SOND Raises $7 Million, Launches Dreambuds Sleep Earbuds With 12-Signal AI Coaching
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 27
SOND Raises $7 Million, Launches Dreambuds Sleep Earbuds With 12-Signal AI Coaching
1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 27
$7 million in seed funding brought Boston-based SOND out of stealth as it unveiled Dreambuds, in-ear sleep earbuds that monitor 12 physiological signals and adjust audio in real time.
The system streams data such as respiration, heart-rate variability, sleep stage, body position and snoring to a cloud AI coach, which picks from more than 500 audio programs or generates new ones.
Dreambuds run without a phone: the charging case includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an OLED display, buttons and a speaker, while users can summon the coach by double-tap for sleep guidance or insights.
CEO Yadid Ayzenberg, formerly Bose's head of sleep products, said SOND pursued a different path after Bose exited the category, building around sensing and intervention rather than simple noise masking.
SOND, founded in 2022, is taking reservations now and aims for mass production by Q2 2026 after a crowdfunding campaign for additional capital.
With giants like Fitbit in the race, can a startup's AI earbuds win the battle for better sleep?
Can AI earbuds truly improve our sleep, or are we creating a new dependency for a natural human process?
As AI coaches us to sleep, how is our most private physiological data being secured from the cloud?