Nirva, founded by former Meta Reality Labs employees, secured $33 million in funding to launch a unique wearable pendant that passively listens exclusively to the wearer’s speech, eliminating ambient audio capture. The device aims to blend discreetly with fashion while delivering personalized emotional and communication insights through a companion app.
- Pendant-style AI wearable that only captures wearer’s voice
- Filters out surrounding audio to ensure privacy
- Companion app delivers personalized emotional and communication insights
What happened
Nirva announced a $25 million pre-Series A funding round, adding to an earlier $8 million, totaling $33 million from investors including Lightspeed and South Park Commons. The startup was founded in 2025 by ex-Meta Reality Labs employees Wei Lyu and Jason Chen along with fashion entrepreneur Hanying Hu. Their flagship product is a $249 pendant, also wearable as a bracelet, designed to listen quietly and continuously to the wearer’s speech only.
The device weighs around eight grams, offers up to three days of battery life, and will be available in multiple finishes such as silver, black, and gold. Nirva plans to start order intake in November with shipments to early users planned for the end of the year.
Why it matters
Ambient AI wearables face significant privacy concerns as many capture audio from users and their surroundings indiscriminately. Nirva’s approach uses voice snippets collected during onboarding to build a personalized voice model, ensuring the device actively filters out conversations from others nearby. This design positions the pendant as a privacy-first device that focuses on self-analysis rather than external audio recording.
Unlike competitors focusing on productivity or meeting transcription, Nirva frames itself as a personal insights company aiming to enhance self-understanding, self-compassion, and communication skills. Its companion app extracts emotional cues from speech tone, pitch, and pace, then provides reminders and actionable insights tailored to users’ daily interactions and emotional well-being.
What to watch next
Nirva’s ability to successfully navigate privacy challenges while delivering valuable user insights will be critical to its market adoption. The AI jewelry sector is becoming competitive, with startups like Taya, Friend, and Bee also developing intelligent ambient wearables, many led by ex-Apple employees or other tech veterans.
Tracking the company’s shipping progress, user feedback on data privacy and insight accuracy, and future hardware expansions will be essential. Nirva’s emphasis on emotional intelligence and personal growth could differentiate it in a crowded wearable AI market if it effectively delivers measurable user benefits.