New year – new name: Hearezanz, a Malmö-based startup, has changed their name to Audiodo to become a more internationally recognised brand, at the same time as closing the 2018 with over €1,5 million in an equity round.
The startup’s co-founder and CEO is Jan Weber, who had previously devoted his time to studying the impact of sound and music, especially for hearing-impaired individuals, like himself who might need Cochlear Implants. The two other co-founders are John Philipson and Roger Martinsson, who had worked with improving sound and music with the help of algorithms. Their previous research and developments were used as a core concept for Audiodo. The funding round was led by Almi Invest.
Audiodo’s product has already been tested by many people internationally throughout 2017, and it has received lots of positive feedback. The test group included people of different ages and hearing characteristics, and they highlighted that their sound experience was much richer. During the next year the startup started selling their product as a license to manufacturers of headphones.
Recently Jan Weber spoke to Rapidus about joining the market of headphones and speakers with its own developed product. The plan is to get the first Audiodo products to the end users throughout 2019.
– You look at sound in a different way today, and it is changing the market in the foundations, he says to Rapidus.
With the help of an app, the user first has to make a fast hearing test where one has to answer a number of tones. The algorithm then adjusts the sound settings to fit each user individual needs.
– The final result is about having an experience of the sound that is clearly better and personalized. Many assume that hearing is the same during one’s lifetime, but the vision changes with age, and the same applies to hearing. Other factors such as noise damage and disease also play a role. So this is a complicated product that we got down in a simple package, says Jan Weber.
The new investment the startup received is planned to cover marketing and brand expenses, as well as product development.
Audiodo currently employs eleven employees and several consultants.
