Sandbar secures $23M Series A for its AI note-taking ring

Source: TechCrunch

Funding round

• Amount: $23 M Series A
• Lead investors: Adjacent, Kindred Ventures
• Previous raise: $13 M from True Ventures (Nov 2025)
• Total funding to date: $36 M

The round will be used to double the software and machine‑learning teams, expand marketing, and continue refining the Stream ring’s app experience.

Product overview

The Stream ring is a smart ring focused on AI‑powered note‑taking rather than health tracking. Key features include:

• Microphone: Off by default; activated via a flat, touch‑sensitive panel on the top of the ring.
• Proximity‑tuned mic: Requires the user to lift their hand to their face, signalling intent to record.
• Controls: Hold the touch panel to record notes, chat with the AI assistant in the companion phone app, and manage media (play, pause, skip, volume).
• Usage: Early adopters report using the ring over 50 times a day for tasks such as planning presentations, trips, or meals.

“Something that we think is necessary is back‑and‑forth conversation… Stream is really good at iterative tasks which begin, maybe in conversation or editing a note, but hopefully expand to multi‑turn conversations,” said Fahmi.

App and ecosystem

• The phone app currently works only with the Stream ring but may be opened to users without the hardware.
• The app can be used independently for note‑taking when the ring is charging or misplaced.
• Sandbar is developing a web platform, improving UI, and reducing latency of AI model responses.
• Long‑term goal: enable “agentic workflows” that let users take actions directly from their notes.

Company background

• Founders: Mina Fahmi (formerly CTRL‑Labs, Magic Leap) and Kirak Hong (former Meta).
• Team: 15 employees with experience at Amazon, Fitbit, Equinox, Google, Apple.
• Timeline: Development began >2 years ago; stealth mode ended last year after testing with friends and early adopters.
• Pre‑orders: First batch sold out; a second batch was opened to meet demand.
• Shipping: Planned for summer 2026.

Industry context

The market for hardware devices dedicated to AI note‑taking is expanding:

• Plaud – AI hardware note‑taker (TechCrunch article)
• Pebble – $75 smart ring slated for release this year (TechCrunch article)
• Taya – Premium jewelry‑styled note‑taking devices (Taya website)

Adjacent’s Nico Wittenborn highlighted the Stream’s form factor as a differentiator, noting that the hand‑lifting gesture signals a private, intentional use case, unlike other devices that may inadvertently capture surrounding conversations.

Visual

Image credit: Sandbar