Our Media | Humane

Humane is an experience company that creates the technologies and platforms for the intelligence age. Contextual computing, powered by AI, built on a foundation of trust and privacy. Humane believes in a future of technology that feels familiar, natural, and human.

HUMANE and the hu.ma.ne logo are registered trademarks of Humane, Inc.

In a further announcement at Mobile World Congress, Humane Inc today revealed plans for a Telco partnership with SoftBank Corp.(SoftBank) for the Humane Ai Pin, the first stand-alone Ai device and proprietary Ai-driven OS, CosmOS.

Humane Announces Strategic Partnership with SoftBank to Transform AI Experience in Japan.

This partnership, as part of a strategic investment opportunity, will see SoftBank become the exclusive telecom provider for Ai Pin in Japan, leveraging SoftBank’s top-class services and compelling customer touchpoints to bring Ai Pin to a new market. SoftBank and Humane will also explore bringing CosmOS to other mobile devices and be working together on an app-less ecosystem of third-party services and AI-driven user experiences in Japan.

By combining SoftBank’s strong business foundation and broad subscriber base with Humane’s advanced developments in AI, this collaboration will create an entirely new device category and OS offering for the region. It marks a significant advancement in AI technology for Japanese consumers.

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, co-founders of Humane: “Partnering with SoftBank allows us to bring our vision of more intuitive and seamless AI experiences directly to Japanese consumers. This collaboration is a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and to redefining the boundaries of what AI can do for our everyday lives.”

Yoshiaki Adachi, Vice President, Head of Product Division, SoftBank Corp: “SoftBank Corp. has been dedicated to enhancing customer experiences by utilizing AI
technologies to facilitate the sustainable growth of our telecommunications business. Through our partnership with Humane Inc., we are confident that merging Humane’s AI technology with our expertise in areas like advanced mobile networks, IoT, and Cloud and AI computing holds great potential to enrich people’s daily lives. We will continue our efforts to bring AI technology closer to our customers.”

About Humane:
Founded by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno in 2019, Humane is creating the technologies and platforms for the intelligence age. Their first product, the Humane Ai Pin, enables the consumer to take the power of AI with them everywhere. They have partnered with Microsoft, OpenAI, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and T-Mobile in their mission to deliver the next era of personal mobile computing, which will be one driven by AI.
Humane press contact: press@humane.com.

About SoftBank Corp.:
Guided by the SoftBank Group's corporate philosophy, "Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone," SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. Building on its strong business foundation and compelling number of customer touchpoints, SoftBank Corp. is expanding into non-telecom fields in line with its "Beyond Carrier" growth strategy while further growing its telecom business. Also, by fully harnessing the power of AI, 5G/6G, IoT, Digital Twin, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions, including High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunications, and other advanced technologies, SoftBank Corp. aims to be "a company that provides next-generation social infrastructure essential to the development of a digital society." To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/.

Humane Inc and South Korea’s biggest mobile telecommunication company SK Telecom (SKT) today announced a Telco partnership for the Humane Ai Pin, the world's first stand-alone Ai device and proprietary Ai-driven OS, CosmOS.

Humane and SK Telecom Announce Strategic Partnership to Revolutionize AI Experience in South Korea.

This partnership, as part of a strategic investment opportunity, will see SKT become the exclusive telecom provider for Ai Pin in South Korea, combining Humane's groundbreaking AI technology with SKT's expertise in advanced mobile networks, IoT, Cloud, AI, and 5G technologies. Alongside Ai Pin, both companies will explore licensing Humane’s CosmOS, creating an entirely new operating model between carriers and OEMs.

This partnership signifies a leap forward in the realm of Ai innovation, with South Korea as a leader in the global AI revolution. With Ai Pin’s breakthrough form factor and CosmOS platform, Humane and SKT aim to transform AI for consumers, focusing on expanding market reach, fostering an ecosystem for third-party services, and developing new user experiences enabled by AI. Both companies will collaborate on new subscription offerings and create new revenue opportunities for an app-less OS and ecosystem, including experiences on SKT's A.dot platform. This shared vision leverages SKT’s extensive network subscriber base and Humane’s innovations in Ai to create an entirely new device category and OS offering for the Korean market.

This ground-breaking partnership between Humane and SK Telecom represents a commitment to not only advancing technology, but also to enhancing the way South Korean consumers will interact with AI in their daily lives.

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, co-founders of Humane: “We are so excited to be partnering with SKT to bring Ai Pin and CosmOS to one of the world’s most advanced mobile device markets. We share a mutual vision for the future of AI and we cannot wait to work together to bring this to consumers around the world.”

Jaeshin Lee, Head of AI Growth Strategy at SKT: “As an AI company, SKT is continuously pushing the boundaries to make personalized AI as convenient and easy to use for our customers, and we are excited to continue our work with Humane towards this shared ambition.”

About Humane:
Founded by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno in 2019, Humane is creating the technologies and platforms for the intelligence age. Their first product, the Humane Ai Pin, enables the consumer to take the power of AI with them everywhere. Partners include Microsoft, OpenAI, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and T-Mobile in their mission to deliver the next era of personal mobile computing, which will be one driven by AI.
Humane press contact: press@humane.com.

About SK Telecom:
SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.
For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

Humane Launches Ai Pin - Marking A New Beginning for Personal AI Devices.

Humane launches Ai Pin.

