Legato has emerged from stealth with $12 million and plans to launch hearing-assistance glasses for people with mild to moderate hearing loss later this year. The startup is trying to place hearing technology inside ordinary eyewear, addressing cost, comfort and stigma without requiring a separate traditional hearing aid.
Founders Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine previously worked on wearables and hearing care at Bose. Trivedi later led smart-eyewear efforts at EssilorLuxottica, while Romine became chief operating officer of hearing-care company Audicus. They founded Legato in late 2024.
Hearing assistance moves into familiar eyewear
Legato Frames integrate the company’s patented acoustic technology into the arms of eyeglasses. Trivedi says the goal is to make hearing care as routine as correcting vision: a product people can wear throughout the day without repeatedly deciding whether to use it.
The company is targeting the largest segment of people with diagnosed hearing loss, which it identifies as mild to moderate cases. TechCrunch cites an estimate of 50 million US adults affected by hearing loss and says only around 20 percent of diagnosed adults seek treatment.
Legato designed the frames to look and feel like conventional glasses, with minimal controls and configuration. That product description comes from the company; the source does not provide weight, battery life, prescription options or results from independent wear tests.
The frames are expected to reach selected eye-care providers nationwide in the fall. Legato says they will cost a fraction of traditional hearing aids and may qualify for vision insurance when purchased through a clinic. Neither an exact price nor confirmed insurance terms are disclosed.
AI separates voices from surrounding noise
Traditional hearing aids often use directional microphones to emphasize sound from a particular direction. Legato instead says its AI system distinguishes voices from background noise and amplifies only speech, aiming to make conversation clearer in busy environments such as restaurants.
An open-ear design sends sound toward the wearer through two speakers. The company claims that cancellation reduces sound escaping from the glasses by 99 percent only a few inches from the ear, limiting what other people can hear. The report does not describe the test conditions or include independent acoustic measurements.
Those missing details matter because useful hearing assistance depends on more than detecting a voice. The system must react consistently to overlapping speakers, varied room acoustics and movement while preserving comfort over many hours. Legato’s founders describe an effortless experience, but the finished product has not yet launched for broad customer evaluation.
Funding supports development and market entry
Neotribe Ventures, Listen and Village Global supplied the $12 million. Legato says the money has mainly funded product development and marketing. The startup has not disclosed its valuation, manufacturing partners or expected sales volume.
The founders’ backgrounds provide experience in both wearable design and hearing care, while distribution through eye-care providers could place the product in a setting where customers already buy glasses. That channel may also create a clearer route to fitting and support than a direct online sale.
Trivedi links better hearing to social connection and cites reduced risks of dementia and depression. Those are health-related assertions presented by the founder; the source does not establish that Legato Frames produce those outcomes.
The financing gives Legato a runway to turn a discreet prototype into a regulated, manufacturable and supportable product. Its central idea is straightforward: people who avoid hearing aids may accept assistance built into eyewear they already understand. The launch will reveal whether the AI can isolate speech reliably and whether the promised comfort, privacy and affordability survive everyday use.
Customer testing will also determine whether subtle assistance feels natural in the conversations that matter most.
