- Whisper announced recently it has launched its flagship product the Whisper Hearing System and the company raised $35 million. These are the details.
Whisper announced recently it has launched its flagship product the Whisper Hearing System — which is a first-of-its-kind learning hearing aid that improves over time. And the company also announced it closed $35 million in Series B funding led by Quiet Capital. Previous lead investors Sequoia Capital and First Round Capital also participated with new investors like IVP joining in. And the Series B brings Whisper’s total funding to $53 million.
The Whisper Hearing System deploys regular upgrades to give wearers the benefit of the very latest advances in hearing technology. And rather than owning a hearing aid that quickly becomes outdated, Whisper wearers will benefit from new features or sound processing improvements to the company’s proprietary Sound Separation Engine — which uses artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize sound in real-time for a consumer’s surroundings.
The Whisper Hearing System was designed to learn from the ground up and has a unique hardware configuration that drives the system. And the system is comprised of 3 components:
1.) The earpieces which are worn on the ears so they can take in and transmit sound
2.) The Whisper Brain (a pocket-sized hub), which is the center of Whisper’s learning capabilities and works wirelessly with the earpieces to enable a proprietary AI-based Sound Separation Engine
3.) The Whisper mobile app — which delivers regular software upgrades in addition to allowing users to control their Whisper Hearing System from their phones
The company is partnering with an exclusive network of local practices across the country to ensure consumers receive customized care. And unlike other hearing aids, Whisper is available via a comprehensive monthly plan that includes ongoing care from a local hearing care professional, a lease of the Whisper Hearing System, regular software upgrades, and a 3-year warranty that not only covers the system itself but also loss and damage. There is a special introductory offer of $139/month (regularly $179/month) for a 3-year term.
KEY QUOTES:
“Technology should be used to improve people’s lives. Many of the problems people face in hearing – whether hearing in a loud restaurant or having a device that quickly gets outdated – are solvable with recent advancements in consumer electronics and artificial intelligence. With the Whisper Hearing System, consumers get a state-of- the-art device designed in Silicon Valley that doesn’t stay static but continually improves with artificial intelligence for better performance.”
— Dwight Crow, Co-Founder & CEO of Whisper
“I like being on the cutting edge of what’s going on in my industry. I hear from my patients every day how they’re still struggling to hear clearly, and always are looking for a better solution. I owe it to my patients to always participate in whatever I can to make their lives better.”
— Darcy Benson, audiologist and practice owner at California Hearing Center
“Software-defined hearing technology is the future. By building the Whisper Hearing System around software, the Whisper team will be able to improve patient care with a device that adapts, upgrades, and improves continuously for the wearer’s benefit. This is the start of a new paradigm for delivering hearing technology, and we’re thrilled to partner with Whisper on this journey.”
— Mike Vernal, Partner at Sequoia and Whisper Board Member
