Sandbar Launches Stream, a Voice-AI Ring Aiming to Disrupt the Emerging Hardware Market
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Former Meta employees have launched Sandbar, a startup developing Stream, a voice-controlled AI ring designed for note-taking and music control. Pre-orders for the device begin Wednesday, priced at $249 for silver and $299 for gold, with shipping anticipated to start next summer. the launch positions Sandbar within a rapidly evolving landscape of AI hardware, seeking to differentiate itself from competitors through a minimalist form factor and a focus on user data control.
The emergence of dedicated AI hardware is driven by the belief that voice interaction offers a more natural and convenient interface than smartphones or laptops for many AI tasks. Sandbar aims to capitalize on this trend with Stream, a ring intended to be a discreet interface for expressing ideas and controlling digital experiences. This launch arrives amid a challenging period for AI hardware companies, with Humane recently selling itS assets to HP and Rabbit working to improve user engagement through software updates.
Sandbar emphasizes user privacy, offering full data control with encryption both at rest and in transit, alongside support for data exports to applications like Notion. A Pro subscription tier, available for $10 per month after a free three-month trial for pre-order customers, will unlock unlimited chats, notes, and early access to new features.
“I think a lot of people would agree that voice and AI go really well together. And [they also agree] that having a phone or even a laptop to interact with AI is kind of a lot when all you need is voice,” said Toni Schneider, a partner at True Ventures, which contributed to Sandbar’s $13 million funding round alongside Upfront Ventures and Betaworks. “We looked at a lot of [AI hardware] and a lot of them just didn’t quite hit the target. When Mina came in and showed us the demo, it made sense to us.”
Sandbar founder Fahmi stated the company’s intention for Stream to function as an interface, rather than an assistant or companion. The company faces competition from other ventures exploring similar form factors, including pendants and wristbands, and will need to demonstrate the unique value proposition of its ring design to achieve mainstream success.
