Axios: Sleep-tracking startup Earable has raised $6.6 million from lead investor Founders Fund and Smilegate Investment as it prepares to introduce a wearable headset aimed at improving sleep and productivity.
Why it matters: Earable hopes to reawaken the field of sleep tracking, which has been on snooze for several years as most available devices can’t provide more than an estimate of the time you spent in bed.
The big question: With dozens of sleep trackers already on the market, how will Earable’s device differentiate itself? And will people want to sleep with a headset? “If someone is struggling with their sleep, they might be willing to wear a headband, but they also might be more sensitive to the disruption caused by it, says Seema Khosla, medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep. “The less obtrusive, the less annoying, the better!”
How it works: Earable isn’t just a sleep tracker, Tam Vu, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, tells Axios.
