Nirva Raises AZN 42.5 Million for Pendant That Records Only Its Owner’s Voice

    Nirva has raised $25 million (AZN 42.5 million) in new funding for an AI pendant that records only its owner’s voice. The company raised $8 million (AZN 13.6 million) earlier this year. This brings its total funding to $33 million (AZN 56.1 million). The device, which resembles a piece of jewelry, is designed to record only the user’s voice, not the voices of people nearby.    The company was founded in 2025 by former Meta Reality Labs employees Wei Lyu and Jason Chen, along with Hanying Hu, who has worked in fashion and jewelry. Its first device is shaped like a pendant, but it can also be worn as a bracelet. The device weighs approximately 8 g, and its battery lasts up to 3 days on a single charge.    During the initial setup, the user records short samples of their voice. Based on these samples, Nirva creates a personalized system that recognizes the owner’s voice. While the device is operating, it filters out the speech of other people nearby. After the speech is processed, the audio recordings and their transcriptions are not retained under the default settings.    The mobile app analyzes the user’s speech. Based on this, it creates notes about daily habits, the people the user interacts with, the places they visit, and their speaking style. The app can also create reminders and to-do lists. Before the audio is deleted, its tone, pitch, volume, and speech rate are measured. The app uses this information to draw conclusions about the user’s emotional state.    Nirva will begin accepting orders for the device in November. The first buyers will receive the pendant by the end of the year. It will cost $249 (approximately AZN 420). The device will be sold in silver, matte silver, black, and gold. The company also plans to release other wearable devices in the future. However, it faces competitors in this field such as Taya, Friend, and Bee.