Granola expands AI note-taking to Apple Watch following unicorn funding
The newly minted unicorn, backed by a $125 million Series C round, shifts focus from smartphones to wearables to capture walking meetings and reduce friction for users.
Granola, an artificial intelligence note-taking application that recently achieved unicorn status, has launched a dedicated application for the Apple Watch. The release allows users to record meetings and transcribe notes directly from their wrist, eliminating the need to retrieve a smartphone. The app can be configured as a watch face to initiate transcription immediately and includes features such as reminders for upcoming engagements.
Co-founder Chris Pedregal stated that the application is designed to facilitate the capture of in-person interactions, such as walking one-on-one meetings, without requiring users to remove their phones from their pockets. This strategic move follows the launch of Granola’s iOS app last year and positions the company to compete with other entities in the market, including Dictation app Monologue, which added Apple Watch support earlier this year.
Internal testing with employees who owned Apple Watches revealed a significant shift in mobile usage from iOS devices to the Apple Watch. Granola noted that this migration in usage patterns informed the decision to prioritise wearable development over other hardware integrations at this stage.
The company considered integrating with third-party auxiliary recording hardware but opted to develop the Apple Watch app instead. This choice comes amid a broader industry trend where several firms have recently released auxiliary devices designed to work with smartphones for recording and transcribing meetings.
Granola achieved its unicorn valuation following a $125 million Series C funding round led by Index Ventures. The new application works in conjunction with the existing iOS app, aiming to provide a seamless experience for users seeking to document professional interactions across different modalities.