The first wearable device and software platform built to harness the full power of artificial intelligence (AI). Ai Pin marks a new beginning for personal consumer technology, offering users the ability to take AI with them everywhere in an entirely new, conversational and screenless form factor. Ai Pin will be available to order in the US from November 16th, starting at $699 for the complete system.

Ai Pin redefines how we interact with AI. Speak to it naturally, use the intuitive touchpad, hold up objects, use gestures, or interact via the pioneering Laser Ink Display projected onto your palm. The unique, screenless user interface is designed to blend into the background, while bringing the power of AI to you in multi-modal and seamless ways. 

Ai Pin effortlessly integrates into your daily routine and elevates your interactions with the world around you. 

Designed to handle the simple and the complex, Ai Mic supercharges search and quickly finds and contextualizes what you’re looking for. AI-powered messaging can craft messages in your tone of voice, while the Catch Me Up function sorts through the noise of your inbox. New AI-driven music experiences come to life through a partnership with TIDAL* and the AI-powered photographer helps you capture and recall important memories. 

Among a growing list of capabilities, Ai Pin can also act as your foreign language interpreter and support your nutrition goals by identifying food using computer vision. As the device and platform evolves with future updates, so do the possibilities it unlocks.

Cosmos: An all-new operating system for the AI era

Cosmos is Humane’s operating system for the AI era, blending intelligent technologies with intuitive interaction and advanced security. An entirely new AI software framework, the Ai Bus, brings Ai Pin to life and removes the need to download, manage, or launch apps. Instead, it quickly understands what you need, connecting you to the right AI experience or service instantly. 

Ai Pin comes in three color options - Eclipse, Equinox, and Lunar - and boasts a unique two-piece design, consisting of the main computer and a battery booster. These are connected magnetically and power wirelessly through clothing and apparel, enabling you to wear Ai Pin in a variety of ways. With its perpetual power system, users can hot swap the battery booster on-the-go, ensuring uninterrupted usage and all-day battery life.

Despite its compact size, Ai Pin is a powerhouse of new technology. It runs on a Snapdragon®™ processor with a dedicated Qualcomm® AI Engine, enabling the fast and reliable performance needed for AI interactions. Ai Pin is equipped with an ultra-wide RGB camera, depth sensor and motion sensors, allowing the device to see the world as you see it. A unique, personic speaker creates a bubble of sound, offering both intimacy and volume as needed, while Ai Pin can also pair with headphones via Bluetooth. 

Privacy and transparency are paramount with Ai Pin. The device only activates upon user engagement and does not employ ‘wake words’, ensuring it is not always listening or recording. Ai Pin features a prominent Trust Light which indicates when any sensors are active, which is managed via a dedicated privacy chip. If compromised, Ai Pin will shut down and require professional service from Humane.

To manage and access your data, including photos, videos, and notes, Ai Pin connects to Humane.center. This platform serves as a central hub for your device, ensuring a streamlined interaction from setup to daily use. Upon purchasing Ai Pin, users are invited to onboard via a privacy-protected portal, allowing the device to tailor its services to individual preferences.

Humane’s unique collaborations with Microsoft and OpenAI give Ai Pin access to some of the world’s most powerful AI models and platforms and set the foundation for new capabilities to be added as the technology evolves. Ai Pin is a standalone device and does not need to be paired with a smartphone or other companion device. To provide wireless service for Ai Pin, Humane is launching its own MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) connected by its exclusive U.S. partner, T-Mobile.

Pricing and comprehensive subscription plan

Ai Pin is available starting at $699 for the complete system. This includes the device, two battery boosters, a charge pad, a charge case, a cable and an adapter. For $24 per month, the Humane Subscription includes a dedicated cell phone number for your Ai Pin and unlimited talk, text, and data. This subscription also comes with cloud storage and full access to Humane’s growing suite of Ai-powered services with no limits on the number of queries you can pose. 

Humane is committed to building a future where AI seamlessly integrates into every aspect of our lives and enhances our daily experiences. The launch of Ai Pin marks the beginning of this journey and the start of an exciting new chapter in AI-powered, personal technology. 

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, Co-Founders, Humane: “Ai Pin is the embodiment of our vision to integrate AI into the fabric of daily life, enhancing our capabilities without overshadowing our humanity. We are proud to finally unveil what we and the team at Humane have been working on for the past four years. For us, Ai Pin is just the beginning.”

Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI: “We believe in a future where artificial intelligence amplifies human potential, and Humane shares this vision. We're proud to be partnering with them to harness AI and redefine how we interact with technology — and the world.”

Eric Boyd, CVP AI Platform, Microsoft: “Our collaboration with Humane embodies Azure's dedication to empowering transformative ideas. Humane's innovative approach to technology aligns perfectly with our mission to enable and support game-changing solutions.”

John Saw, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile: “At T-Mobile we work to be the best in the world at connecting customers to their world, and this Ai Pin is a huge step towards a more connected, AI-informed future. We are thrilled that our network is enabling this new Ai-first experience that Humane is building.”

Jeffrey Torrance, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Connected Smart Systems Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.: “Our journey with Humane reflects our commitment to pioneering technologies that redefine the boundaries of innovation. Snapdragon powers devices that are intuitively woven into the fabric of daily life. Our collaboration with Humane exemplifies a shared dedication of bringing AI with you everywhere through intelligent, superior computing.”

