The Boston-based startup is entering the hearing eyewear segment, targeting the large share of adults with hearing loss who have yet to seek treatment.
Legato, a hearing technology startup founded in 2024, has emerged from stealth with $12 million in seed funding and a debut product — Legato Frames — that integrates patented hearing-assistance technology into the arms of eyewear frames. The funding round was led by Neotribe Ventures, with participation from Listen and Village Global.
Hearing loss affects an estimated 50 million adults in the U.S., but only 20% of those with diagnosed loss actually address it—a persistent gap that Legato says its design-forward approach is built to close. The company was founded by veterans of Bose and Apple and positions Legato Frames as a lifestyle product rather than a medical device.
“Traditional hearing aids have existed for 70 years, but the cost, discomfort, and stigma turn away so many people who could really benefit from them,” says Mehul Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Legato, in a release. “We wanted to turn a hard-to-swallow medical device into a product people are actually excited to wear—and give millions of people with hearing loss a reason to finally get off the sidelines.”
The announcement adds another entrant to the growing hearing eyewear category. Nuance Audio glasses from Essilor Luxottica received FDA clearance and became available in the U.S. market in recent months. Hearing technology innovations were also prominent at CES 2026, signaling sustained industry momentum in the eyewear-meets-hearing space.
Reframing the Adoption Problem
Legato’s investor base is framing the company’s approach as a strategic departure from the incumbent industry’s dominant design philosophy.
“The hearing aid industry has spent decades optimizing for invisibility, making devices smaller so people won’t notice them,” says Kittu Kolluri, founder and managing director at Neotribe Ventures, in a release. “Legato flips that logic. The path to adoption isn’t to make hearing assistance disappear—it’s to make it a style choice. For the millions of people beginning to experience hearing loss, Legato is the solution that doesn’t ask them to accept a diminished identity.”
The stigma surrounding hearing aids and the barriers to early intervention have been well-documented in the field. Research on younger people’s perceptions of hearing care has similarly pointed to design and social acceptance as key friction points.
Technology and IP
Legato’s technology is protected by four granted patents and more than 20 pending applications, and the company says its performance rivals that of traditional hearing aids. Details on specific clinical performance metrics have not yet been disclosed.
“Legato represents the best of where AI is headed: thoughtful design wrapped around cutting-edge technology, all to unlock fuller, more human experiences,” says Rick Desai, managing partner at Listen, in a release. “We couldn’t be prouder to partner with them as they reframe the hearing category.”
Distribution and Pricing
Legato Frames will be available later this fall in a variety of styles online at legatohearing.com and through select eye care providers around the country. The product will be “priced at a fraction of the cost of traditional hearing aids” and will often be eligible for vision insurance when purchased through an eye care clinic, according to the company.
More information is available at legatohearing.com.
