Former Oculus chief Brendan Iribe is returning to consumer hardware with a new startup, Sesame, that is building AI-powered smart glasses and previewing its software on iOS. The company, backed by Sequoia and Spark, opened an invite-only beta for a conversational assistant as it develops eyewear that aims to sound more human in everyday use.
The move signals fresh momentum in voice-first wearables as investors and veterans from virtual reality look to make hands-free computing more practical. It also sets up a test of whether natural voice can solve adoption hurdles that stalled earlier smart glasses.
What Sesame Is Building
“Former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe’s new startup, Sesame, is building AI-powered smart glasses with natural, humanlike voice interaction.”
Sesame plans eyewear that responds in a conversational way, rather than with clipped commands. The approach targets common tasks like messaging, navigation, and quick answers without pulling out a phone. To seed feedback early, the team launched an iOS app that mirrors the planned assistant experience.
“Backed by Sequoia and Spark, the company also launched an invite-only iOS beta to preview its conversational AI.”
The iOS beta offers a view into the interaction model and voice quality before hardware ships. Early testers can assess response speed, accuracy, and tone—key traits that often determine whether voice tools stick.
Why This Matters Now
Iribe co-founded Oculus VR, which Facebook acquired in 2014. Oculus popularized consumer VR and helped define a new category, but mass-market glasses that fit daily life have remained elusive. Google Glass struggled with privacy and price. Snap’s Spectacles favored style and cameras over utility. Amazon’s Echo Frames focused on audio but saw limited traction.
Meanwhile, interest in wearables has reawakened as AI assistants improve. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses now pair a camera and microphone with multimodal AI. Apple’s Vision Pro brought attention back to head-worn computers, though at a different scale and price. Sesame is positioning voice as the center of the experience, in a lighter form factor.
Investors Bet on Voice-First Wearables
Sequoia and Spark are among the most active backers of consumer tech founders. Their support signals confidence that a high-quality voice interface—paired with familiar eyewear—could unlock daily use. Funding also matters for the tough parts of glasses development: battery life, heat, microphones, speakers, and connectivity in a compact frame.
- Capital intensity: Miniaturized hardware and custom components are costly to refine and scale.
- User trust: Microphones near the face heighten privacy expectations and require transparent controls.
- Durability: Glasses must handle weather, drops, and long wear without discomfort.
The Road From App to Glasses
Launching software first allows Sesame to iterate quickly. An invite-only beta can gather data on voice prompts, error cases, and latency. It also builds a user base that may be more willing to buy hardware later if the assistant proves reliable.
Key metrics to watch include wake-word accuracy, response time in noisy environments, and how the assistant handles complex, multi-step requests. If the iOS beta shows clear gains here, Sesame could stand out from simpler voice command systems.
What Success Would Look Like
Early wins would include natural back-and-forth conversation, fast hands-free replies, and tight integration with texting, maps, and reminders. Battery life and comfort will still determine if people keep the glasses on throughout the day.
Competitors are moving fast, though. Larger platforms can bundle services and use existing ecosystems to drive adoption. Sesame’s advantage may be focus: build the best voice experience first, then ship glasses designed around it rather than treating voice as an add-on.
Sesame’s plan is clear: validate the conversational core on iOS, then bring it to a pair of everyday glasses. If the assistant feels helpful and natural, the company could turn a long-standing vision for smart eyewear into a daily habit. Watch for wider beta access, developer tools, and hints about battery, microphones, and frame design in the months ahead.