Jesse Dorogusker, CEO, TIDAL: “At TIDAL we want to raise the bar of listening experiences for fans and are delighted to be the first music platform to integrate with Humane’s Ai Pin. We’ve partnered with Humane to introduce a seamless way for fans to engage with music wherever they are. Customers can use their Ai pin to play music based on their context, and find the right TIDAL tracks to enhance the moment.”

Humane x Coperni

Humane reveals first AI device - the Ai Pin - at Coperni’s Paris fashion show ahead of full unveiling on November 9

As interest in AI-driven consumer technology accelerates, Humane Inc has today revealed the full form factor of its inaugural device - the Humane Ai Pin. The Ai Pin was shown as part of a collaboration with Paris-based fashion house Coperni at their 2024 Spring Summer show at Paris Fashion Week ahead of its full unveiling on November 9.

During the show, Humane presented the new form factor of the Ai Pin and displayed the versatility of how the device can be worn, showcasing the company’s vision for the emerging convergence between humans and AI. The collaboration was borne out of a shared belief between Humane and Coperni that design, creativity and technology can be a huge driver and cultural force for change.

The Humane Ai Pin is the screenless, standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI. The intelligent clothing-based wearable uses a range of sensors that enable natural and intuitive compute interactions and is designed to weave seamlessly into users’ day-to-day lives. The device is privacy-first, with aspects such as no wake word and therefore no ‘always on’ listening, reflecting Humane’s vision of building products which place trust at the center.

The Ai Pin, which does not need to be paired with a smartphone or other companion device, includes AI-powered optical recognition and a laser-projected display, all powered by an advanced Snapdragon platform from Qualcomm Technologies. The complete functionalities of the Humane Ai Pin, the first built specifically to harness AI for the post-smartphone era of mobile computing, will be unveiled in full on November 9.

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, Humane’s founders commented: “We have been admirers of Arnaud and Sébastien at Coperni for some time and our shared passion for the union of design, creativity and technology is at the heart of this collaboration. Our relationship with technology is changing profoundly, becoming even more personal as our devices morph into extensions of our bodies, minds and hearts. We’re excited to show the full capabilities of the device which we believe will usher in a new paradigm of ambient, AI-driven computing on November 9.”

Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, founders of Coperni, commented: “We like to think of Coperni as a platform to showcase any form of technology. We are proud to invite Humane and celebrate together our passion for innovation. To us, the Ai Pin is a beacon of the future, aligning with our vision of forward-thinking fashion.”

Humane reveals first AI device - the Ai Pin - at Coperni’s Paris fashion show ahead of full unveiling on November 9.

Humane, Inc. today announced its first device will be called the Humane Ai Pin, the latest detail to be revealed ahead of its launch later this year. The Humane Ai Pin is a new type of standalone device with a software platform that harnesses the power of AI to enable innovative personal computing experiences.

Humane reveals the name of first device, the Humane Ai Pin.

The connected and intelligent clothing-based wearable device uses a range of sensors that enable contextual and ambient compute interactions. A selection of these interactions were recently previewed for the first time publicly in Imran Chaudhri’s TED Talk, “The disappearing computer — and a world where you can take AI everywhere”.

Humane is collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. for this unique device and form factor. Humane’s first device will be powered by an advanced Snapdragon platform from Qualcomm Technologies.

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, Co-Founders of Humane, commented: “We are excited to reveal our first device will be called the Humane Ai Pin. Our Ai Pin presents an opportunity for people to take AI with them everywhere and to unlock a new era of personal mobile computing which is seamless, screenless and sensing.

We are also delighted to reveal we are working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Humane and Qualcomm Technologies have a shared vision for a future of technology which is powered by AI. Qualcomm Technologies’ experience in powering new products is unparalleled and we are proud to have them support our device.”

Dev Singh, Vice President, Business Development of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. commented:  “We are proud to be collaborating with Humane and that this first-of-a-kind clothing-based wearable device will be powered by Snapdragon. Humane’s Ai Pin will deliver a superior AI experience and feature an assortment of on-device AI capabilities. Its revolutionary and sleek form factor is packed with powerful performance so that it can make sense of real-time contextual information and provide the wearer with a new and exciting experience. We cannot wait to see where they take this device.”

Ziad Asghar, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. says, “Humane’s Ai Pin will deliver a superior AI experience. With the advent of Generative AI, Humane’s Ai Pin and user experience takes excellent advantage of some of the key strengths of on-device AI and uses real-time contextual information to provide the user with exciting, personalized AI use cases. We share Humane’s vision of bringing AI with you everywhere and delivering on-device AI to everyone. We cannot wait to see where they take this device."

Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

For further updates and priority access when the Humane Ai Pin is revealed this year, people can join a waitlist on the Humane website. 

Humane, Inc. gave a preview of its first product in a TED Talk recorded last month. The talk “The disappearing computer – and life when you can take AI everywhere” given by co-founder Imran Chaudhri outlines Humane’s perspective on designing devices for an Ai-driven future.

Humane previews first product in TED Talk.

At TED2023 in Vancouver, Humane gave a glimpse of the standalone device, which is built from the ground up for artificial intelligence. It is a small, lightweight, clothing-based wearable that can be worn in many different ways. It uses optical sensors that allow new kinds of contextual and ambient compute interactions that are ‘seamless, screenless and sensing’. This was a live demonstration of just some of the product’s use cases and features.

Imran outlines how Humane has worked to build a product that’s more transparent about its behaviors than the devices people use today and has built hardware and software which puts the user first from the outset.

