Amazon Acquires AI Wearable Startup Bee to Advance Tech

Amazon has struck a deal to acquire Bee, a San Francisco-based startup that makes an AI-powered wrist bracelet that can record and summarise conversations in the real world. The wristband sells for $50 and records voice, generates summaries, creates to-do lists, and helps organise a variety of other tasks, all from a wearable piece of technology on your wrist. 

The e-commerce giant confirmed the acquisition after Maria de Lourdes Zollo, Bee’s CEO and co-founder, posted about the acquisition on LinkedIn. Amazon has not disclosed the financial terms of the acquisition, although the deal is expected to close soon. The company has stated that users will have greater control of the transcription features, which will include the ability to mute recordings as needed. 

Zollo wrote, “We imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you.” She also thanked Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of Devices, with whom it seems Bee will be working. 

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This is part of Amazon’s continued effort to focus on wearables, following the shutdown of its Halo tracker’s health service in 2023. The company also has smart glasses as part of the Echo devices brand. The wearable AI market continues to attract investment; OpenAI recently acquired Jony Ive’s IO startup for $6.5 million.