Meta has acquired Limitless, the AI startup behind a wearable pendant that records conversations, leading to an immediate halt in hardware sales and a wind-down of several of the company’s core products over the coming year.
Hardware sales end, subscriptions dropped, support limited to one year
In an announcement on Friday, Limitless said it has been acquired by Meta and will no longer sell its hardware devices. The company will continue to support existing customers for one year.
As part of the transition, current users will be moved to the Unlimited Plan at no extra cost. Subscription fees are being discontinued, removing ongoing charges for people already using the service.
Limitless also said it will wind down other functionality beyond its pendant, including its earlier software product Rewind. That desktop app recorded a user’s on-screen activity and turned it into a searchable record, but will now be phased out.
The company said customers will be offered tools to export their data if they want to retain it, or they can delete their data directly from within the app.
From Rewind software to wearable AI pendant
Limitless, originally known as Rewind, was founded by Brett Bejcek and Dan Siroker, the co-founder and former chief executive of Optimizely. The startup began as a software-focused company and later pivoted into dedicated hardware.
Last year, the company shifted toward building AI devices and launched the Limitless pendant at a price of $99. The wearable could be clipped onto a shirt like a wireless microphone or worn around the neck as a necklace. It recorded conversations and used AI to help users recall information.
The pendant entered a growing field of AI hardware accessories. That segment includes other experimental devices such as Friend, another AI pendant that has struggled to gain strong reception.
Meta targets AI wearables, not a new pendant line
In its announcement, Limitless said it aligned with Meta’s aim to “bring personal superintelligence to everyone,” a phrase that reflects both companies’ interest in AI-enabled consumer hardware.
Meta has focused so far on augmented reality and AI glasses rather than pendants. Its products include Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses, as well as Meta Ray-Ban Display, which integrates AI into in-lens experiences.
Limitless said it would help bring Meta’s vision to life, which suggests the acquired team will likely support Meta’s existing glasses and wearable efforts instead of developing a new AI pendant under Meta’s brand.
In an emailed statement to TechCrunch, Meta said: “We’re excited that Limitless will be joining Meta to help accelerate our work to build AI-enabled wearables.” The company added that the Limitless team will join the wearables organization inside Reality Labs, Meta’s hardware and AR/VR division. Meta did not provide further details on specific product plans.
Competitive pressure from larger AI and hardware players
Limitless acknowledged that the market has shifted sharply since it started working on its ideas five years ago. Co-founder Dan Siroker wrote that AI was once viewed as speculative, and hardware startups were considered hard to fund, especially those combining AI and dedicated devices.
He said that situation has changed. Larger companies including Meta and OpenAI are now investing directly in AI-enabled hardware, intensifying competition for smaller startups building similar products.
Siroker wrote that Limitless no longer operates on the fringes of the tech industry. He said the company is now working in a space many observers see as a likely direction for the future of consumer technology, and that it is no longer alone in pursuing that concept.
Funding history and investor backing
Before the acquisition, Limitless had raised more than $33 million in venture funding. Its backers included Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), First Round Capital, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA).
The company’s rebranding from Rewind to Limitless and its pivot to AI wearables were part of its effort to position itself within a growing segment where AI and personal hardware converge. With the Meta acquisition, that work will now continue inside a much larger organization focused on building consumer-facing AI devices and platforms.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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