Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch, is a German multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company was founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart in 1886. Bosch is 94% owned by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, a charitable institution. Although the charity is funded by owning the vast majority of shares, it has no voting rights and is involved in health and social causes unrelated to Bosch's business.
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG is a German audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Wedemark. Sennheiser specializes in equipment for both the consumer and professional audio markets, including microphones, headphones, and loudspeakers.
Swisscom AG is a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland. Its headquarters are located in Worblaufen near Bern. The Swiss government owns 51% of Swisscom. According to its own published data, Swisscom holds a market share of 56% for mobile, 50% for broadband and 37% for TV telecommunication in Switzerland. Its Italian subsidiary, FASTWEB, is attributed 16% of private clients and 29% of the corporate clients share of Italian broadband and is also active in the mobile market.
A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers such as personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) or other plain sound reinforcing systems cannot be sold as "hearing aids".
Demant A/S is a Danish multinational company involved with hearing care, hearing aids, audiometric equipment and personal communication devices.
Sonova Holding AG is an internationally active Swiss group of companies headquartered in Stäfa that specializes in hearing care. The Sonova group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics, AudioNova and Sennheiser. It is one of the largest providers in the sector worldwide. The group and its brands hold 24% of the global hearing aid market in sales. As of 11 September 2022, Sonova was a component of the Swiss Market Index.
An ear trumpet is a tubular or funnel-shaped device which collects sound waves and leads them into the ear. They are used as hearing aids, resulting in a strengthening of the sound energy impact to the eardrum and thus improved hearing for a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual. Ear trumpets were made of sheet metal, silver, wood, snail shells or animal horns. They have largely been replaced in wealthier areas of the world by modern hearing aid technology that is much smaller and less obtrusive, albeit more expensive.
Oticon is a hearing aid manufacturer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company is a subsidiary of Demant A/S. It was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, whose wife was hearing impaired. The company claims to be the world's second-largest manufacturer of hearing aids, and uses a management style known as "spaghetti organization" introduced by Lars Kolind under his leadership between 1988 and 1998.
Straumann Group is a Swiss company based in Basel (Switzerland) manufacturing dental implants and specialized in related technologies. The group researches, develops, manufactures and supplies dental implants, instruments, biomaterials, CADCAM prosthetics, digital equipment, software, and clear aligners for applications in replacement, restorative, orthodontic and preventative dentistry.
Bosch Solar Energy AG was a German solar wafer and solar cell manufacturer, based in Erfurt, which specialized in crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) products, as well as thin-film modules using amorphous silicon and CIGS absorber materials. The company consisted of various divisions for silicon, wafers, solar cells and modules, research and production facilities in Germany and France and plans were made to open a production line in Malaysia. It has been listed on the German stock exchange since 30 September 2005 and on 19 December 2005 its shares were admitted to the TecDAX. The enterprise was founded in 1997 as ErSol Solarstrom GmbH & Co. KG.
Widex A/S is the world’s sixth largest hearing aid manufacturer. In close collaboration with international audiological researchers and specialists, the company has developed a wide range of digital hearing aids. They introduced the world's first commercially available 100% digital in-the-ear hearing aid in 1995 based on the research model developed by Oticon that same year.
Beltone is a hearing aid company founded in 1940, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Beltone products are sold in the United States, Canada, and over 40 countries across the globe. The Beltone Hearing Care Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2014 with the stated intent of donating hearing instruments to those in need.
Miracle-Ear, Inc. is a hearing aid and hearing care company consisting of a network of franchised and corporately owned retail locations. The company is a subsidiary of Amplifon, the worldwide leader in hearing care and hearing aid retail based in Milan, Italy. Miracle-Ear's U.S. headquarters are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023 it has more than 1,500 locations in the United States, and it is the best-known hearing aid brand in the U.S.
Lyric Hearing is an extended wear hearing aid developed by InSound Medical, founded by medical device inventor entrepreneur Adnan Shennib and Thar Casey. The device rests inside the ear canal and uses the ears anatomy to funnel sound to the ear drum. The device is placed into the ear canal by a certified professional and no surgery or anesthesia is required when inserting the device. Although individual replacement needs can vary, Lyric is designed to be worn for up to 4 months at a time without needing to remove it or replace batteries.
The first hearing aid was created in the 17th century. The movement toward modern hearing aids began with the creation of the telephone, and the first electric hearing aid was created in 1898. By the late 20th century, the digital hearing aid was distributed to the public commercially. Some of the first hearing aids were external hearing aids. External hearing aids direct sounds in front of the ear and block all other noises. The apparatus would fit behind or in the ear.
Sound World Solutions, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets Personal Sound Amplification Products and Hearing Aids that also function as Bluetooth devices. Sound World Solutions is based in Park Ridge, Illinois.
Starkey Hearing Technologies is an American privately owned company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota that makes hearing aids, and is one of the largest hearing aid manufacturers in the world. As of 2019, the company had more than 5,000 employees in 24 facilities, serving more than 100 markets worldwide, and is the only American-owned global hearing aid manufacturer.
WS Audiology is a privately-owned manufacturer of hearing aids with headquarters in Denmark and Singapore with roots going back to 1878 and Siemens AG. The current company was created following the 2019 merger of Sivantos Group and Widex. Prior to that, Sivantos was spun off from Siemens after Siemens AG sold the company to EQT and Santo Holding in 2015. WS Audiology employs about 12,000 people in more than 125 countries. In fiscal year 2022-2023, the company generated revenue of €2.47 billion and adjusted EBITDA of €480 million.
Eargo is an American hearing aid manufacturer based in San Jose, California.
William Franklin "Bill" Austin is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and founder, principal owner, chairman and CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies, a global hearing aid manufacturer and the largest in the United States.
