Conversational AI and smart-glasses startup Sesame has raised $250 million in a Series B funding round and has begun opening its beta program to select testers. Co-founded by former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe and ex-Ubiquity6 CTO Ankit Kumar, the company is building a personal AI agent that speaks in a natural human-like voice and will eventually be embedded into lightweight eyewear for all-day use.
Sesame first emerged from stealth in February with voice demos named “Maya” and “Miles,” which quickly went viral, generating over five million minutes of conversation from more than a million users. Investor Sequoia praised the technology for producing speech with rhythm, emotion and expressiveness, while early reviewers, including The Verge, described the experience as natural and engaging. The company says its upcoming glasses will deliver high-quality audio and an AI companion capable of observing and interacting with the world in real time.
Although no release timeline has been announced, Sequoia noted the glasses are being designed to be stylish as well as functional. Sesame’s seasoned leadership team — which includes Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell, former Oculus and Fitbit executives, and Meta veterans — is seen as a major advantage as the company moves into the hardware phase.
Alongside the funding reveal, Iribe announced that Sesame has opened an early iOS beta, giving testers access to its AI, which can “search, text and think.” Participants are required to keep their experiences confidential for now. Investors in the round include Sequoia, Spark Capital and other undisclosed backers