Boston-based Legato has emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding as it prepares to introduce AI-enabled hearing-assistance glasses. The company will use the financing to bring its Legato Frames to market and continue developing the underlying technology.
Legato Frames integrate hearing-assistance technology into the arms of conventional-looking eyewear. The company plans to debut the product in the coming months and says its technology is protected by four granted patents, with more than 20 additional patent applications pending.
The launch comes as the U.S. hearing-assistance market continues to evolve following the Food and Drug Administration’s establishment of an over-the-counter hearing aid category. The framework, which took effect in 2022, enables adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss to access qualifying hearing aids without a prescription or involvement from an audiologist.
Legato will enter a market that already includes established eyewear and consumer technology companies. EssilorLuxottica received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2025 for its Nuance Audio Hearing Aid Software, which powers Nuance Audio Glasses. The product incorporates open-ear hearing technology into eyewear and is intended for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
EssilorLuxottica also expanded its hearing technology capabilities in 2025 by acquiring Pulse Audition, a French startup that developed AI-based speech enhancement and noise reduction technology designed to improve conversations in noisy settings for people with hearing impairment.
Consumer electronics companies have also extended hearing-assistance functionality into existing devices. Apple received FDA authorization in 2024 for its Hearing Aid Feature, allowing compatible AirPods Pro devices to function as over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Samsung received FDA clearance in August 2026 for a similar Galaxy Buds Hearing Aid feature. The functionality is expected to become available on Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro devices in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Legato’s entry reflects a broader movement toward integrating hearing support into consumer-oriented form factors, with eyewear and earbuds increasingly serving as platforms for hearing-assistance technologies.
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