Wearable technology startup Nirva announced a pre-Series A funding round of $25 million today, following an earlier $8 million investment from backers such as Lightspeed and South Park Commons earlier in the year, which brings the total funds raised to $33 million. Established in 2025, the enterprise was created by former Meta Reality Labs staff members Wei Lyu and Jason Chen alongside Hanying Hu, who previously started a fashion and jewelry enterprise.
The initial product from the firm is a pendant that functions as a bracelet as well. Weighing roughly eight grams for comfortable all-day use, the gadget operates for up to three days on a single battery charge. Looking ahead, the enterprise plans to launch additional hardware.
During a conversation with TechCrunch, Chief Executive Officer Lyu explained that the company sought to design a wearable item combining fashion with user utility. "This is a piece of jewelry that only focuses on listening to your own speech. We are not like a voice recorder or like a meeting note taker. One key difference between us, Taya, Vocci, or Sandbar Ring is that we're always passively listening to your own speech. So it's always on. It keeps modeling the user and modeling your mind," Lyu stated.
Privacy remains a major concern for ambient hardware since individuals may object to constant recording. Nirva resolves this challenge by prompting users to record voice samples during setup to construct a personal model. While operating, the hardware filters out outside conversations and data from nearby individuals so that only the wearer is recorded. Furthermore, the company does not store audio records or transcripts after processing interactions.
Rather than functioning as a productivity tool, the business markets itself as a personal insights firm. The associated application displays reminders, action items, and methods to address them. Lyu noted that the application seeks to assist users in supporting people around them more effectively. "I think there's no universal way to help everyone to solve their problems. We are building a tool to help people to improve their self-understanding, self-compassion, and self-awareness," Lyu said.
The companion software analyzes user speech to generate insights regarding personality traits, recurring patterns, frequent companions, visited locations, and daily notes. Lyu stressed that the software presents observations concerning emotions, communication habits, and potential improvements. Lyu shared an instance where she omitted thanking her mother for an action, prompting a subsequent reminder from the application. Before deleting the audio, the system analyzes tone, pitch, volume, and pace to extract emotional data displayed within the application.
Pre-orders for the hardware begin in November, with deliveries scheduled for early adopters by the conclusion of the year. Priced at $249, the product comes in silver, brushed silver, black, and gold finishes. The enterprise faces rivals in the artificial intelligence wearable sector, including Taya, founded by former Apple personnel to build smart jewelry, alongside companion gadget startups like Friend and Bee.
