By Titik Puspa 
In the United States, a staggering 50 million adults grapple with hearing loss, yet a significant majority – approximately 80% – of those diagnosed with this condition do not seek treatment. This vast, unmet need is precisely what Legato, an innovative new hearing tech company, aims to address. Emerging from stealth mode with a substantial $12 million in seed funding, Legato is poised to disrupt the hearing aid market with its groundbreaking AI-powered hearing glasses, dubbed Legato Frames. These stylish spectacles discreetly integrate advanced hearing assistance technology into the arms of eyewear, promising a more accessible, discreet, and stigma-free solution for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss.
The genesis of Legato lies in the visionary leadership of co-founders Mehul Trivedi and Steve Romine, veterans with deep expertise in both wearable technology and audiology. Their impressive track record includes crucial roles at Bose, where Trivedi spearheaded the development of the iconic Bose Frames, and Romine led the company’s hearing aids division. Following his tenure at Bose, Trivedi further honed his skills in smart eyewear at EssilorLuxottica, contributing to projects like the Meta Ray-Bans. Romine, meanwhile, moved on to serve as COO of Audicus, a direct-to-consumer hearing care company. It was during a period of exploration after his extensive experience at large corporations that Trivedi identified a unique technological convergence between hearing assistance and smart eyewear. This realization prompted him to reconnect with Romine, and together they founded Legato in late 2024, driven by a shared vision to redefine how people approach and manage hearing health.
"Our goal is to make hearing as ubiquitous as vision," stated Trivedi in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch. He drew a powerful parallel to the established norms of eyecare: "It’s kind of a no-brainer that you go to an eye exam, you get your glasses, you wear your glasses, and you’re happy, and you do that for the rest of your life – and the idea of it being blurry again where you would just stop wearing them is not a consideration. I think that’s what we want to do with hearing: just make it something that people address and almost forget about." This aspiration underscores Legato’s commitment to normalizing hearing assistance, moving it from a medical necessity often shrouded in stigma to an integrated, effortless part of daily life, much like corrective lenses for vision.
Legato Frames are specifically designed to cater to individuals experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss, a demographic that constitutes the largest segment of the hearing-impaired population. The company’s founding mission was to dismantle the barriers that prevent people from seeking help for hearing loss, namely the prohibitive cost, the discomfort of traditional devices, and the pervasive social stigma. By embedding hearing technology into a familiar and fashionable form factor like eyeglasses, Legato aims to alleviate these concerns. The design prioritizes a small, lightweight profile, achieved through a proprietary acoustic system, an advanced signal-processing stack, and a meticulously engineered mechanical architecture. The anticipated launch of Legato Frames is slated for later this fall, offering a tangible solution to millions.
Traditional hearing aids, while effective, often rely on directional microphones that excel in quiet environments but struggle to isolate speech in noisy settings, such as bustling restaurants or crowded social gatherings. This can lead to a cognitively taxing listening experience, where users expend significant mental energy trying to decipher conversations amidst background din. Legato’s approach marks a significant departure. Their AI-powered system is engineered to intelligently differentiate between ambient noise and human voices, selectively amplifying only the latter. This sophisticated noise-cancellation and voice-enhancement capability promises to deliver clearer conversations without the associated listening fatigue, thereby enhancing social engagement and reducing cognitive load.
"We wanted to deliver an experience that was unique," Trivedi elaborated. "So a form factor that’s really discreet and looks normal. They’re meant to feel and look like regular glasses. And so, we want it to be a product that’s effortless, easy to use, with kind of no controls that you need to fiddle with, works everywhere, works throughout your day, doesn’t need a ton of configuration, and just delivers you better hearing." This focus on seamless integration and user-friendliness is central to Legato’s philosophy. The ambition is to create a device that empowers users without demanding complex operation or drawing undue attention.
A key concern with any personal audio device is sound leakage. Legato Frames address this with an innovative dual-speaker system. While the open-ear design allows for a natural perception of sound, the system is meticulously engineered to direct sound precisely towards the wearer’s ears. Simultaneously, it actively cancels any sound that might escape, reducing outward sound leakage by an impressive 99% just a few inches from the ear. This ensures that the enhanced audio is for the wearer’s benefit alone, maintaining privacy and preventing disruption to those around them.
The $12 million in funding, secured from prominent investors including Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global, has been strategically allocated to robust product development and targeted marketing initiatives. This investment underscores the significant market potential and technological promise of Legato’s vision.
Trivedi further emphasized the profound impact of improved hearing on overall well-being: "We have an opportunity to address a population with this product and build something that delivers without all the compromises of traditional hearing aids. Hearing, at first glance, it’s not so much just like ‘I want to hear the TV better.’ It’s really about connection. When you hear better, you connect to the world. It reduces dementia risk and depression risk." His words highlight the broader health implications of untreated hearing loss, which have been increasingly linked to cognitive decline, social isolation, and mental health issues. Enhanced hearing, therefore, is not merely about auditory perception but about fostering a richer, more connected life.
"There’s impactful hearing health factors associated with better hearing," Trivedi continued. "We’ve got a product that lives on people for 16 hours that is trusted to help them with their hearing and their vision, and we’d love to continue helping them in every way we can." This statement points towards Legato’s long-term vision, potentially expanding its offerings to encompass a more holistic approach to personal well-being, leveraging the platform of smart eyewear.
Upon their launch later this year, Legato Frames are expected to be available through a network of select eye-care providers across the nation. The company asserts that the frames will be priced at "a fraction" of the cost of traditional hearing aids. Furthermore, when purchased through an eye-care clinic, they may be eligible for coverage under vision insurance plans, further enhancing their affordability and accessibility. This strategic distribution model not only leverages existing healthcare touchpoints but also aims to integrate hearing assistance seamlessly into routine eye examinations, making proactive management of hearing health more convenient than ever before. The integration with vision care also addresses the common co-occurrence of vision and hearing impairments, offering a dual-benefit solution.
The development of Legato Frames represents a significant leap forward in the field of assistive technology. By merging cutting-edge AI, sophisticated audio engineering, and discreet, fashionable design, Legato is not just creating a new product; they are crafting a new paradigm for hearing care. The company’s substantial funding, experienced leadership, and clear vision position them as a formidable contender poised to make a profound difference in the lives of millions affected by hearing loss, ultimately striving to make better hearing as effortless and commonplace as better vision. The potential for these AI-powered frames to reduce the stigma, improve the quality of life, and foster greater social connection for individuals with hearing impairments is immense, marking a new era in personal audio technology.
