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Soundhawk Corporation develops the Smart Listening System, a personal sound amplification product engineered to enhance auditory perception. This wearable device integrates with smartphones, offering a customizable audio experience for improved clarity in noisy settings, distant conversations, and soft sounds. It provides an intuitive, discreet solution for better situational hearing.
Founded in 2013 by Dr. Rodney Perkins, an esteemed Stanford University otologist, Soundhawk emerged from recognizing unmet consumer hearing needs. Dr. Perkins, also a founder of ReSound, pioneered a consumer-friendly approach to auditory enhancement, broadening access beyond traditional medical devices. This initiative aimed to empower individuals with accessible listening.
Soundhawk's product serves individuals seeking improved situational hearing, especially in crowded or challenging environments. It targets a broad consumer market, including those with mild to moderate hearing challenges, as an alternative to conventional aids. The company’s vision is to offer an accessible, non-stigmatizing solution, empowering users to actively manage listening and communication.
Soundhawk Corporation has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Soundhawk Corporation has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Soundhawk Corporation has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Soundhawk Corporation's investors include True Ventures.
Soundhawk Corporation was a wearable technology company that developed the Smart Listening System, a personal sound amplification product (PSAP) resembling a hearing aid for noisy environments.[1][2][5] It targeted both hearing-impaired users and general consumers facing everyday noise challenges, using hardware like the Scoop earphone, wireless microphone, and charging case, controlled via a smartphone app for personalized audio profiles.[1][2][5] The system enhanced speech frequencies, reduced background noise by 5-7dB in key ranges, and supported phone calls and virtual assistants, with manufacturing by Foxconn.[2][5] Soundhawk raised $11 million from angel investors and True Ventures by 2014 but became defunct around 2016.[1][2]
Founded in 2013 by Dr. Rodney Perkins, a Stanford otologist, founder of ReSound, and creator of the California Ear Institute, Soundhawk aimed to mass-market advanced hearing solutions beyond traditional medical devices.[1][2][4] Perkins served as CEO, supported by experts like Drew Dundas (former UCSF audiology director as President/CTO) and Steve Manser (ex-Apple, Palm, HP engineering leader as COO/VP Engineering).[1] The idea emerged from the need for smarter listening in increasingly noisy worlds, leveraging consumer electronics expertise to destigmatize and broaden appeal via apps and retail channels.[2] Early traction included $11 million funding and Foxconn partnership by mid-2014, with product launch in June 2014.[1][2]
Soundhawk rode the hearables and wearable tech wave in the mid-2010s, bridging consumer electronics with biomedical audio tech amid rising demand for noise management in daily life—from open offices to urban noise.[2][5] Its timing capitalized on smartphone ubiquity for app control and PSAP deregulation, enabling non-medical devices to disrupt the $7B+ hearing aid market stigmatized by clinical sales.[2][5] Market forces like Foxconn manufacturing and VC backing (True Ventures) positioned it for scale, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering app-personalized hearables—paving the way for modern true wireless earbuds with ANC (e.g., AirPods Pro) and destigmatizing audio augmentation for all users.[1][2][5]
Soundhawk's innovative PSAP showed strong technical promise in noise reduction and personalization but ceased operations around 2016, likely due to market competition or scaling hurdles in a nascent hearables space.[1][5] Its legacy endures in today's ANC earbuds and AI-driven audio apps, with trends like generative AI personalization and health-integrated wearables (e.g., OTC hearing aids post-2022 FDA rules) building directly on its model. Had it persisted, Soundhawk could have evolved into a leader; instead, it highlights the high-stakes pivot from medtech to consumer tech, underscoring the need for rapid iteration in noisy audio markets. This early disruptor reminds us: timing and ecosystem fit define mass-market breakthroughs in wearable sound tech.
Soundhawk Corporation has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Series B in June 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2014 | $6.0M Series B | True Ventures | |
| Dec 1, 2013 | $6.0M Series A | True Ventures |