing technology firm, intends to address this disparity. The company emerged from stealth mode on Wednesday, announcing a $12 million investment and unveiling a preview of its AI-powered hearing glasses, Legato Frames, exclusively to TechCrunch.

The glasses, designed with Legato's patented hearing assistance technology integrated into eyewear frames, are set for a fall launch. Legato was co-founded by Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine, who possess extensive experience in wearables and hearing care, having worked at industry leaders like Bose and Audicus. Trivedi's previous work at EssilorLuxottica, the maker of Meta Ray-Bans, and Romine's role as COO at Audicus, provided a strong foundation for Legato's vision.

Trivedi, after a period of exploration in the hearing technology and smart eyewear sector, recognized the potential to merge these fields, leading to the co-founding of Legato in late 2024. The startup aims to make hearing improvement as commonplace as vision correction, emphasizing a seamless integration into daily life. Legato targets individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, the largest demographic within the hearing-impaired population.

The glasses, called Legato Frames, are designed to be both small and lightweight, utilizing a proprietary acoustic system, signal-processing technology, and mechanical architecture to achieve this goal. Unlike traditional hearing aids that often struggle in noisy environments, Legato Frames employ AI to distinguish between background noise and voices, amplifying only the latter.

This innovation aims to provide clearer conversations without the cognitive burden often associated with conventional hearing aids. "We wanted to deliver an experience that was unique," Trivedi explained. "Our glasses are meant to look and feel like regular eyewear, making them effortless to use, easy to operate, and capable of delivering superior hearing in any setting without the need for extensive configuration."

The dual-speaker system directs sound towards the wearer while minimizing external noise, achieving a 99% sound reduction just a few inches away from the ear. Funded by Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global, the majority of the investment has been allocated to product development and marketing. Legato intends to make the frames accessible through select eye-care providers nationwide, positioning them as a more affordable alternative to traditional hearing aids that might be covered under vision insurance.