Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong, both former employees of big tech companies, are now working as the co-founders of Sandbar. Together, they released a revolutionary small device called Stream. With this unique smart ring, users can record voice memos without speaking aloud. It provides convenient hands-free control of music, too—ideal for anyone looking to capture a burst of inspiration without fumbling for their phone or yelling into their earbuds.
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news from the company! From Wednesday, you can preorder Stream for $249 in silver or $299 in gold. So far, Sandbar has raised a successful $13 million in seed funding from notable venture capital firms including True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Betaworks. First shipping date for Stream is planned for next summer.
Mina Fahmi brings a wealth of experience in designing human-computer interfaces, while Kirak Hong previously worked at Google before joining CTRL-Labs. Their combined expertise informs the development of Stream, which includes an AI chatbot that engages with users during the recording process. This new feature is designed to make the process more immersive and engaging as you criminally plot your notes.
“A lot of my ideas bubble up when I’m walking or when I’m commuting, and I don’t want to pull out my phone to interrupt that moment. I don’t want to shout into my earbuds where the world can hear me to talk through an idea. Kirak and I were trying to understand what it would take to actually capture a thought the moment it bubbles up. That’s how we came up with Stream,” – Mina Fahmi
Beyond capturing voice, Stream creates a humanized experience. It allows the assistant to imitate your one-of-a-kind tone and language style! This new digital experience is a smart move to deepen device stickiness among users who want to feel like they are using something more tailored.
Sandbar has created a companion app as a means of deepening engagement and interaction of users with Stream. The app limits users’ ability to pinch to zoom out. This unique aspect aids them in looking back on their captured ideas across days or weeks, providing a valuable big picture view of their concepts.
For anyone looking for a more advanced experience, Sandbar has a Pro subscription tier, costing $10 per month. This monthly subscription gives users unlimited chat, unlimited note taking, and early access to new features. As an incentive for early adopters, Stream customers that preorder will receive a free three-month Pro subscription.
Toni Schneider, a partner at True Ventures who was an early investor in AI devices realized right away that it could make a huge impact after attending a demo of Stream.
“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. So there should be some kind of new form factor out there. We looked at a lot of them, 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,” – Toni Schneider
Sandbar is excited to be preparing for a full launch of Stream. Its aim is to transform the way everyone creates and interacts with their ideas through technology. Only time will tell whether users will fall in love with this new smart ring, but the founders are optimistic. It provides a convenient and seamless option to record thoughts wherever inspiration strikes.