SMART GLASSES HAVE ARRIVED
OUR ROOTS
In 2018, Cayden built his first smart glasses in his university dorm. Meanwhile, Israelov was independently experimenting with smart glasses technology. They connected on Reddit in 2022, teamed up, and within a year presented OpenSourceSmartGlasses at CES 2023.
OUR ROOTS
In 2018, Cayden built his first smart glasses in his university dorm. Meanwhile, Israelov was independently experimenting with smart glasses technology. They connected on Reddit in 2022, teamed up, and within a year presented OpenSourceSmartGlasses at CES 2023.
That experience led to a greater realization:
Just as smartphones needed Android, smart glasses need their own operating system.
That idea became MentraOS.
That experience led to a greater realization:
Just as smartphones needed Android, smart glasses need their own operating system.
That idea became MentraOS.
In 2024, Cayden dropped out of MIT and Israelov quit his job to found Mentra. They launched MentraOS, went through YC, and raised $8M.
In 2024, Cayden dropped out of MIT and Israelov quit his job to found Mentra. They launched MentraOS, went through YC, and raised $8M.
Crucial Problems Solved by MentraOS
1. Shared Context
Multiple apps can run at the same time, simultaneously accessing what you see, hear, and where you are so your AI tools can work together seamlessly.
2. One Platform, Many Glasses
Developers can build a single app for iOS and Android that runs on any pair of smart glasses that support MentraOS, creating a thriving ecosystem.
OPEN SOURCE BY DESIGN
We believe the future of smart glasses should be open source because innovation, freedom, and community-driven progress lead to the best platforms.
By rethinking the operating system from the ground up, we've built the foundation for the future of wearable AI.
Crucial Problems Solved by MentraOS
1. Shared Context
Multiple apps can run at the same time, simultaneously accessing what you see, hear, and where you are so your AI tools can work together seamlessly.
2. One Platform, Many Glasses
Developers can build a single app for iOS and Android that runs on any pair of smart glasses that support MentraOS, creating a thriving ecosystem.
OPEN SOURCE BY DESIGN
We believe the future of smart glasses should be open source because innovation, freedom, and community-driven progress lead to the best platforms.
By rethinking the operating system from the ground up, we've built the foundation for the future of wearable AI.
Why Build MentraOS?
We'd been promised smart glasses for years, but the AI, hardware, and software weren't ready. In 2024, AI and hardware caught up, but software didn't. That's why we built MentraOS.
Smart glasses are inevitable because we check our phones 150 times daily to get displays to our eyes, speakers to our ears, and sensors facing the world. Smart glasses do this naturally.
AI is only as good as its context. Smart glasses give AI what you see, hear, and where you are in real-time: the perfect context for truly useful AI.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Cayden Pierce
CEO/CTO/FOUNDER
Cayden leads Mentra, overseeing software, hardware, and operations across San Francisco and Shenzhen.
Seven years ago, he set out to bridge mind and machine. That mission took him from building custom smart glasses with Steve Mann (inventor of smart glasses), to traveling North America in an RV hacker lab and developing AI agents at MIT. In 2024, he left MIT to build the OS for the next 8 billion personal computers.
Alexander Israelov
HEAD OF SOFTWARE/FOUNDER
Israelov leads Mentra's software team in San Francisco, building MentraOS.
In 2021, a small shard of glass launched into his right eye, and he needed glasses for the first time. He immediately saw the potential of smart eyewear and began building smart glasses in his dorm room. He's led open source smart glasses projects since then and co-founded Mentra in 2024.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
CEO/CTO/FOUNDER
Cayden 凯登 Pierce
Cayden leads Mentra, overseeing software, hardware, and operations across San Francisco and Shenzhen.
Seven years ago, he set out to bridge mind and machine. That mission took him from building custom smart glasses with Steve Mann (inventor of smart glasses), to traveling North America in an RV hacker lab and developing AI agents at MIT. In 2024, he left MIT to build the OS for the next 8 billion personal computers.
HEAD OF SOFTWARE/FOUNDER
Alexander Israelov
Israelov leads Mentra's software team in San Francisco, building MentraOS.
In 2021, a small shard of glass launched into his right eye, and he needed glasses for the first time. He immediately saw the potential of smart eyewear and began building smart glasses in his dorm room. He's led open source smart glasses projects since then and co-founded Mentra in 2024.
THE TEAM BEHIND MENTRA
Founding Engineer
Nicolo 尼科洛 Micheletti
Builds across the entire MentraOS stack, connecting SF and Shenzhen software teams.
Day-1 engineer, former AI + HCI researcher at Tsinghua, and a bilingual bridge connecting the San Francisco and Shenzhen software teams.
Founding Engineer, Head of Cloud
Isaiah Ballah
Builds Mentra's cloud platform.
First built glasses with Cayden in undergrad, then quit Salesforce after a "one-week" trip to San Francisco turned permanent; previously interned at Google.
Head of Hardware
Thomas Tee
Leads Mentra's hardware team in Shenzhen, building custom smart glasses.
Previously built fitness trackers at FitBit, tablets at Microsoft, and smartwatches at Fossil, with 20 years of consumer electronics experience and fluency in five languages.
VP of Operations
Cody 科迪 Dumont
Veteran hardware startup operator who scales teams and takes products to market.
Across his career, he's helped raise $300M+, launched products named to TIME's Best Inventions, and built global sales and distribution networks.
Head of Eyewear Design
Carl Allen
Oversees Mentra's eyewear design from sketch to production.
