Ambient AI, Done Right
Why we invested in Nirva
Mark Jacobstein · July 9th, 2026
Nirva's necklace
Ambient AI is here. Done wrong, it clutters your life and thoughts with unfiltered slop. Done right, it brings clarity and insight. That’s the vision of Nirva.
Hardware is hard; it’s true. But integrated hardware and software can create magic, as Apple has shown us for decades. But building it takes the right team.
I met Wei, Jason, and Hanying through our Founder Fellowship process. Wei and Jason worked together at Meta Reality Labs, where they were product and engineering leads for Meta AI glasses and Oculus Quest. Hanying created jewelry worn by BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga. The combination was powerful, and coming in as their first investors was an easy decision. At SPC, we’re drawn to founders who work and worry and gnaw at a problem; Wei’s been trying to build Nirva her whole career.
Still, hardware is hard, even when you win a Best of CES award just months after founding, so I’m especially happy for the team to announce their $8M seed round led by Lightspeed. There have been bumps and twists along the way (there always are, from -1 to 0). My first prototype was cool (everyone at SPC wanted one), but the software experience needed work, the battery life was poor, and the look (more cyberpunk than elegant) was appealing to the wrong demographic.
They aren’t the only company building in their category. But Wei’s vision to pursue personal insight, not just another pedestrian listener for Granola, has set them apart.
And wow, their jewelry is beautiful. And functional and helpful. But jewelry is the right word; you’d wear a Nirva that didn’t work.
There is, of course, so much more to it than beauty. Making a device that is rugged, whose microphones pull signal from noise, that lasts all day, that can be delivered at scale, coupled with an AI that truly gets you—that takes a special team.
Wei’s vision is for Nirva, as an ambient journal for your life, to help you drive personal growth, awareness, and mindfulness. It’s easy to autopilot, to disappear into your own head, or worse, down a clickbait rabbit hole; Nirva helps nudge you towards your best self.
I have been ready for my insightful and helpful ambient AI. I just never figured it would be so beautiful and cool.