Meta acquires Limitless start-up: What does it do?
What's the story
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has acquired Limitless, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that specializes in creating advanced wearable devices. The announcement was made by Limitless itself. The company is known for its innovative AI-powered pendant that could record conversations. After the acquisition, it will no longer sell its hardware devices but continue supporting existing customers for a year.
Strategic shift
Limitless's transition and future plans
Limitless, founded by Brett Bejcek and Dan Siroker, the co-founder and former CEO of Optimizely, transitioned to an AI device maker last year. The company offered its Limitless pendant at $99. The wearable could be worn like a necklace or attached to a shirt like a wireless mic. The company faced increased competition in the market, with larger players like OpenAI and Meta developing their own hardware devices.
Shared goals
Meta's vision aligns with Limitless's mission
In its announcement, Limitless said it shares Meta's vision of "bringing personal superintelligence to everyone." This includes building AI-enabled wearables. However, the company hinted that it would be supporting Meta's existing products rather than adding an AI pendant to its lineup. Despite the challenges in a competitive market, Siroker remains optimistic about their work and the future of AI hardware start-ups.
Statement
Meta expresses excitement over acquisition
Meta expressed its excitement over the acquisition, saying, "we're excited that Limitless will be joining Meta to help accelerate our work to build AI-enabled wearables." However, the tech giant did not provide any further details on its plans for integration of Limitless into its operations.