Imran Chaudhri, Co-Founder, Chairman, and President of Humane, commented: “We believe Ai presents a huge opportunity for us to redefine our relationship to technology and that it will enable personal mobile computing to become faster, more powerful and easier to use. The first Humane device will allow people to bring Ai with them everywhere and we’re really looking forward to revealing more at our launch later this year.”

Watch the TED Talk

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Kevin Purser as Humane’s Chief Operations Officer. Kevin brings invaluable expertise to our team. He has successfully built and led operations, supply chain, and manufacturing divisions across a wide range of companies — from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 firms.

Humane welcomes Kevin Purser as Chief Operations Officer.

Kevin spent over 13 years at Cisco in the 1990s and 2000s, managing the production and ramp of new products and scaling operations. Most recently, he led global supply chain sourcing and procurement at Fitbit, overseeing supply chain strategy both prior to Fitbit’s IPO and through its acquisition by Google in 2021. As a tech veteran with deep manufacturing and supply chain knowledge, Kevin has also served as the Operations Advisor to Humane for the last two years.

In his new role as COO, Kevin will oversee supply chain, operations, manufacturing, quality, and customer experience and support.

From Kevin Purser:
“Imran and Bethany are focused on creating a great company with the right culture that will yield innovative, industry-changing products.”

From Imran Chaudhri, Humane’s Co-founder, Chairman, and President:
“We’ve been building with Kevin for some time now in an advisory capacity, and we’re thrilled to have him join Humane full-time to help shape our organization and create new infrastructure to take us to the next level.”

From Bethany Bongiorno, Humane’s Co-founder and CEO:
“I am delighted to have Kevin join Humane’s leadership team as COO. His passion for building consumer hardware at scale and his experience in further developing high-performing organizations will be instrumental as we prepare for the release of our first product and beyond.”

The entire Humane team looks forward to working with Kevin as we build towards unveiling full details of our first product later this year.

We are excited to announce the appointment of Bill Shope as Humane’s Chief Financial Officer. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology and finance, Bill brings a wealth of expertise that spans from startups to industry giants.

Humane welcomes Bill Shope as Chief Financial Officer.

As one of Wall Street’s leading analysts, Bill has covered Apple and the broader computer industry for over eighteen years. He also served as a managing director at Goldman Sachs from 2010 to 2016 before venturing into entrepreneurship as a founder and CEO in the wholesale e-commerce sector. Bill’s finance leadership experience and deep industry expertise make him a valuable addition to the Humane team.

In his role as CFO, Bill will oversee all financial operations and work closely with the executive team to align financial strategy with business objectives. 

From Bill Shope:
“Humane is harnessing the growing power of AI to reimagine personal technology. Most importantly, the company is doing this in a way that amplifies human attention, interaction, and presence. I’m thrilled to be a part of this mission and a part of this team.”

From Imran Chaudhri, Humane’s Co-founder, Chairman, and President:
“Bill’s been covering our industry from the outside for quite some time, and it’s just incredible to be working alongside him to bring Humane’s products to market. Bill’s understanding of the space, the market, and the history of computing will allow us to innovate in all aspects of the business.”

From Bethany Bongiorno, Humane’s Co-founder and CEO:
“Imran and I have always believed that greater collaboration among all verticals of the business would enable us to build better products and, in turn, create greater long-term success. Bill is the perfect partner to help maintain operational efficiency, drive sustainable growth, and optimize our financial performance long into the future.”

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Bill as he embarks on his journey with us at Humane.

Why it's important to advocate and practice good design principles in the intelligence age.

Good Ai is Humane.

We firmly believe that technology should be crafted to serve people, not the other way around. Humane is an experience company that uses technology for good, and not a technology company that finds good reasons to experience technology. There’s a difference, and that difference means putting people first — by design.

Our focus is on crafting Ai technology that is not only powerful but also thoughtfully designed and a joy to use. As we build towards launch, we wanted to share our 10 principles for designing Good Ai so that others can join us in our journey to create a brighter, more connected future where Ai technology is designed to uplift humanity, rather than overpower it. 

Ai should be designed with the utmost respect for privacy and security, ensuring that users' data is protected and their trust is earned.

Ai should be designed with an understanding of the ethical implications of its use, and should always prioritize the well-being of its user.

Ai should be transparent in its decision-making processes, allowing users to understand and trust the technology.

Trust + Privacy

Ai should seek to advance the lives of its users, not just be a new thing.

Ai should be designed with intention, solving real problems in a meaningful way.

Ai should work efficiently, without wasting resources or causing unnecessary strain to the experience.

Ai should be designed with the needs and perspectives of its users in mind, always striving to improve their experience.

Truth + Technology

Ai should be designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that its benefits can be enjoyed by everyone–regardless of ability.

Ai should be designed for all, accounting for the diverse needs and perspectives of its wide range of users. 

Ai should be designed to be durable and reliable, ensuring that its benefits can be enjoyed for years to come.

See how Joy touches all of us through Design:

Joy + Design

Download our Principles for Designing with Ai here

designing-for-the-ai-era.mp4

$100m Series C round led by Kindred Ventures, with significant participation by SK Networks, Microsoft, LG Technology Ventures, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, Top Tier Capital, Hudson Bay Capital, and Socium Ventures and existing investors Tiger Global, Qualcomm Ventures, Valia Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Lachy Groom, and Sam Altman, Founder of OpenAI.

