Sandbar is an AI hardware startup founded by former Meta employees Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong that makes the Stream, a microphone-equipped smart ring dedicated to hands-free note-taking. The ring’s mic is normally off and is activated by touching a capacitive panel, after which audio is transcribed and analyzed in a companion phone app that also supports multi-turn conversations with an AI assistant and basic media controls. Early demand has been encouraging: the first preorder batch sold out and a second batch has been opened, with some testers using the device more than 50 times per day. The 15-person team, whose alumni hail from Amazon, Fitbit, Equinox, Google, and Apple, has spent over two years developing the product and plans to begin shipping this summer. Near-term road-map items include a web platform, lower response latency, a refined UI, and agentic workflows that act on captured notes. Longer term, Sandbar may open the app to users without the ring, broadening its market. The company has raised $36 million to date, enabling it to double its software and machine-learning headcount and hire marketing staff ahead of launch.

Total raised

$36M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Mar 2026