Sonup
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersMontpellier, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Sonup does
Sonup is a Montpellier-based digital audiology company founded in 2019 that develops proprietary tablet-based hearing assessment software validated for diagnostic-grade accuracy. Its core technology combines a unique Bluetooth-headphone calibration method with proprietary test algorithms—SoTone (tonal screening), SoNoise (speech-in-noise using AI-generated synthetic voice), SoNoise EVO (binaural unmasking), and SoQuiet (speech-in-silence)—delivered through the System Audio software platform alongside standardized questionnaires (HHIE-S, THI, DHI) and psychoacoustic tests. SoTone and SoNoise have been validated through peer-reviewed publications in the International Journal of Audiology (2023) and Frontiers in Audiology and Otology (2024), with disclosed sensitivity of 84-96% and specificity of 79-93%, and SoNoise is the first French-language speech-in-noise test compliant with ISO 8253-3.
The company monetizes through monthly subscriptions to System Audio (no-commitment since January 2025, hardware-free), enterprise contracts for workplace hearing screening stations and training (under the SoCiety brand), freemium patient services that funnel leads into the professional partner network, and the AudioMate solution for at-home ototoxicity monitoring. It distributes through more than 800 professional partners across France—primarily audiologists, plus opticians (including a Krys Group partnership), pharmacies, ENT doctors, and research labs—alongside enterprise clients such as SNCF, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin, Crédit Mutuel Sud-Est, Nexity, and Pierre & Vacances. As of October 2023 Sonup reported 20 collaborators, 8,000 persons screened in 2023, a 4.8/5 Google rating, and €3 million raised in November 2022; in 2025-2026 it added Qualiopi certification, a Medical Director (Dr. Frédéric Venail), a dental screening offering, and an enterprise screening-stations rollout.
Sonup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sonup
- Legal name
- SARL LBVC
- Website
- https://sonup.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sonup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Audiology / Hearing Diagnostics Software
- NAICS
- Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)
Keywords
Where Sonup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montpellier
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sonup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Software Subscription (System Audio): Monthly subscription model for audiologists providing access to complete battery of hearing tests including tonal, speech-in-noise, and questionnaires. Includes free one-month trial. Annual commitment available after initial monthly trial.
- B2B Professional Solutions: Partnership arrangements with audiologists, pharmacies, opticians, and ENT doctors for access to hearing screening tools and patient management platform. Includes professional accounts with dedicated dashboards.
- Enterprise Hearing Services: Companies pay for hearing screening sessions, training workshops, and awareness programs for employees. Includes stations de dépistage auditif en entreprise (workplace hearing screening stations).
- Patient Service: Free hearing test and accompaniment service for patients, with referral to partner audiologists for follow-up care. Revenue generated through B2B partner network rather than direct patient payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | System Audio monthly subscription per cabin |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription option |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise workplace hearing services |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Patient services - free |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Sonup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sonup develops a software-based digital audiology platform that delivers validated hearing screening and diagnostic tests (tonal, speech-in-noise, speech-in-silence, psychoacoustic) on tablets paired with calibrated Bluetooth headphones. The core System Audio platform is sold by monthly subscription to hearing aid professionals, pharmacies, opticians, ENT doctors, enterprises, and research labs, while the same tests are also offered free to patients through the company's website. AudioMate extends the offering to home-based audiological monitoring for patients undergoing ototoxic treatments.
Product overview
Sonup offers a portfolio of hearing assessment solutions centered on proprietary tablet-based tests and the System Audio software platform. Core products include SoTone (validated tonal screening test), SoNoise (AI-powered speech-in-noise test using synthetic voice), SoNoise EVO (binaural unmasking assessment), and SoQuiet (speech-in-silence test). These are complemented by standardized questionnaires (HHIE-S, THI, DHI), psychoacoustic tests (GAP test, frequency/temporal discrimination, high-frequency tonal), and the AudioMate solution for ototoxic monitoring. System Audio serves as the integrated platform combining all tests, questionnaires, and prosthetic gain measurement in a software-only delivery model. Socare enables secure inter-professional data sharing. SoTone and SoNoise have been validated through peer-reviewed publications in International Journal of Audiology and Frontiers in Audiology and Otology respectively.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SoCiety: Corporate health and hearing wellness brand for workplace solutions
- AudioMate
- System Audio
- SoNoise
- SoTone
- SoNoise Evo
Products and services
- System Audio Digital audiology software platform for audiologists and hearing professionals. Includes the validated test battery (SoTone, SoNoise, SoNoise EVO, SoQuiet), self-administered questionnaires (HHIE-S, THI, DHI), prosthetic gain measurement, patient management dashboard, and multilingual support. Delivered as a software-only monthly subscription (no hardware purchase required).
