Sesame's $250M Bet: Oculus Founders Launch AI Glasses That Talk Like Humans

The Rise of Conversational AI

Sesame, a groundbreaking conversational AI startup and smart glasses manufacturer, has secured a massive $250 million Series B funding round while launching an exclusive beta program for early testers. This significant development marks a major milestone in the evolution of AI-powered wearable technology.

Visionary Leadership and Ambitious Goals

Founded by former Oculus co-founder and CEO Brendan Iribe alongside Ankit Kumar, former CTO of AR startup Ubiquity6, Sesame is pioneering the development of a personal AI agent that communicates with users through remarkably natural, human-like voice interactions. The company's ambitious vision involves embedding this advanced AI companion into lightweight, stylish eyewear designed for all-day wear, enabling seamless voice-based interaction throughout users' daily lives.

Rapid Adoption and Impressive Engagement

The startup emerged from stealth mode in February with two compelling technology demos featuring AI voices named "Maya" and "Miles." These demonstrations generated extraordinary interest, attracting over one million users within the first few weeks who collectively engaged in more than 5 million minutes of conversation. This explosive adoption demonstrates the strong market appetite for advanced conversational AI experiences.

Revolutionary Technology Approach

According to Sesame investor Sequoia, the company's technology represents a fundamental breakthrough in voice AI. Unlike conventional systems that simply convert text to speech, Sesame's platform generates speech directly, capturing the nuanced rhythm, emotion, and expressiveness of genuine human dialogue. Early reviews from technology publications like The Verge have described the experience as "genuinely fun" and "natural-sounding," validating the company's innovative approach.

The Hardware Vision

Sesame's upcoming smart glasses promise high-quality audio and feature an AI companion designed to "observe the world alongside you." The company emphasizes that the eyewear will be fashion-forward and aesthetically appealing, ensuring users would choose to wear them even without the integrated AI capabilities. While specific launch timelines remain undisclosed, the company acknowledges that quality hardware development requires significant time and precision.

Experienced Founding Team

The startup benefits from an exceptionally experienced founding team that includes Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell as Chief Product Officer, former Oculus COO and Fitbit executive Hans Hartmann as COO, former Oculus engineering manager Ryan Brown, and longtime Facebook and Meta executive Angela Gayles. This collective expertise in hardware development, product design, and scaling technology companies positions Sesame strongly for success.

Beta Program Launch

Concurrent with the funding announcement, Sesame has launched an invite-only iOS beta that provides selected testers with early access to the company's AI technology. The beta app enables users to experience core functionalities including search, text communication, and advanced reasoning capabilities. Participants are required to maintain confidentiality regarding their testing experiences and features during this development phase.

Strategic Investment Backing

The substantial $250 million Series B round was led by prominent venture capital firms Sequoia and Spark, with participation from additional undisclosed investors. This significant financial backing underscores investor confidence in Sesame's vision to redefine human-computer interaction through advanced conversational AI integrated into everyday wearable technology.