On Tuesday, Humane disclosed that it has sold the majority of its assets to HP for $116 million. As a result, the hardware startup will cease sales of its $499 AI Pins right away. Humane has informed customers who own these devices that they will become nonfunctional by 12 p.m. PST on February 28, 2025, as noted in a blog post.

After this deadline, the AI Pins will lose connectivity to Humane’s servers, rendering them unable to make calls, send messages, conduct AI inquiries, or access the cloud. Humane recommends that AI Pin users back up their essential photos and data to an external device without delay.

Humane intends to wind down its customer support for the AI Pin as of February 28. According to an FAQ, customers who purchased an AI Pin within the last three months may qualify for a refund, but those who bought it earlier are not eligible.

This development marks the conclusion of the brief yet notable journey of this hardware startup. Humane gained attention in April 2024 when it unveiled its AI Pin, which it marketed as a potential alternative to smartphones. Founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, the Bay Area startup secured over $230 million in funding to develop this device.

Unfortunately, the AI Pin did not meet the expectations of many early users and reviewers, leading to significant challenges for the company. Reports from The Verge indicated that returns began to surpass sales last summer. To make matters worse, Humane advised customers against using the device’s charging case due to potential battery fire hazards, as detailed in reports. In a bid to improve sales, the company also reduced the price of the AI Pin by $200 in October, dropping it from its original $699.

According to a blog post about the acquisition, HP will take on Humane’s engineers and product managers, forming a new division called HP IQ. This group will act as an “AI innovation lab” dedicated to creating a smart ecosystem within HP’s range of products and services for the future workplace.

HP will also acquire certain technologies from Humane, including the AI operating system known as CosmOS. Recent promotional content from Humane indicated that this AI operating system might be integrated into various devices, such as car infotainment systems, smart speakers, TVs, and Android phones. This technology could play a significant role in enhancing AI capabilities within HP’s laptops and printers.

In May 2024, Humane had initially looked to sell itself for a much higher valuation, estimated between $750 million and $1 billion, based on a Bloomberg report.

Humane has yet to respond to TechCrunch’s inquiries regarding this matter.