Strategic technology partners and collaborators include Microsoft, OpenAI, SK Networks, LG, and Volvo Cars.

Humane raises $100m in Series C round as it builds device and services platform for the AI era.

Humane, Inc. today announced it has raised a $100 million Series C round and secured a roster of significant strategic investors, new partnerships and collaborators ahead of the reveal of its initial product offering this spring.

Humane, founded in 2018 by ex-Apple team Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, is creating a first-of-its-kind software platform and consumer device built from the ground up for artificial intelligence (AI). This raise will enable Humane to accelerate on its mission to deliver the next era of personal mobile computing, which will be one driven by AI.

The round was led by Kindred Ventures with participation from existing investors Tiger Global, Valia Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Lachy Groom, and Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI.

The round also included participation from new strategic investors and partners including Hico Capital (US based investment arm of SK networks), Microsoft, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, LG Technology Ventures, Top Tier Capital, Hudson Bay Capital, and Socium Ventures.

Alongside investment, Humane has secured strategic collaborations with some of the most influential technology companies in the world:

Humane has partnered with Microsoft to bring its services platform to market. This will see Humane leverage the best cloud infrastructure in AI.

A collaboration with OpenAI will integrate its technology into the Humane device and deliver OpenAI and Humane AI experiences at scale to consumers.

Humane’s future global expansion plans include a collaboration with SK Networks (which covers the ICT device distribution business in Korea and has an extensive global network) to build on the shared ethos of creating meaningful change in consumer technologies.

While the initial Humane device will be focused on delivering the next generation of personal technology, the company is exploring ways to bring its solutions into new personal domains in the future:

A collaboration with LG will see the companies working closely on potential R&D projects for the next phase of Humane products, on the core technology included in future Humane devices and on integration into the home technology space.

Strategic investor Volvo Cars Tech Fund will work with Humane on a potential future collaboration which would be the first example of Humane’s offering being applied to the automotive industry. Like Humane, Volvo Cars develops technology to simplify life for its customers and the partnership is built on the shared values of safety, trust and privacy.

Imran Chaudhri, Co-Founder of Humane, commented: “Our first device will enable people to bring AI with them everywhere. It’s an exciting time, and we’ve been focused on how to build the platform and device that can fully harness the true power and potential of this technology.

We are extremely proud to announce this industry leading line-up of partners and collaborators, and we are thrilled to work closely with them to bring Humane’s vision to market. We are at the beginning of the next era of compute, and believe that together we can begin the journey to fundamentally reshape the role of technology in people’s lives."

Steve Jang, Founder and Managing Partner of Kindred Ventures, commented: "We're absolutely thrilled to continue to be a part of Humane's journey since the seed of their vision to create a more fluid, powerful, and contextual computing experience for both leveraging and developing AI. After serving in their past lives as an integral part of building the smartphone era of computing, this incredible team has been laser focused on enabling and amplifying human ideas, actions, moments, and modalities in a more creative and delightful way. As we enter into this next wave of AI, we're so inspired by Humane's mission to develop a device and services platform designed and built from ground up for this new world, and we welcome our existing and new co-investors and strategic partners to this transformational journey."

Patrick Gates, CTO of Humane, commented: “We’ve been building for over four years now, going from a small group around a conference table to a world class team getting ready to ship a product and platform, along with some of the most influential technology and AI companies in the world. Our products are built on an integrated device and cloud platform that will allow us, and others, to create AI-driven experiences that feel natural, fun, and needed.”

Business of Fashion’s VOICES is an annual gathering of innovators, creatives, and industry experts that takes place outside of Oxford, England.

Business of Fashion’s VOICES is an annual gathering of innovators, creatives and industry experts that takes place outside of Oxford, England.

Imran Chaudhri is speaking at BoF VOICES in England.

Humane President, Co-Founder, and Chief Designer, Imran Chaudhri, spoke about how AI will change the future of technology.

Imran Chaudhri Spoke at BoF VOICES in England

Imran Chaudhri Spoke at BoF VOICES in England.

Humane is pleased to announce that Sam Sheffer, a multi-platform content creator, producer, YouTuber and technologist has joined Humane as its Head of New Media. 

Sam Sheffer joins Humane as Head of New Media.

Sam got his professional start in tech media at age 19 with Engadget, where he rose from intern to contributing editor in two years. After Engadget, he spent four years building out The Verge’s social media and emerging platforms presence, growing multiple accounts to over one million followers. In 2015, Sam joined Mashable to lead its Snapchat Discover efforts and create video content for YouTube, Facebook Live, and Instagram. Before joining Humane, Sam created content independently, amassing a combined 1M followers across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and now creates content independently, full-time, for his audience. He has a deep passion for technology, music, sneakers, and streetwear. 

Sam Sheffer said “I first discovered Humane in late 2020 and immediately felt this company was special. The name, the branding, the ethos, it invoked a sense of intrigue which has only strengthened in the two years since. Humane has an extraordinary roster of talent and I’m thrilled to be joining them on their mission: to build great technology that is born from good intentions and redefines what it means to be connected.” 

In this new role, Sam will oversee efforts to reimagine the ever changing landscape of new media, with a focus on how Humane will engage its very dynamic and growing community of supporters and ensuing customers. Sam is an accomplished creator of community with nearly 14 years of technology focused narratives and coverage in the digital media space. 

