Merve Isler, Founder and CEO of Marvelous, sits down with Ventureport to discuss how AI can help revenue teams find the right rooms, guests and opportunities.
Updated
July 3, 2026 11:39 AM
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Marvelous, an AI product company. PHOTO: MARVELOUS
Most B2B sales teams spend their days inside software. They track leads in a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, send emails, build outbound lists and measure every digital touchpoint. Still, many important business relationships move forward in person. A dinner after a conference, a small founder roundtable or a private customer event can do what dozens of cold emails cannot: build trust quickly.
That is the gap Marvelous wants to fill. The bootstrapped San Francisco-based AI startup is building what founder and CEO Merve Isler calls “Salesforce, but for real life”. Her idea is simple: if companies already use software to manage digital sales, they should also have software to manage the real-world moments that help close deals.
Marvelous brings data, automation and targeting into in-person go-to-market (GTM) work. It helps B2B sales, revenue, marketing and growth teams plan in-person events such as curated dinners, launch events, mixers, happy hours and conference side events. These formats are already familiar to companies selling to enterprise buyers. The problem is that they are often managed through spreadsheets, venue calls, scattered guest lists and manual follow-ups.
That creates two problems. First, the process is slow. Teams can spend weeks figuring out who to invite, where to host and how to manage responses. Second, the return is hard to measure. Companies spend heavily on conferences, dinners and private events, yet they often do not have a clear way to know whether an event will influence pipeline before they commit the budget.
Marvelous wants to pull those pieces into one AI-powered event management platform.
“Our main target customer is revenue and sales teams,” Isler said. “Because about 40% of deals close in person, but there's no infrastructure built for that—so that's what we do.”
For Isler, the idea comes from experience. Before starting Marvelous, she worked at Google from Istanbul, managing developer product launches and go-to-market programs across Turkey, Central Asia and the Caucasus. During that time, she helped build more than 100 communities around the world and coordinated thousands of events a year across eleven time zones. The work was fast, local and very manual.
That experience shaped the foundation for Marvelous. Isler saw that building products had become easier, while distribution remained difficult. A startup can now ship software faster than ever. Reaching the right people, in the right setting, is still a different challenge.
At Google, Isler had to understand how people gathered, communicated and built trust in different markets. A product launch might require developer meetups in dozens of cities, but the right approach could change from country to country. In Kazakhstan, she said, Telegram worked better than WhatsApp. In Afghanistan, Facebook mattered more. Each market had its own habits, and growth depended on understanding those details. Those details and adapt quickly.
Marvelous grew out of that playbook. Isler saw that offline distribution had patterns, even when it looked chaotic from the outside. The right guest list, the right room, the right timing and the right follow-up could change the outcome of a sales conversation. Most of that knowledge, however, lived in people’s heads. Marvelous is her attempt to turn it into software.
Inside the platform, a company can start by choosing the kind of satellite event it wants to host: a launch event, a mixer, a happy hour, a brunch, a lunch or a dinner. From there, users can connect their CRM. When Salesforce is connected, Marvelous analyzes contacts and creates relationship scores based on signals such as buying intent, past event activity and how warm a relationship appears to be. If a team also uses an event platform such as Luma or Eventbrite, Marvelous can bring that event data into the picture as well.
The product is built around Maven, Marvelous’ AI assistant. Maven can help plan an event through Slack, iMessage or the Marvelous platform itself. For instance, a user might ask Maven to plan an executive dinner for 18 people within a set budget. From there, Maven can find warm contacts, estimate who is likely to attend, build a guest list, recommend venues, send invitations and run follow-up sequences across email, LinkedIn and SMS. The goal is to let sales teams focus on conversations and closing deals instead of worrying about logistics. Put simply, Marvelous helps a company find the right guests, secure the right venue and understand which event format is likely to work. Instead of guessing whether a US$10,000 dinner will pay off, the company gets a clearer view of the potential return.
AI Insiders, Marvelous’ invite-only network of verified AI and enterprise leaders, is also part of the company’s go-to-market strategy. Rather than asking every customer to build an event from scratch, Marvelous can group several companies that want to reach the same audience into one curated event. Such a setting creates revenue, product feedback and fresh data about what works in different markets. The network spans verticals such as cybersecurity, fintech, robotics, healthcare AI and enterprise SaaS. It now includes members from more than 475 companies, with C-level executives making up nearly half of the community. So far, AI Insiders has facilitated more than 2,000 introductions and contributed to over US$560 million in deals. Isler describes it as one of Marvelous’ strongest go-to-market channels.
The first AI Insiders event took place at AWS GenAI Loft in San Francisco in April 2026. It brought together 150 curated guests, including AI founders, tier-one investors, enterprise executives and researchers for an evening focused on high-impact conversations and collaboration.
The timing may work in Marvelous’ favor: Digital outreach is getting louder, and AI will make it easier for companies to send more emails, messages and automated pitches. That may make high-trust in-person conversations more valuable, especially in enterprise sales where relationships take time. At the same time, event budgets need proof. Revenue leaders want to know whether a dinner, roadshow or customer event is worth the cost.