Brings 20+ years in eyewear, including a decade in smart glasses, designing for Calvin Klein and Nike.
Head of China Logistics
Celine Yixiaqian
Keeps the engine of Mentra's China operations running, managing logistics and operations across Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
A licensed legal professional with 10+ years in law and tax, she speaks five languages and is known as the backbone of Mentra's execution in China.
Head of Visual Production
Daniel Oh
Leads Mentra's creative direction across video, design, and storytelling.
A passionate videographer, he skipped college to start his own agency and spent years building a career behind the camera. After two projects with Mentra, he aligned on the vision and dropped everything to join full time.
Cloud Engineer
Aryan F.P
Builds Mentra's cloud systems and developer tools.
Previously worked on full-stack projects in React, Rust, and TypeScript. Came to SF for a Mentra hackathon, won a prize, and joined the team full time.
Head of Embedded Systems
Loay Yari
Leads embedded systems development in Shenzhen, bridging electronics, firmware, and software for Mentra's smart glasses.
With 12+ years in China, he's worked across startups and global leaders like Apple, with expertise in camera test systems, Beats audio sensors, smart rings, and IoT devices, taking products from prototype to mass production.
Head of Client
Matt Fosse
Owns Mentra's client stack across Android and iOS.
A software and hardware hacker, he first met the team while wearing custom-modified smart glasses he built himself.
ADVISORS
Tomas Vega
Wearables · Micro-electronics · HCI
CEO of Augmental and former researcher at UC Berkeley and the MIT Media Lab, Tomas has spent his career building breakthrough human-augmentation technologies that redefine how people interact with machines.
Nils Pihl
Spatial Computing · Memetics · Startups
A behavioral engineer and serial founder, Nils is CEO of Auki and has advised Apple, the World Bank, and global venture-backed companies.
Stephen Wolfram
AI · Personal Intelligence
World-renowned genius, creator of Wolfram|Alpha (used in Siri) and CEO of Wolfram Research.
Terry Huhtala
Strategy · Finance · Go-to-Market
Former CFO of Nemak ($40B revenue), serial founder, and senior leader at Ford, Terry is a true 'Founder Mode' executive who brings decades of experience scaling complex organizations and driving international expansion.
THE TEAM BEHIND MENTRA
Founding Engineer
Nicolo 尼科洛 Micheletti
Builds across the entire MentraOS stack, connecting SF and Shenzhen software teams.
Day-1 engineer, former AI + HCI researcher at Tsinghua, and a bilingual bridge connecting the San Francisco and Shenzhen software teams.
Founding Engineer, Head of Cloud
Isaiah Ballah
Builds Mentra's cloud platform.
First built glasses with Cayden in undergrad, then quit Salesforce after a "one-week" trip to San Francisco turned permanent; previously interned at Google.
Head of Hardware
Thomas Tee
Leads Mentra's hardware team in Shenzhen, building custom smart glasses.
Previously built fitness trackers at FitBit, tablets at Microsoft, and smartwatches at Fossil, with 20 years of consumer electronics experience and fluency in five languages.
VP of Operations
Cody 科迪 Dumont
Veteran hardware startup operator who scales teams and takes products to market.
Across his career, he's helped raise $300M+, launched products named to TIME's Best Inventions, and built global sales and distribution networks.
Head of Eyewear Design
Carl Allen
Oversees Mentra's eyewear design from sketch to production.
Brings 20+ years in eyewear, including a decade in smart glasses, designing for Calvin Klein and Nike.
Head of China Logistics
Celine Yixiaqian
Keeps the engine of Mentra's China operations running, managing logistics and operations across Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
A licensed legal professional with 10+ years in law and tax, she speaks five languages and is known as the backbone of Mentra's execution in China.
Head of Visual Production
Daniel Oh
Leads Mentra's creative direction across video, design, and storytelling.
A passionate videographer, he skipped college to start his own agency and spent years building a career behind the camera. After two projects with Mentra, he aligned on the vision and dropped everything to join full time.
Cloud Engineer
Aryan F.P
Builds Mentra's cloud systems and developer tools.
Previously worked on full-stack projects in React, Rust, and TypeScript. Came to SF for a Mentra hackathon, won a prize, and joined the team full time.
Head of Embedded Systems
Loay Yari
Leads embedded systems development in Shenzhen, bridging electronics, firmware, and software for Mentra's smart glasses.
With 12+ years in China, he's worked across startups and global leaders like Apple, with expertise in camera test systems, Beats audio sensors, smart rings, and IoT devices, taking products from prototype to mass production.
Head of Client
Matt Fosse
Owns Mentra's client stack across Android and iOS.
A software and hardware hacker, he first met the team while wearing custom-modified smart glasses he built himself.
ADVISORS
Tomas Vega
Wearables · Micro-electronics · HCI
CEO of Augmental and former researcher at UC Berkeley and the MIT Media Lab, Tomas has spent his career building breakthrough human-augmentation technologies that redefine how people interact with machines.
Nils Pihl
Spatial Computing · Memetics · Startups
A behavioral engineer and serial founder, Nils is CEO of Auki and has advised Apple, the World Bank, and global venture-backed companies.
Stephen Wolfram
AI · Personal Intelligence
World-renowned genius, creator of Wolfram|Alpha (used in Siri) and CEO of Wolfram Research.
Terry Huhtala
Strategy · Finance · Go-to-Market
Former CFO of Nemak ($40B revenue), serial founder, and senior leader at Ford, Terry is a true 'Founder Mode' executive who brings decades of experience scaling complex organizations and driving international expansion.