Imran Chaudhri, Humane’s Co-founder, Chairman and President said “Sam’s passion for consumer technology is unparalleled. He has an innate sense of what matters to our growing community of supporters and understands that they are looking for something different. Being able to speak to our community directly excites all of us at Humane and we’re confident that Sam’s expertise will be the driving force”.

Bethany Bongiorno, Humane’s Co-founder & CEO said “There is no better person than Sam to help develop and amplify the voice of our community to make sure we get it right. Because in the end, we are building for all of us.” 

Ingrid is a writer and editor for TechCrunch, joining February 2012, based out of London.

Before TechCrunch, Ingrid worked at paidContent.org, where she was a staff writer, and has in the past also written freelance regularly for other publications such as the Financial Times. Ingrid covers mobile, digital media, advertising and the spaces where these intersect.

When it comes to work, she feels most comfortable speaking in English but can also speak Russian, Spanish and French (in descending order of competence).

Humane, a stealthy hardware and software startup co-founded by  an ex-Apple designer and engineer, raises $100M.

A stealthy startup co-founded by a former senior designer from Apple and one of its ex-senior software engineers has picked up a significant round of funding to build out its business. Humane, which has ambitions to build a new class of consumer devices and technologies that stem from “a genuine collaboration of design and engineering” that will represent “the next shift between humans and computing”, has raised $100 million.

This is a Series B, and it’s coming from some very high-profile backers. Tiger Global Management is leading the round, with SoftBank Group, BOND, Forerunner Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures also participating. Other investors in this Series B include Sam Altman, Lachy Groom, Kindred Ventures, Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, Valia Ventures, NEXT VENTŪRES, Plexo Capital and the legal firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Humane has been around since 2017, but it closed/filed its Series A only last year: $30 million in September 2020 at a $150 million valuation, according to PitchBook. Previous to that, it had raised just under $12 million, with many of the investors in this current round backing Humane in those earlier fundraises, too.

Valuation with this Series B is not being disclosed, the company confirmed to me.

Given that Humane has not yet released any products, nor has said much at all about what it has up its sleeve, and given that hardware in general presents a lot of unique challenges and therefore is often seen as a risky bet (that old “hardware is hard” chestnut), you might be wondering how Humane, still in stealth, has attracted these backers.

Some of that attention possibly stems from the fact that the two co-founders, husband-and-wife team Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, are something of icons in their own right. Bongiorno, who is Humane’s CEO, had been the software engineering director at Apple. Chaudhri, who is Humane’s chairman and president, is Apple’s former director of design, where he worked for 20 years on some of its most seminal products—the iPhone, the iPad and the Mac. Both have dozens of patents credited to them from their time there, and they have picked up a few since then, too.

Those latest patents—plus the very extensive list of job openings listed on Humane’s otherwise quite sparse site—might be the closest clues we have for what the pair and their startup might be building.

One patent is for a “Wearable multimedia device and cloud computing platform with laser projection system”; another is for a “System and apparatus for fertility and hormonal cycle awareness.”

Meanwhile, the company currently has nearly 50 job openings listed, including engineers with camera and computer vision experience, hardware engineers, designers and security experts, among many others. (One sign of where all that funding will be going.) There is already an impressive team of about 60 people at the company, which is another detail that attracted investors.

“The caliber of individuals working at Humane is incredibly impressive,” said Chase Coleman, partner, Tiger Global, in a statement. “These are people who have built and shipped transformative products to billions of people around the world. What they are building is groundbreaking with the potential to become a standard for computing going forward.”

I’ve asked for more details on the company’s product roadmap and ethos behind the company, and who its customers might potentially be: other firms for whom it designs products, or end users directly?

For now, Bongiorno and Chaudhri seem to hint that part of what has motivated them to start this business was to reimagine what role technology might play in the next wave of innovation. It’s a question that many ask, but not many try to actually invest in finding the answer. For that alone, it’s worth watching Humane (if Humane lets us, that is: it’s still very much in stealth) to see what it does next.

“Humane is a place where people can truly innovate through a genuine collaboration of design and engineering,” the co-founders said in a joint statement. “We are an experience company that creates products for the benefit of people, crafting technology that puts people first—a more personal technology that goes beyond what we know today. We’re all waiting for something new, something that goes beyond the information age that we have all been living with. At Humane, we’re building the devices and the platform for what we call the intelligence age. We are committed to building a different type of company, founded on our values of trust, truth and joy. With the support of our partners, we will continue to scale the team with individuals who not only share our passion for revolutionizing the way we interact with computing, but also for how we build.”

Update: After publishing, I got a little more from Humane about its plans. Its aim is to build “technology that improves the human experience and is born of good intentions; products that put us back in touch with ourselves, each other, and the world around us; and experiences that are built on trust, with interactions that feel magical and bring joy.” It’s not a whole lot to go on, but more generally it’s an approach that seems to want to step away from the cycle we’re on today, and be more mindful and thoughtful. If they can execute on this, while still building rather than wholesale rejecting technology, they might be on to something.

Humane, a stealthy hardware and software startup co-founded by an ex-Apple designer and engineer, raises $100M.

Tiger Global Management and other key investors back Humane to build the future of computing.

Humane Completes Series B Funding Round.

Humane Raises $100m in Series B

Humane Inc. today announced that it has raised $100 million in its Series B round. The round was led by Tiger Global Management, with participation from SoftBank Group, BOND, Forerunner Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures LLC, and others. This round will enable Humane to scale its operations and continue executing and expanding on its mission to deliver the next shift between humans and computing.

