On Tuesday, Humane announced that HP has acquired the majority of its assets for $116 million. This hardware startup has decided to halt sales of its $499 AI Pins right away. Humane has informed existing Pin customers that their devices will cease to function before the month concludes—specifically at 12 PM PST on February 28, 2025, as mentioned in a blog post.
Following this deadline, the AI Pins will no longer be able to connect to Humane’s servers. This means that users will lose access to calling, messaging, AI queries/responses, and cloud services. Humane urges AI Pin users to back up their important photos and data onto an external device without delay.
Additionally, Humane announced that it will dissolve its customer support for the AI Pin on February 28.
This announcement marks the end of the brief yet high-profile existence of this hardware startup. Humane made waves in April 2024 with the introduction of its AI Pin, which it marketed as a potential substitute for smartphones. Founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, the Bay Area startup raised over $230 million to develop this device.
Unfortunately, the AI Pin fell short of expectations for many initial reviewers and customers, leading to challenges for the company. Reports from The Verge indicated that by last summer, returns for the AI Pin were outpacing sales. Compounding the situation, Humane advised customers against using the device’s charging case due to concerns about battery fires. In October, the company reduced the price of its AI Pins by $200.
According to the announcement of the acquisition, HP will take on Humane’s engineers and product managers. This team will lay the foundation for a new division within HP called HP IQ, described as an “AI innovation lab aiming to develop an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s products and services for the future of work.”
HP will also obtain several of Humane’s technologies, including its CosmOS AI operating system. Humane recently showcased an advertisement illustrating how the AI operating system could be utilized in a car entertainment system, a smart speaker, a television, and an Android device, potentially enhancing the incorporation of AI technology into HP’s computers and printers.
In May 2024, Humane was reportedly seeking a much higher acquisition price, estimating between $750 million to $1 billion, as noted in a Bloomberg report.
TechCrunch reached out to Humane for comments but did not receive an immediate response.
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