Omi is a company that has developed AI wearables built to transform conversation management. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Omi co-founder Joan Cabezas to learn more about the company.
Joan Cabezas’ Background
What is Joan Cabezas’ background? Joan said:
“I’ve always been passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems. I founded TripPlanner.ai in March 2023, growing it to over 3 million users within a year before its acquisition by Layla.ai in 2024. I served as the founding engineer at ConchaLabs, where we developed a pioneering hearing aid that operates without an audiologist, using machine learning for personalized audiograms. Additionally, I was an early employee at Kiwibot, working on autonomous delivery robots, and I built Melimazon, a successful drop-shipping business with 100k ARR at just 17 years old.”
Formation Of Omi
How did the idea for Omi come together? Joan shared:
“The idea for Omi truly came to life when I attempted to integrate Meta Ray-Ban glasses but faced significant challenges hacking them. During this time, I discovered that my co-founder, Nik, was already developing similar components of the product. Excited by our shared vision, I joined forces with him. Together, we aimed to create a seamless AI wearable that prioritizes privacy and open-source customization, ultimately leading to the birth of Omi.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Joan’s favorite memory working for the company so far? Joan reflected:
“One of my favorite memories at Omi involves the early weekends spent manually building prototypes with friends. We’d gather, assemble devices by hand, and ship them out every weekend, often lugging big boxes to the store. These moments of hands-on collaboration and teamwork were incredibly rewarding and laid the foundation for our initial success.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Joan explained:
“Omi’s flagship product is the Omi AI Wearable, designed to revolutionize conversation management with a focus on privacy and open-source flexibility. Key features include:
– Live Transcription: Accurate real-time transcription using advanced AI.
– Conversation Memory: Reliable records of past conversations.
– Efficient Summarization: Instant insights and summaries powered by AI.
– Long Battery Life & Connectivity: Days-long battery and seamless Bluetooth connectivity.
– Open-Source Platform: Customizable and privacy-focused, allowing developers to enhance functionality.
– App Marketplace: Expandable features through a vibrant developer ecosystem.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Joan and the team faced in building the company? Joan acknowledged:
“One major challenge has been finding excellent manufacturing partners to maintain our high standards of quality and privacy. We overcame this by conducting extensive research, building strong relationships with trusted manufacturers, and ensuring they align with our commitment to privacy and open-source principles. This has been crucial in delivering reliable and secure products to our users.”
Evolution Of Omi’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Joan noted:
“Since launching, we’ve made significant technological advancements. We’re now building custom-designed PCBs tailored to address diverse use cases, enabling developers to create more innovative applications. This custom hardware enhances performance and flexibility, allowing our open-source community to expand Omi’s capabilities. Additionally, our technology stack has improved to support better privacy features and seamless integration with various platforms.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Joan cited:
– Launch of Omi AI Wearable: Successfully introduced our flagship product.
– 4k Sales of V1 Device: Achieved rapid initial sales.
– 900% Kickstarter Campaign Success: Exceeded funding goals by a significant margin.
– 3k Developer Community: Built a robust community of developers contributing to our open-source platform.
– Creation of OpenGlass.ai: Expanded our portfolio and enhanced our technology.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Joan about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Certainly! One customer, a busy sales leader at a SP 500 company, used Omi to transcribe and manage meetings effortlessly, leading to enhanced productivity and better decision-making. Another user, a university student, relied on Omi’s summarization features to efficiently review lectures, significantly improving their academic performance. These stories highlight how Omi empowers individuals to manage conversations and information more effectively.”
Funding
When asking Joan about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“While specific funding details remain confidential, I can share that Omi has successfully raised seed funding from leading venture capital firms who believe in our vision. On the revenue side, we’ve made impressive strides with 4,000 sales of our Rusty V1 device and a 900% success rate on our Kickstarter campaign. Our steady growth is further supported by our expanding developer community of 3,000 members.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Joan assessed:
“Omi is targeting the next computing platform market, valued at approximately $100 billion. This expansive TAM includes sectors such as professional services, education, healthcare, and personal productivity. By positioning Omi as a versatile AI wearable, we aim to capture a significant share of this rapidly growing market.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Joan affirmed:
“Omi stands out through:
– Open-Source Platform: Fully open-source, fostering customization and community-driven innovation.
– Privacy-Oriented: Strong emphasis on data privacy, ensuring user conversations are secure.
– Advanced AI Integration: Utilizing cutting-edge AI for accurate transcriptions and insightful summaries.
– Custom Hardware: Our bespoke PCBs allow for greater flexibility and performance.
– Vibrant Developer Ecosystem: A thriving marketplace and active developer community enhance our product’s capabilities.
These factors collectively provide unmatched value and set us apart in the AI wearable market.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals?
“Looking ahead, Omi aims to:
- Enhance AI Capabilities: Continuously improve our AI for more accurate transcriptions and deeper insights.
- Expand the App Marketplace: Encourage more developers to create specialized apps, increasing Omi’s functionality.
- Improve Multilingual Capabilities: Develop better multilingual support to cater to a global audience.
- Integrate Augmented Reality (AR): Explore AR features for immersive conversational experiences.
- Strengthen Partnerships: Collaborate with key industries like education and healthcare to tailor our solutions.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics to discuss? Joan concluded:
“I’d like to emphasize the pivotal role of our user community in shaping Omi’s development. User feedback drives our feature enhancements and ensures we meet real-world needs effectively. Additionally, our dedication to privacy and open-source principles not only differentiates us but also fosters trust and collaboration within our community. We are also committed to sustainability and ethical AI, striving to minimize our environmental footprint and ensure responsible AI deployment. These values are at the core of everything we do at Omi.”