Marvelous is betting that offline sales will become a measurable category for software. If the company can prove that its relationship scores, event intelligence and AI agent help teams create a stronger pipeline, it could become an important tool for B2B go-to-market teams. The core message of Marvelous is easy to understand: the deals may happen in the room, but data can still power the room.
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At under US$1,000, Hypernova isn’t just eyewear—it’s Meta’s push to make AR feel ordinary.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:34 PM
Closeup of the Ray-Ban logo and the built-in ultra-wide 12 MP camera on a pair of new Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Meta is preparing to launch its next big wearable: the Hypernova smart glasses. Unlike earlier experiments like the Ray-Ban Stories, these new glasses promise more advanced features at a price point under US$1,000. With a launch set for September 17 at Meta’s annual Connect conference, the Hypernova is already drawing attention for blending design, technology and accessibility.
In this article, let’s take a closer look at Hypernova’s design, features, pricing and the challenges Meta faces as it tries to bring smart glasses into everyday life.
Meta’s earlier Ray-Ban glasses offered cameras and audio but no display. Hypernova changes that: The glasses will ship with a built-in micro-display, giving wearers quick access to maps, messages, notifications and even Meta’s AI assistant. It’s a step toward everyday AR that feels useful and natural, not experimental.
Perhaps most importantly, the price makes them attainable. While early estimates placed the cost above US$1,000, Meta has committed to a launch price of around US$800. That’s still premium, but it moves AR smart glasses into reach for more consumers.
Hypernova weighs about 70 grams, roughly 20 grams heavier than the Ray-Ban Meta models. The added weight likely comes from added components like the new display and extra sensors.
To keep the glasses stylish, Meta continues its partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban and Prada eyewear. Thicker frames—especially Prada’s designs—help hide the hardware like chips, microphones and batteries without making the glasses look oversized.
The glasses stick close to the classic Ray-Ban silhouette but feature slightly bulkier arms. On the left side, a touch-sensitive bar lets users control functions with taps and swipes. For example, a two-finger tap can trigger a photo or start video recording.
Hypernova introduces something the earlier Ray-Ban glasses never had: a display built right into the lens. In the bottom-right corner of the right lens, a small micro-screen uses waveguide optics to project a digital overlay with about a 20° field of view. This means you can glance at turn-by-turn directions, check a notification or quickly consult Meta’s AI assistant without pulling out your phone. It’s discreet, practical and a major step up from the older models, which were limited to capturing photos and videos, handling calls and playing music via speakers.
Alongside the glasses comes the Ceres wristband, a companion device powered by electromyography (EMG). The band picks up the tiny electrical signals in your wrist and fingers, translating them into commands. A pinch might let you select something, a wrist flick could scroll a page, and a swipe could move between screens. The idea is to avoid clunky buttons or having to talk to your glasses in public. Meta has also been experimenting with handwriting recognition through the band, though it’s not clear if that feature will be ready in time for launch.
Meta doesn’t just want Hypernova to be useful—it wants it to be fun. Code found in leaked firmware revealed a small game called Hypertrail. It looks to borrow ideas from the 1981 arcade shooter Galaga, letting wearers play a simple, retro-inspired game right through their glasses. It’s not the main attraction, but it shows Meta is trying to make Hypernova feel more like a playful everyday gadget rather than just a piece of serious tech.
Hypernova runs on a customized version of Android and pairs with smartphones through the Meta View app. Out of the box, it should support the basics: calls, music and message notifications. Leaks suggest several apps will come preinstalled, including Camera, Gallery, Maps, WhatsApp, Messenger and Meta AI. A Qualcomm processor powers the whole setup, helping it run smoothly while keeping energy demands reasonable.
Meta is also trying to bring in outside developers. In August 2025, CNBC reported that the company invited third-party developers—especially in generative AI—to build experimental apps for Hypernova and the Ceres wristband. The Meta Connect 2025 agenda even highlights sessions on a new smart glasses SDK and toolkit. The push shows Meta’s interest in making Hypernova more than just a device; it wants a broader platform with apps that go beyond its own first-party software.
During development, Hypernova was rumored to cost as much as US$1,400. By pricing it around US$800, Meta signals that it wants adoption more than profit. The company is keeping production limited (around 150,000 units), showing it sees this as a market test rather than a mass rollout. Still, the sub-US$1,000 price tag makes advanced AR far more accessible than before.
Despite its promise, Hypernova may still face hurdles. The Ceres wristband can struggle if worn loosely, and some testers have reported issues based on which arm it’s worn on or even when wearing long sleeves. In short, getting EMG input right for everyone will be critical.
Privacy is another major concern. In past experiments, researchers hacked Ray-Ban Meta glasses to run facial recognition, instantly identifying strangers and pulling personal info. Meta has added guidelines, like a recording indicator light, but critics argue these measures are too easy to ignore. Moreover, data captured by smart glasses can feed into AI training, raising questions about consent and surveillance.
The Meta Hypernova smart glasses mark a turning point in wearable tech. They’re lighter and more stylish than bulky AR headsets, while offering real-world features like navigation, messaging and hands-free control. At under US$1,000, they aim to make AR glasses more than a luxury gadget—they’re a step toward everyday use.
Whether Hypernova succeeds will depend on how well it balances style, usability and privacy. But one thing is clear: Meta is betting that always-on, glanceable AR can move from science fiction to daily life.