Plaud, the company behind AI notetakers without screens, has achieved a milestone of $100 million in annualized revenue run rate after selling over two million devices. These gadgets include Plaud Pins and credit-card-styled notetakers that stick on the back of phones, aiding professionals who need to take notes during meetings.

Co-founder and CEO Nathan Xu argues that Plaud's interface is designed for 'post-screen' conversations, helping users recall important points in real-time without relying solely on digital documents. The company launched its $179 Plaud Pro last year and added the cheaper Plaud Pin S this year to keep up with demand.

Plaud has also accelerated software development, introducing a desktop app for taking notes via system audio during online meetings. It recently launched Plaud Teams, featuring shared memory to target enterprise users. Users can get 300 minutes of transcription for free but must purchase additional plans if they need more.

The hardware and subscription model means that typically it’s the device owners who are buying paid plans, with around half upgrading from basic to pro or unlimited subscriptions.

The market is competitive, with rivals such as Anker, Viaim, Vibe and Pocket vying for attention. Plaud's success could indicate a shift towards more tactile, real-world AI applications in the future, proving that sometimes less tech can be more effective.