“Humane is a place where people can truly innovate through a genuine collaboration of design and engineering,” said Humane co-founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno. “We are an experience company that creates products for the benefit of people, crafting technology that puts people first—a more personal technology that goes beyond what we know today. We’re all waiting for something new, something that goes beyond the information age that we have all been living with. At Humane, we’re building the devices and the platform for what we call the intelligence age. We are committed to building a different type of company, founded on our values of trust, truth and joy. With the support of our partners, we will continue to scale the team with individuals who not only share our passion for revolutionizing the way we interact with computing, but also for how we build.”

“The caliber of individuals working at Humane is incredibly impressive,” said Chase Coleman, Partner, Tiger Global. “These are people who have built and shipped transformative products to billions of people around the world. What they are building is groundbreaking with the potential to become a standard for computing going forward.”

Other investors who participated in this round include Sam Altman, Lachy Groom, Kindred Ventures, Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, Valia Ventures, NEXT VENTŪRES, Plexo Capital and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

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Making Technology Human Again.

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Katharine Schwab is the deputy editor of Fast Company's technology section. Email her at kschwab@fastcompany.com and follow her on Twitter @kschwabable

Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno helped create some of Apple’s biggest hits. Now their startup Humane is at work on something ambitious—and mysterious.

Two ex-Apple rock stars have raised $30m to build the next iPhone.

In 2017, two of Apple’s top design and technology executives decided to leave the company to start their own venture with an ambitious vision: to create the next big computing paradigm. That startup, called Humane, is now announcing that it has raised $30 million in a series A round of venture funding to continue developing its mysterious product. While cofounders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno refuse to reveal what they’re working on, its cofounders seem to believe it will have the same kind of impact as the iPhone—which is saying a lot, given that one of them designed the iPhone’s original interface.

“We are at a point in terms of computing platforms where there’s a certain level of maturation that’s led to a decline in innovation,” says Humane president and chairman Chaudhri, who worked on the UI design of the iPhone and the iPad during his 21 years at Apple. “For us, it’s really about how we actually bring vitality and how we bring a new opportunity to computing. How do we move the needle?”

It’s impossible to have an opinion about the potential impact of Humane’s creation until it reveals at least some details. Tony Fadell, who spearheaded the iPod and also helped bring us the iPhone, left Apple over a decade ago and soon after started talking about “a product that could have a huge impact on a big problem,” as he told The New York Times in 2011. His startup Nest’s creation turned out to be a thermostat. But Humane is certainly dialing up the expectations for whatever it’s working on.

“We’re tech optimists at heart. But we believe it’s also time to question everything to build something better.”

The startup’s ambitions derive in part from Chaudhri reckoning with the downsides of the products he was instrumental in creating—particularly the ways in which smartphones can nag at and monopolize our attention while siphoning away private data for corporations to profit from. But that doesn’t mean that Chaudhri and Bongiorno, a former director of software engineering at Apple who worked with Chaudhri to launch the iPad, believe that technology is a net negative force in society.

“We’re tech optimists at heart,” says Bongiorno, who is Humane’s CEO. “But we believe it’s also time to question everything to build something better.”

Instead, they’re betting that the time is right for a new, less invasive way to interface with computers. It’s a compelling vision, despite the lack of details. “Every product, especially in computing, has a limitation in terms of how far it can go, what it can do before it starts to really become exhausted. That’s exhausted in terms of creativity, exhausted in terms of usefulness, exhausted in terms of the experience of using it as well,” Chaudhri says. “This is a cyclical thing that’s always occurred. Some people from a certain perspective call it a 15-year cycle. We’re coming on that for the smartphone.”

While the duo originally planned to raise funds the week after the pandemic lockdown began in San Francisco, they ultimately ended up taking meetings with investors in June. Within 10 days, they had found their next partners: Sam Altman, former president of Y Combinator and the CEO of AI-development organization OpenAI, and Lachy Groom, an entrepreneur, angel investor, and early employee at Stripe. These two investors are contributing most of the series A round, while a small syndicate of other investors, including Marc Benioff, Valia Ventures, Plexo Capital, and Kindred Ventures, make up the rest.

“I thought the team was exceptional and their vision for a new computing platform and what that would mean for the world as a whole, combined with their expertise delivering on super ambitious things like this . . . it was something I was excited to see and immediately wanted to be part of,” Altman says.

Eventually, the wait will be over and the rest of us will be able to see what the fuss is all about. Bongiorno says the company plans to announce the details before the end of next year. But when we spoke, Groom provided a small hint: “It was one of those things that only seems obvious in hindsight,” he says.

Megan Hernbroth is a California-based senior reporter for Business Insider, where she covers healthcare startups and venture capital. She reports on digital health startups of all stages and sizes, such on-demand in-home healthcare solutions, telemedicine startups, and direct-to-consumer solutions. She also covers financial deals in healthcare, from large mergers and acquisitions through IPOs and SPACs.

They built and designed some of Apple’s hottest devices, and now these two former Apple execs are building a startup for people who want a healthier relationship with technology.

Much like Dr. Frankenstein, two former Apple employees are coming to terms with the unintended consequences of their creations. But in a uniquely Silicon Valley twist, the designers are—naturally—starting a company to rein it in.

Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri founded Humane, a hardware and software startup currently operating in stealth, after leaving their roles at Apple in late 2016 and early 2017, respectively. Together, they have over three decades of experience at the tech giant and have been involved in just about every major device and software launch to date. 

