Plaud passes 2 million AI notetakers and $100M in ARR

Plaud, which builds AI notetaking hardware for people who spend much of their day in meetings, has shared two milestones. According to the company, more than 2 million of its devices have been sold. That count covers its pin-style recorders and its credit card-shaped models that attach to the back of a phone. Plaud also says the subscription side of the business has passed $100 million in annualized revenue run rate.

Where the revenue comes from

Every device comes with 300 minutes of free transcription. Users who need more minutes or extra features can buy monthly, annual or add-on plans. According to co-founder and CEO Nathan Xu, the revenue is driven largely by the share of owners who upgrade: close to 50% of device users move from the basic tier to the Pro or Unlimited plan. Plaud does not yet sell its software as a standalone subscription, so paying customers are, as a rule, people who own one of its recorders.

Plaud positions its screenless devices as a way to capture conversations held in person and get summaries and action items afterwards. Xu said the company built the interface for what he called the post-screen world.

Recent launches

• The $179 Plaud Pro, released the previous year.
• The Plaud Pin S, launched this year at a similar price.
• A desktop app that takes notes from online meetings by capturing system audio.
• Plaud Teams, introduced a month earlier for businesses, with shared memory across a team.

Competition

The market for meeting-recording hardware is crowded. Rivals named alongside Plaud include accessory maker Anker, Viaim, which is backed by Transsion, Vibe, backed by Sequoia China, and Y Combinator-backed Pocket.