Legato, a hearing tech startup, emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding and its first product: AI-powered hearing glasses called Legato Frames. The frames integrate hearing assistance directly into eyewear, targeting people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Founded by former Bose and EssilorLuxottica executives Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine, Legato aims to address cost, comfort, and stigma barriers that limit adoption of traditional hearing aids.
The glasses use an open-ear design with a dual-speaker system that amplifies voices while canceling sound leakage, reducing noise by 99% just inches away. An AI system filters background noise, focusing on speech to reduce the cognitive strain of listening in noisy environments like restaurants. Trivedi describes the goal as making hearing care as routine as vision correction, with frames that feel like normal glasses and require no manual adjustments.
Legato plans to launch Legato Frames later this fall through select eye-care providers nationwide. Pricing will be a fraction of traditional hearing aids and may qualify for vision insurance when purchased through clinics. The company’s seed funding from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global supported product development and marketing.
