Hearing Tech Startup Legato Emerges From Stealth With $12M for AI Hearing Glasses

Legato, a new hearing technology company, emerged from stealth on August 26, 2026, with $12 million in funding and a first look at its AI hearing glasses, the company told TechCrunch. The glasses, called Legato Frames, integrate the company's patented hearing-assistance technology into the arms of eyewear frames and are expected to launch later this fall.

Legato Frames use an AI-powered system that differentiates between background noise and voices, amplifying only the voices to make conversations clearer in noisy environments such as restaurants. The frames feature a dual-speaker system that directs sound toward the wearer while canceling escaping sound, reducing it by 99% just a few inches away from the ear, according to the company.

The startup was founded in late 2024 by Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine, who bring experience in wearables and hearing care from Bose, where Trivedi led the creation of Bose Frames and Romine ran the hearing aids division. Trivedi later led smart eyewear efforts at EssilorLuxottica and worked on the Meta Ray-Bans, while Romine served as COO of hearing care company Audicus.

The funding round includes Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global, and has largely gone toward product development and marketing. Legato is targeting people with mild to moderate hearing loss, the largest segment of the hearing-loss population, and aims to address the cost, comfort, and stigma associated with traditional hearing aids.

Hearing loss affects an estimated 50 million adults in the United States, but only around 20% of those with diagnosed hearing loss seek treatment, TechCrunch reported. When Legato Frames launch later this year, the company says they will be available through select eye-care providers nationwide, will cost a fraction of traditional hearing aids, and may be eligible for vision insurance when purchased through an eye-care clinic.