NEW YORK (May 1, 2026) — Today, Altina emerges from stealth with hearing-enhancing eyeglasses, a new category of wearable technology designed to help people stay engaged in conversation, even in noisy environments. The brand's first product blends advanced, AI-powered hearing technology into thoughtfully designed eyewear, creating an experience that feels as natural as putting on your favorite pair of glasses. Altina has collaborated with British eyewear brand Cubitts and built its first pre-production devices at the Cubitts workshop in London, known for its handcrafted frames.
Hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people globally, yet fewer than 20% adopt traditional hearing aids, often due to stigma or design that feels clinical and out of place. At the same time, restaurants, offices, travel hubs, and urban spaces have become acoustically dense environments where conversation clarity is increasingly difficult, even for those without diagnosed hearing loss. Altina is built to address this gap, moving hearing support beyond clinical form factors into a more natural, design-forward experience.
Discreetly embedded in the temples, Altina's AI-powered electronics are built on the same class of components used in high-end $5,000 hearing aids. Beamforming microphones focus on the wearer's conversation partner, while a dedicated AI chip separates speech from background noise in real time, delivering amplified sound through subtle open-ear speakers. Altina is architected for design freedom, enabling its technology to be integrated across a range of eyewear styles and brand partners without compromising performance or style.
"People want to stay engaged in conversations, but existing solutions often get in the way, whether through design, comfort, or performance," said Tal Bar-Or, Founder & CEO of Altina. "With Altina, we're integrating advanced hearing technology into eyewear people already want to wear, so they can socialize with style and confidence."
Founder Tal Bar-Or previously led product development for Amazon's Echo Frames, one of the first mainstream audio-enabled glasses, and has over a decade of experience building wearable and consumer devices at Amazon, LG Electronics, Magic Leap, and Halo Neuroscience. Altina is headquartered in New York City, with an audio development center in Denmark, widely regarded as the global epicenter of hearing aid and advanced audio technology.
As Altina enters its next phase, the company is working alongside Cubitts and additional partners across hearing, audio, and AI to bring its vision to market. These collaborations are already underway, with additional product innovations and partnerships expected to be unveiled in the coming months, marking a new chapter in how people experience hearing through design.
For more information on Altina and to sign up for the waitlist, visit altina.co.
To access the media kit, click here.
About Altina
Altina was founded in 2024 by Tal Bar-Or in New York City. Made for conversation, Altina’s hearing eyewear is designed to help people socialize with style and confidence. The company brings together domain experts from around the world, including a research and development center in Denmark, a global leader in hearing and audio technologies.
About Cubitts
Cubitts is the modern spectacle maker, founded in King's Cross, London, in 2013. Cubitts is driven by the belief that spectacles should be transformative objects — a confluent fusion of design, function and style. Built to be worn for life, Cubitts frames are designed to be repaired when necessary rather than replaced.
Contact
ASTRSK PR — altina@astrskpr.com
