Amazon Acquires AI Wearable Startup Bee to Expand its Ambient Computing Ambitions
Bee produces a $49.99 bracelet and a companion Apple Watch app that records ambient audio to generate reminders and to-do lists.
Amazon has acquired Bee, an AI wearable startup known for its always-listening assistant devices, co-founder Maria de Lourdes Zollo confirmed in a LinkedIn post.
"When we started Bee, we imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you. What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon," she posted.
Bee produces a $49.99 bracelet and a companion Apple Watch app that records ambient audio to generate reminders and to-do lists. The devices operate continuously unless manually muted. A $19 monthly subscription supports the service.
Bee’s long-term goal is to build a “cloud phone”—a digital clone of a user’s device, enabling more context-aware interactions and reminders. “We believe everyone should have access to a personal, ambient intelligence that feels less like a tool and more like a trusted companion,” the company states.
Amazon’s acquisition reflects a growing trend among tech giants to enter the AI wearable space. While other attempts like Humane’s $499 AI Pin have struggled, Bee’s affordability makes it more appealing.
Bee says its audio recordings aren’t saved or used for AI training, though personal data that the AI learns is retained to improve functionality. Amazon has offered positions to Bee’s staff as part of the acquisition.
