Wearable note-taking devices have been evolving rapidly, and a new startup led by a former Apple design engineer is betting on a fresh twist: a pendant that records only the wearer’s voice. Taya, founded by Elena Wagenmans in 2024, raised $5 million to advance its privacy-focused voice recording pendant, aiming to capture personal notes without recording surrounding conversations.
The Taya Necklace, now available for $89 in pre-orders, looks like stylish jewelry but features a simple button that controls recording – off by default to protect user privacy. It’s paired with an iOS app that not only stores the transcriptions but lets users query their recorded notes through an AI-powered chat interface. Unlike many voice recording products that pick up everything around the user, Taya prioritizes the wearer’s voice, using an initial voice sample and directional microphones to filter out background noise.
Wagenmans, who started this venture alongside former Apple colleagues Cinnamon Sipper and Amy Zhou (both of whom have since departed), saw an opportunity where other wearables falter: social image and privacy concerns often keep users from fully embracing recording gadgets. By focusing on ”single-player” capture, Taya sidesteps the tricky ethical quagmire of recording others without consent.
Taya voice recording pendant focuses on privacy and personal note-taking
This approach aligns Taya closer to niche personal note-taking devices like Sandbar and Pebble, rather than ambient meeting recorders. MaC Venture Capital’s Adrian Fenty, who co-led the seed round with Female Founders Fund and a16z Speedrun, emphasized that Taya ”aids human work and personal evolution” by helping users understand their behavior without gathering ambient audio from their environment.
Pricing and availability of the Taya Necklace voice recorder
The company currently operates out of San Francisco with a five-person full-time team and some contractors, focusing on refining how users interact with the device and its feedback mechanisms. As voice-to-text technology advances and wearables diversify, Taya’s privacy-first strategy may carve out a distinct segment among professionals and privacy-conscious consumers looking for a discreet yet practical recording tool.
- Taya Necklace price: $89 (pre-order)
- Key feature: Voice-only recording pendant
- Controls: Button to start/stop recording, off by default
- Companion app: iOS app with AI-powered chat for querying notes
- Technology: Directional microphones and voice sample filter