- SoTone Tonal hearing screening test conducted on tablet with calibrated Bluetooth headphones. A four-frequency test measuring pure-tone average (PTA) to detect hearing loss of 20 dB HL or more, validated in the International Journal of Audiology (2023) with 92-96% sensitivity and 79-90% specificity. Used by hearing aid specialists, opticians, pharmacies, and ENT doctors.
- SoNoise Speech-in-noise self-test using AI-generated synthetic voice with binaural dichotic antiphasic presentation. Measures speech reception threshold in noise in approximately 3 minutes, available in multiple languages, and validated in Frontiers in Audiology and Otology (2024). First French-language speech-in-noise test compliant with ISO 8253-3.
- SoNoise EVO Binaural unmasking speech-in-noise test that measures the brain's ability to exploit interaural time/phase differences for speech-noise segregation. Uses an adaptive protocol with AI-generated synthetic voice in reference and antiphase conditions, and is included in the System Audio offer to support hearing aid fitting.
- SoQuiet Speech-in-silence test that measures speech intelligibility threshold in quiet conditions using an adaptive method. Available in free-field, headphone or ear inserts, and can be self-administered or operator-assisted as part of the System Audio battery.
- AudioMate Home-based audiological monitoring solution for patients undergoing ototoxic treatments such as cisplatin chemotherapy. Self-administered hearing tests run on tablet with calibrated Bluetooth headset, connected to the hospital intranet for real-time monitoring and automatic anomaly notifications. Awarded the Prix Galien 2022 'Coup de Coeur'.
- Socare Secure information, communication, and tele-expertise platform for healthcare professionals and patients. Enables secure data sharing between multidisciplinary care team members and is integrated with System Audio for professional collaboration and tele-expertise.
- Online Hearing Test Free online self-assessment questionnaire based on the validated HHIE-S, completable in under 3 minutes without special equipment, available in quiet or noisy environments, with referral to partner audiologists for follow-up.
- SONUP SoCiety (Workplace Hearing Health Program) Corporate hearing health and wellness offering under the SoCiety sub-brand: workplace hearing screening stations (including mobile stations piloted at Crédit Mutuel Sud-Est), employee training workshops, awareness campaigns, and QVCT (Quality of Life at Work) programs. Delivered to enterprises under multi-year contracts.
Quantifiable outcome
- SoTone test sensitivity 92-96% and specificity 79-90% for detecting hearing loss ≥20 dB HL
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sonup
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Sonup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
Sonup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- JNA (Journée Nationale de l'Audition)coreOfficial partner of JNA association for national hearing awareness campaigns. SONUP equipped the association's new screening terminals with their hearing tests.
- Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier (INM)coreResearch partnership with INSERM-affiliated neuroscience institute. Scientific committee members conduct research at INM, validating SONUP's tests through clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals.
- La French Tech MEDminorMember of French Tech MED ecosystem supporting health tech innovation in the Montpellier region and southern France.
- Krys GroupcorePartnership with major optical retail chain for offering hearing screening services in optical stores across France.
- Crédit Mutuel Sud-EstminorPilot implementation of workplace hearing screening stations for bank employees.
- Montpellier Méditerranée MétropoleminorLocal institutional partnership with Montpellier metropolitan area supporting regional innovation and business development.
- Région OccitanieminorRegional council partnership supporting innovation and economic development in the Occitanie region.
- Institut Mines-TélécomminorPartnership with technology and digital transformation institute supporting innovation development.
