Former Apple engineer raises $5M for a note-taking pendant that only records your voice

Taya, a startup founded by former Apple design engineer Elena Wagenmans, has raised $5M in seed funding led by MaC Venture Capital and Female Founders Fund. The company makes an $89 pendant-style wearable that records only the user's voice, not ambient conversations, addressing privacy concerns common with other AI note-taking wearables. The device uses voice profiling during onboarding and directional mics to isolate the wearer's voice, and pairs with an iOS app for note storage and AI-powered chat. The funding round also included participation from a16z Speedrun.