Hearing technology startup Legato has begun selling its first product, a pair of AI-assisted glasses designed to support adults with up to moderate hearing loss. TechCrunch reported on October 1 that Legato Frames start at $999 and place the company’s hearing-assistance system inside the arms of conventional-looking eyewear.

Legato is positioning the product as an alternative to traditional hearing aids, with an emphasis on cost, comfort, and the social stigma some people associate with hearing devices. The company says its system uses AI to separate voices from background noise, then raises the voices while suppressing unwanted sound. TechCrunch did not report independent testing of that performance.

Illustration of open-ear glasses directing sound toward a wearer.
Legato says its dual-speaker design directs amplified audio inward while reducing sound that escapes nearby.

The Frames use an open-ear design rather than placing hardware inside the ear canal. According to Legato, two speakers direct audio toward the wearer and cancel sound that leaks outward. The company claims this arrangement reduces escaped sound by 99 percent only a few inches from the ear, so nearby people should not hear the amplified audio.

Legato also says all audio processing happens on the glasses themselves. The device has no cameras and does not record, distinctions that may matter to buyers who are wary of wearable devices collecting visual or audio data. The report did not describe an outside privacy or security audit, so those assurances remain the company’s stated design claims.

Illustration of hearing glasses with battery, lens, call, and music symbols.
The 34-gram Frames support prescription lenses and Bluetooth audio, with a claimed battery life of 10 to 12 hours.

With lenses installed, the Frames weigh 34 grams and are rated for 10 to 12 hours of battery life. Legato offers three frame styles, supports prescription lenses, and includes Bluetooth streaming for calls and music. Those specifications combine hearing assistance with functions commonly expected from wireless audio wearables.

The commercial launch follows Legato’s emergence from stealth with $12 million from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global. Founders Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine previously worked on wearable audio and hearing products at Bose; Trivedi later led smart-eyewear work at EssilorLuxottica, including work on Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, while Romine became chief operating officer of hearing-care company Audicus. The Frames are available from Legato and selected U.S. eye-care providers, and TechCrunch reported that they may qualify for vision-insurance coverage.