Not long ago, the idea of someone secretly recording your voice with artificial intelligence this week would have been startling. Even if it hasn't happened yet, it's almost inevitable in the near future, and such events will become increasingly common. If you're not the one being recorded without your knowledge, you might be the person pressing the record button, giving it little thought.
Here's another once-unthinkable phenomenon: despite the obvious privacy concerns, few people seem troubled by this trend or the AI meeting summarization software driving it. Among these tools, Granola stands out as one of the most popular. It records meeting audio, generates automatic meeting notes, and organizes follow-up tasks. It supports both in-person meeting recording and seamless integration with Zoom and Google Meet.
One key indicator of its quality: users prefer Granola over the built-in note-taking features of Zoom and Google Meet. (Users favor it for many reasons, including a standout feature that allows silent recording of online meetings 鈥?other participants in Google Meet are unaware you're using the software, as it doesn't join via a participant account or trigger a recording notification banner.)
Granola is particularly popular in Silicon Valley, with venture capitalists actively recommending it. Days ago, the company delivered an impressive milestone: launching an Apple Watch version of its app, sparking widespread online discussions that the Apple Watch has finally become a truly essential device. Granola co-founder Sam Stephenson stated, "We've received numerous emails from users saying, 'I plan to buy an Apple Watch just to use this software,' or 'I need to dust off my old Apple Watch.'"
When was the last time Apple launched an AI feature that generated such buzz or made the Apple Watch fashionable again? There's hardly a recent example. Therefore, the view is clear: Apple should acquire Granola.
Like many of Apple's bestselling products, Granola has gained a loyal user base through its clean and elegant design, boasting a brand loyalty that many companies envy. This startup has just demonstrated its ability to inject new life into a long-dormant piece of Apple hardware. Apple has heavily relied on a few core product iterations in recent years and precisely needs a team capable of delivering such surprises. (Of course, incoming CEO John Ternus may adjust this strategy; rumors also suggest Apple is developing smart glasses and an AI-powered wearable pin device.)
Most importantly, the acquisition price for Granola would likely align with Apple's typical acquisition style, which shies away from mega-deals. Founded in 2023, Granola was valued at $1.5 billion after a funding round in March, with investors including Index Ventures and Kleiner Perkins.
Stephenson noted that the Granola Apple Watch app's explosive reception was somewhat of a pleasant surprise. The app started as a side project by company engineer Tom Humphrey. He presented data that sparked internal enthusiasm: Granola's iOS user data showed that 40% of users also own an Apple Watch. Today, the watch app is more popular among Granola employees than the iPhone version. Stephenson said, "Compared to phones, people are more likely to remember to open the watch app. The biggest drawback of the iPhone app is that the phone is in your pocket, out of sight and out of mind, making it easy to forget to use."
Granola once considered developing its own hardware but ultimately shelved the idea. If a startup launches similar hardware, it would face fierce competition from many established AI recording and note-taking devices, such as the five-year-old startup Plaud, a popular player in this space.
When I first reported on Granola and the AI meeting summarization sector last year, the industry seemed to be entering the dawn of continuous, all-day recording. Now, the industry has moved into a phase of steady development. Stephenson revealed that Granola's user base has maintained a steady upward growth trajectory over the past year, but he declined to disclose specific user numbers. Meanwhile, the company expanded its office space from two floors in a Shoreditch, London building to the entire building, and its headcount has roughly quintupled to nearly 100 employees.
Seeing Granola's popularity continue to rise, I asked Stephenson if he'd encountered any unexpectedly famous users. He replied, "Well, Gwyneth Paltrow is one of them."
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