AI Voice Tech

US voice tech firm Sesame bags $250m for AI smart glasses beta

• ByStartupStory     |    November 1, 2025

US Voice Tech Firm Sesame Bags $250 Million for AI Smart Glasses Beta

Sesame, a conversational AI startup founded by former Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe and ex-CTO of AR startup Ubiquity6 Ankit Kumar, has raised $250 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate the development of its AI-powered smart glasses. The company simultaneously launched an invite-only beta program for its Sesame iOS app, providing early testers with access to its innovative AI voice technology.

Sesame is developing lightweight smart glasses designed to be worn throughout the day, integrating a personal AI agent that interacts with users through a natural, expressive human-like voice. Unlike traditional voice assistants, Sesame’s AI generates speech with authentic rhythm and emotion, fostering more engaging and lifelike interactions. Early demos featuring AI voices “Maya” and “Miles” garnered over one million users and five million minutes of conversation shortly after launch.

The startup emphasizes that its smart glasses will deliver high-quality audio, with a design intended to be stylish enough to wear even without AI features activated. The embedded AI companion is designed to “observe the world alongside” the user, offering real-time, context-aware assistance.

Leading the project is a team with deep expertise from Oculus, Meta, and Fitbit, including Nate Mitchell as Chief Product Officer, former Oculus COO and Fitbit executive Hans Hartmann as COO, and senior Oculus and Meta engineers. Their experience shapes Sesame’s approach to balancing cutting-edge hardware and conversational AI software.

The $250 million investment from leading venture firms including Sequoia and Spark provides Sesame with the resources to tackle challenges in hardware development, AI model refinement, and scaling the platform. The Series B funding enhances the company’s ability to iterate rapidly and bring its vision of always-on voice AI wearables closer to market.

While no public release date for the glasses has been announced, the beta program allows invited users to interact with the AI through the Sesame app, which supports searching, texting, and reasoning capabilities. Testers are required to keep details confidential during the early feedback phase to help improve the technology.

Sesame’s breakthrough funding and technology demonstrate significant investor confidence in voice-first AI wearables as the next frontier in personal computing. However, the development also raises important discussions around privacy and data security for always-listening devices.

In summary, Sesame’s $250 million Series B round and beta launch mark key milestones toward making conversational AI a natural, wearable companion integrated seamlessly into daily life. The startup’s innovative approach showcases the evolving possibilities of AI-driven personal assistants embedded in smart glasses, combining advanced voice technology with stylish, all-day wearability.

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