Meta acquires AI wearable startup Limitless to Push Deeper Into Smart Wearables

Meta is acquiring AI wearable startup Limitless, the companies confirmed Friday, as the tech giant doubles down on always-on hardware in line with its broader push for personal superintelligence.

“We’re excited that Limitless will be joining Meta to help accelerate our work to build AI-enabled wearables,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

Limitless, based in Denver, was founded in 2020 under the name Rewind. The company makes the Limitless Pendant, a $99 clip-on device built for continuous use. The pendant records conversations, transcribes them in real time, and turns the audio stream into searchable summaries and action items using AI. The goal is simple: capture daily context without friction, then make it retrievable later.

The deal lands at a moment when AI wearables sit in an awkward middle ground. Interest is high. Breakout hits remain scarce. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses stand out as a rare commercial success, blending a familiar form factor with lightweight AI features through Meta’s assistant. They proved consumers will accept embedded AI hardware when it feels natural.

Limitless enters a crowded field of experiment-heavy devices. Friend offers a pendant-style recorder. Plaud sells a small, card- or pill-shaped device that clips onto clothing or accessories. Bee, worn as a wristband, was acquired by Amazon in July. Amazon has kept its own bets close to home through Alexa-powered Echo devices, pushing AI deeper into ambient computing. Google continues a similar strategy through Gemini on Pixel phones.

Meta’s interest in Limitless signals a focus on memory, context, and presence rather than screens. A clip-on recorder feels less like a gadget and more like infrastructure. That framing fits neatly with Meta’s long-term narrative around personal AI that sees what users see, hears what they hear, and recalls what they forget.

Privacy questions linger around always-listening devices, especially ones worn throughout the day. Limitless has leaned on consent controls and user-managed recordings as part of its pitch. Meta now inherits that challenge at a global scale.

For Meta, the acquisition tightens the link between AI models and physical products. For Limitless, it offers reach, resources, and distribution that few startups ever have access to. Whether AI wearables move past novelty may hinge on moments like this one.