“Most AI companies have scaled through software behind a screen. We took a different path. The conversations that actually move things forward don’t happen on a keyboard. We built the interface for the post-screen world. And the market validated it,” said Nathan Xu, co-founder and CEO of Plaud.

Last year, the company launched the $179 Plaud Pro, and this year, it added the new Plaud Pin S at a similar price. Besides hardware, the company has accelerated its software development, too. Earlier this year, it launched a desktop app that can take Granola-style notes via system audio for online meetings. Last month, it also introduced Plaud Teams with shared memory to target enterprises.

Plaud users can buy the hardware and get 300 minutes of transcription for free. However, if someone has many meetings a day, the free limit is likely to run out quickly. For extra minutes and other features, users can get monthly, annual, or add-on plans. Xu told TechCrunch that its revenue is largely powered by nearly 50% of the device users upgrading from the basic plan to the pro or unlimited plans.

The company doesn’t yet sell standalone software subscriptions. That means, typically, it’s the users who own a Plaud device who are buying its paid plans.