"We found that our desire and passion for computing and technology didn't just end at the work we did at Apple. It went a lot further than that," Chaudhri told Business Insider. "We wanted to think about what the world really needed and could use given the state of humanity and the idea of the modern connected human we have all turned into, mainly as a result of the work we did almost 15 years ago now."

They founded Humane in 2019 after meeting with advisors, technical experts, and average users throughout Silicon Valley. In July, the startup raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from Kindred Ventures, Valia Ventures, and Marc Benioff, which has gone unreported until now. The startup is still operating in stealth, but Bongiorno and Chaudhri told Business Insider that there will be substantial software and hardware components to what will eventually become its flagship product. 

"We saw where the money was going and what others were building and thought we could build something better," Bongiorno said. "We really felt we had an idea that was bigger and better than what was out there."

On Thursday, the company announced that another Apple alum, Rubén Caballero, is joining the 18-person team as a technical advisor with the engineering team. Caballero, who was formerly vice president of wireless technology and engineering at the tech giant, is coming on board may provide a peek into the young startup's long-term ambitions.

"When Bethany and Imran told me what they are building at Humane, I knew that I had to be a part of it," Caballero told Business Insider via email. "Their vision for Humane is ambitious and challenges the traditional expectations and assumptions we have come to accept as a society when using technology. They are building the future, which is exactly the type of work that excites me. I'm honored to be a part of this world-class team."

Part of the "live and learn" ethos that Bongiorno and Chaudhri have built into that team is another lesson they took from Apple: values come first even if that's at the expense of rapid growth. Hiring for any early-stage startup is a challenge, they said, but even more so when the team is building deeply technical products from scratch. New hires like Caballero must fit and "advocate for" the company's values, Bongiorno told Business Insider.

"You do have to make sure every hire is given the same care and thought," Bongiorno said. "That may mean you grow more slowly than people expect or would like. Usually it's external pressure to move more quickly than you should. But if it means slowing down hiring, that's what we will do because we are in this for the long game."

We’re creating experiences that are built on trust, with interactions that feel magical and bring joy. It’s in our name.

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Ryan Houlihan is the Senior Gaming Editor at Input, covering modern and retro video game hardware, software, and culture. Additionally, he hosts the podcast Tomorrow with BDG Media’s Chief Content Officer, Joshua Topolsky.

We chatted with design power couple Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno about the tiny tablet that could.

The iPad’s original software designer and program lead look back on the device’s first 10 years.

Ten years ago, Apple introduced one of the most influential products of the company's modern era: the iPad. After years of struggling in internal development, and seeing the smash success of its siblings the iPhone and the iPod Touch, the iPad finally debuted. It made promises to replace everything from notepads to cash registers to textbooks to conventional computers—some of which it was wildly successful at and some of which it struggles to manage even today.

While consumers pick up an iPhone for social media and communication, a Mac for work or homework, and an Apple Watch to track their fitness, the iPad remains a confounding product that most users buy and then find a use for. And yet, they love it.

Regardless, the iPad is a staple of the modern tech landscape, and it’s hard to remember a time when we saw it and thought, “What is that? A large phone?” Two people who’ve known the iPad longer than anyone are Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, the married founders of the mysterious new tech start up Humane, who met while working at Apple on the iPad and related projects. For the tenth anniversary of the iPad, Input talked to them about its strange development, its biggest feature flops, and how it has changed the world.

Input: Tell me a bit about your history with Apple and the iPad.

Imran Chaudhri, Former Director of Design on the Human Interface team: I came to Apple in 95 as an intern in the Advanced Technologies Group. When I finished school in 97, I came to Apple and Steve was there after the NeXT acquisition and he was going through and cutting and trimming the fat at Apple—and ATG was a place that he wasn't a huge fan of. He wasn't a huge fan of research for research sake and I wasn't either, which was kind of an interesting thing. I always wanted to really, really ship products and ATG really wasn't about that. Steve laid off everybody in ATG and I was kind of left to figure out what I was going to do. I started emailing Steve some ideas and we started working closely together and the relationship formed a lot of products, the revitalization of the Mac, going on to the iPod, the development of multitouch to the iPhone and iPad and, post, to a bunch of stuff like the Watch, the AirPods and HomePod, etc. All things we finished before I left a couple of years ago. I met Bethany working on the iPad. She joined the year and a half before the iPad started.

Bethany Bongiorno, Former Software Engineering Director: I joined in 2008, actually, right after they shipped the first phone. I joined immediately after that and started as a project manager on the iPhone. There was a very small team back then; we sat kind of in one hallway. [The phone] was definitely a startup within Apple and I was brought on board because the project manager that was working there really didn't like working with designers and really didn't like working at the higher levels of the stack. She preferred kind of working at a lower level; the core operating system and the kernel and things like that.

Then very quickly after that, they told me that the real reason they had to hire me was because Steve had this pet project that he was really excited about and they needed somebody to lead that effort because the team really needed to remain focused on development of iPhone. They needed to kind of spin up a startup within a startup that would be a small team to build this new project codenamed K48. K48 was hardware and Wildcat was the codename for the software. They asked me to lead that initiative, to build the engineering team and to lead the effort for the K48 project, which ultimately became the iPad. Then eventually I took on MacOS. We had a big team of people and I worked on many things with Apple over the years.