- BIC MontpellierminorBusiness Innovation Center supporting startups in Montpellier region with mentoring and development resources.
- SNORL (Syndicat National des ORL)coreSystem Odizi solution recognized by SNORL as adapted for speech audiometry in noise, validating clinical utility for ENT physicians.
- OrosoundcoreTechnology partnership for calibrated Bluetooth headphones (Tilde Pro C) used in SONUP's validated hearing tests, ensuring diagnostic-grade accuracy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sonup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- hearX Group: South Africa-based digital audiology company offering tablet-based hearing screening solutions (hearTest, hearScreen) with similar scientific validation approach. Directly comparable in product category, target market (audiologists and hearing health programs), and self-administered test methodology.
- SHOEBOX Ltd. Canadian digital hearing screening company providing tablet-based audiometry solutions for clinical and occupational health settings. Comparable in offering validated tablet-based hearing tests to healthcare professionals and enterprises, with similar regulatory positioning.
- Jacoti: Belgian hearing technology company developing software-based audiology solutions with CE-marked hearing tests and hearing aid fitting software. Direct peer in software-first audiology with European regulatory footprint and audiologist-facing products.
- Tuned: US-based hearing health platform offering employer-sponsored hearing benefits and online hearing assessments. Comparable in serving enterprise customers with workplace hearing health programs and offering digital hearing screening.
Others
- Orosound: French audio technology company producing Tilde Pro C calibrated Bluetooth headphones used in Sonup's validated hearing tests. Technology partner and ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but operates in the French hearing tech ecosystem with complementary hardware.
Broad incumbents
- Amplifon: Global hearing aid retail leader with extensive audiologist network and proprietary screening tools. Broad incumbent in the hearing care space that competes indirectly by bundling screening services with hearing aid sales and could replicate Sonup's software-only model.
- WS Audiology (Widex/Signia): Global hearing aid manufacturer (Widex, Signia) with growing digital audiology and tele-audiology offerings. Broad incumbent that could leverage audiologist relationships and R&D resources to enter Sonup's software screening segment.
- Demant (Oticon): Danish hearing healthcare group (Oticon, Bernafon, Sonic) with integrated hearing care solutions and digital screening tools. Broad incumbent competing in the same audiology professional channel with vertically integrated offerings.
Emerging players
- Eargo: US-based hearing aid company with direct-to-consumer model and online hearing screening tools. Emerging player with partial overlap in self-administered digital hearing assessment and consumer-facing hearing health.
- BHM-Tech (Panasonic Healthcare): Austrian manufacturer of medical screening devices including hearing screening equipment. Emerging player with overlap in audiology diagnostic hardware and screening solutions for healthcare professionals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sonup social profiles
Digital presenceSonup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sonup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sonup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sonup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sonup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sonup
What does Sonup do?
Sonup develops a software-based digital audiology platform that delivers validated hearing screening and diagnostic tests (tonal, speech-in-noise, speech-in-silence, psychoacoustic) on tablets paired with calibrated Bluetooth headphones. The core System Audio platform is sold by monthly subscription to hearing aid professionals, pharmacies, opticians, ENT doctors, enterprises, and research labs, while the same tests are also offered free to patients through the company's website. AudioMate extends the offering to home-based audiological monitoring for patients undergoing ototoxic treatments.
Is Sonup a public or private company?
Sonup is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sonup founded?
Sonup was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sonup based?
Sonup is headquartered in Montpellier, France, in the Europe region.
How does Sonup make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Subscription (System Audio) is the primary driver. The others are B2B Professional Solutions, enterprise Hearing Services and patient Service.
Who are Sonup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are hearX Group, SHOEBOX Ltd., Jacoti and Tuned. Orosound is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Amplifon, WS Audiology (Widex/Signia) and Demant (Oticon). Emerging players are Eargo and BHM-Tech (Panasonic Healthcare).
Does Sonup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sonup.
What industry is Sonup in?
Sonup's product category is Digital Audiology / Hearing Diagnostics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAKAH, Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers, with a secondary code of EDAFAKAC, Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription). Its NAICS code is 621340 and its SIC code is 7372.