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§ Private Profile · San Jose, CA, USA
Hearing health technology company designing and manufacturing nearly invisible, rechargeable in-ear canal hearing aids for consumers with hearing loss.
Eargo has raised $218.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Key people at Eargo.
Eargo has raised $218.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
San Jose, California-based Eargo designs, manufactures, and distributes nearly invisible, rechargeable hearing aids that fit directly inside the user's ear canal. Unlike traditional auditory devices that completely block the ear drum, this direct-to-consumer company utilizes soft flexi fibers to selectively amplify the specific audio frequencies that users struggle to hear. This acoustic engineering approach allows natural ambient sound waves to pass through the hardware unimpeded, facilitating a standard listening experience for adult consumers experiencing hearing loss. Operating within the specialized hearing health technology sector, the enterprise secured $13 million in Series A financing during 2015 from early investors including the venture capital firm Maveron, before eventually transitioning into a publicly traded entity through an initial public offering. The medical device manufacturer Eargo was originally founded in 2010 by Florent Michel, Raphael Michel, and Daniel Shen.
Key people at Eargo.
Eargo has raised $218.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $82.0M Series E in July 2020.
Eargo has raised $218.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Eargo's investors include Longitude Capital, Pivotal bioVenture Partners, Versant Ventures, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Nan Fung Life Sciences, Josh Makower, Cultivation Capital, Maveron, Vanessa Larco, Amit Mukherjee, Future Fund, NEA.
# Eargo: Transforming Hearing Health Through Invisible Technology
Eargo is a hearing aid manufacturer that designs and sells invisible, rechargeable hearing devices directly to consumers.[1][2] The company's mission is to empower individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss by providing discreet, technologically advanced hearing solutions at approximately half the price of traditional devices.[1] Rather than operating as a traditional hearing aid retailer requiring in-person fittings, Eargo pioneered a direct-to-consumer model that combines online sales with remote consultations and lifetime support, fundamentally reshaping how people access hearing technology.[2]
The company serves a critical market need: millions of people with untreated hearing loss who avoid traditional hearing aids due to stigma and cost barriers.[1] By making hearing aids virtually invisible and affordable, Eargo addresses both the practical and emotional dimensions of hearing loss, positioning itself as a disruptor in an industry historically dominated by large manufacturers.
Eargo was founded in 2010 by Florent Michel, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon who served as designer and inventor; his son Raphael Michel, who became the first CEO; and Daniel Shen, the company's chief science and clinical officer.[4] This founding team—combining medical expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and scientific rigor—was essential to developing the company's core innovation: invisible, in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aids that prioritize both functionality and discretion.
The company achieved early validation through institutional backing. In 2013, Eargo secured seed funding from investors including Maveron, and in June 2015, it raised $13.6 million in Series A funding from a syndicate that included Crosslink Capital, Dolby Family Ventures, and Birchmere Ventures.[4] The company launched its first hearing devices in June 2015, followed by successive product iterations: the Eargo Plus (2017), Eargo Max (2018), Eargo Neo (2019), and Eargo Neo HiFi (2020).[4] A significant strategic pivot occurred in 2025, when Eargo merged with Hearx to form LXE Hearing, an over-the-counter hearing aid company.[4]
Eargo operates at the intersection of healthcare technology, consumer electronics, and digital health—trends that have accelerated significantly over the past decade. The company rides several powerful market forces:
Aging demographics and rising hearing loss prevalence: As global populations age, untreated hearing loss has become a major public health challenge, with the World Health Organization estimating over 1.5 billion people with hearing loss worldwide. This creates a massive addressable market.
Stigma reduction and cultural shift: Eargo's invisible design and consumer-friendly approach align with broader cultural movements toward destigmatizing health conditions and normalizing assistive technology. By making hearing aids fashionable and discreet, the company influences how society perceives hearing loss.
Direct-to-consumer disruption in healthcare: Eargo exemplifies the broader trend of DTC healthcare companies bypassing traditional distribution channels (hearing centers, audiologists) to reach consumers directly. This model has proven successful across telehealth, mental health, and other sectors.
Over-the-counter hearing aid regulation: The FDA's approval of over-the-counter hearing aids has expanded Eargo's addressable market beyond prescription-only devices, democratizing access to hearing technology.
Integration of professional expertise with consumer convenience: Rather than choosing between professional guidance and consumer convenience, Eargo's evolution—including its 2025 expansion into the prescriptive hearing aid market—demonstrates how companies can bridge both channels, offering audiologists greater control while maintaining consumer accessibility.[3]
Eargo has successfully challenged an entrenched industry by combining superior design, affordability, and customer-centric service. The company's 2025 merger with Hearx to form LXE Hearing signals a strategic evolution: expanding beyond direct-to-consumer into the prescriptive market, where hearing professionals play a central role in fittings and customization.[4] This dual-channel approach positions the company to capture both price-sensitive consumers and patients who prefer professional guidance.
Looking ahead, Eargo's trajectory will be shaped by several factors: continued adoption of OTC hearing aids, the company's ability to scale its prescriptive line while maintaining its DTC brand identity, and broader trends in digital health integration (app-based controls, AI-driven sound optimization, and telehealth consultations). As hearing loss becomes increasingly recognized as a critical health issue—with documented links to cognitive decline and social isolation—companies that make treatment accessible and stigma-free will capture disproportionate market share.
Eargo's story illustrates a fundamental principle: transformative technology companies don't just build better products; they change how people perceive and engage with entire categories. By making hearing aids invisible, affordable, and convenient, Eargo has initiated the cultural shift it set out to create.
