Amazon Eyes AI Future With Acquisition of Smart Wearable Startup Bee

Amazon appears to be making a fresh move into the wearable tech market—this time with a focus on artificial intelligence. The tech giant is acquiring Bee, a startup known for developing a wearable device that listens to everyday conversations and uses AI to generate to-do lists, summarize social interactions, and deliver personalized reminders.

The news was first shared by Bee’s co-founder, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, in a LinkedIn post. Amazon later confirmed the acquisition, though the deal hasn’t officially closed. The purchase price remains undisclosed, but Amazon stated that all Bee team members have been offered positions within the company.

So why Bee? Amazon seems to be eyeing an opportunity to expand its AI ecosystem—adding wearable AI tech to complement its existing lineup of Alexa-powered Echo devices and other smart home products. The AI wearable space is growing, with recent entries like the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin, though none have yet become mainstream hits.

Bee’s standout product is the Pioneer, a $49.99 wearable that functions like a discreet AI assistant, passively listening to conversations and providing summaries, insights, and timely reminders. The device requires a $19/month subscription and also has a companion Apple Watch app with similar functionality, eliminating the need for a separate gadget if you already own a compatible smartwatch.

According to Bee, the device operates silently in the background, adapting to the user’s habits and relationships to build a personalized experience—without being intrusive. However, early reviews have pointed out some limitations. For instance, The Verge noted that the Pioneer had difficulty distinguishing real conversations from background audio like TV shows, leading to confusing summaries.

Despite the mixed performance, demand for the Pioneer has been strong—the device is currently sold out and won’t be available again until September.

A major concern moving forward will be user privacy. Bee currently claims that all personal data is deletable at any time, and recordings are not stored or shared. The company also says none of the information is used to train AI models. However, users and analysts alike will be watching to see if Amazon maintains those privacy standards after the acquisition.

This isn’t Amazon’s first attempt at wearables. The company previously launched Halo and Halo View, fitness-focused devices that were discontinued in 2023. Whether Bee’s AI-driven wearable will mark a successful comeback for Amazon in this space remains to be seen.