In 2022, Rewind had just secured $10 million from a16z and was working on a personal data recording service aimed at privately capturing your activities and allowing you to search through your history. However, this was before the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI.
Today, with advancements in generative AI, Rewind’s previous concept—a searchable record of your activities—can be greatly enhanced. This shift in technology isn’t surprising, and Rewind has adapted by integrating AI more deeply into its offerings. The company has rebranded as “Limitless” and is now offering an AI-powered meeting suite along with a hardware pendant for recording conversations.
Last October, co-founder Dan Siroker introduced the idea of the conversation-recording pendant and began taking preorders at $59. By January, he announced that the design was finalized, with plans to ship in Q4 2024. Recently, Siroker revealed the final design and announced the product’s new price of $99 on X. The company is now accepting preorders, with the first batch expected to ship in August. Initial preorders will be honored at the $59 rate, and the startup has already received over 10,000 preorders.
**Product Features and Pivot**
The Limitless pendant, designed to be worn like a wireless mic or a necklace, records and transcribes conversations, primarily for meeting use to eliminate the need for note-taking. It boasts weather-proofing, a 100-hour battery life, and convenient USB-C charging.
The device includes a “consent mode,” which prevents recording of conversations unless all parties agree, though it’s unclear if this mode is enabled by default.
Although the hardware product isn’t yet available, Limitless has launched an app for web, Mac, and Windows that records meetings using system audio and a microphone, eliminating the need for a bot. The app includes features seen in tools like Otter, Zoom, TimeOS, and TLDV, but aims to stand out with real-time automated notes and meeting briefs. It’s free with unlimited audio storage and 10 hours per month of AI features like transcription, summaries, and notes. Unlimited AI features are available for $29 per month or $19 per month with annual billing.
A key differentiator for Limitless is its confidential cloud service, which encrypts data to prevent access by employers, the company, or the government without the user’s permission. This new feature is a significant shift from Rewind’s previous local-only approach, and the company has undergone a third-party security audit by Leviathan Security Group to validate its security measures.
**Future Directions**
Rewind, which has raised over $33 million from investors including a16z, First Round Capital, and NEA, does not plan to seek additional funding. The company will continue to support the existing Rewind product but will not develop new features, including the previously promised Windows app.
“We don’t plan to shut down or merge Rewind into Limitless. Instead, we aim to integrate many popular Rewind features into Limitless,” Siroker stated. Users can continue using both products and decide which one they prefer, with the hope that they will ultimately favor the Limitless approach.
Limitless plans to incorporate AI-powered bots to answer questions based on meeting recordings and personal information. The company also intends to provide a platform for developers to create applications or experiences related to the product. Limitless envisions a broader application of AI agents to perform tasks on users’ behalf, aligning with trends among AI startups. However, given current limitations and errors in AI output, widespread adoption of such AI-powered agents may still be some time away.