Vibrosonic

What Vibrosonic does

Vibrosonic GmbH is a German medical technology company headquartered in Mannheim that develops, manufactures, and markets externally invisible premium hearing solutions built around its proprietary Hearing Contact Lens® (Hörkontaktlinse®). The company's core technology is a micro-loudspeaker based on a piezoelectric microsystem principle that is placed directly on the patient's eardrum and stimulates it through bending and contracting under electric impulses, enabling transmission of a wide sound spectrum without closing the ear canal. This architecture is fundamentally different from conventional hearing aids, which place a speaker inside the ear canal, and is positioned to deliver more natural sound quality and address the social stigma associated with visible devices.

Vibrosonic's first commercial product is the Vibrosonic alpha system, which consists of three integrated components: the Hearing Contact Lens placed on the eardrum, an ear canal module with open soft domes for ventilation, and a discreet behind-the-ear module containing battery and microphones. The product is fitted by trained ENT doctors through a four-appointment process (eligibility check, eardrum screening, lens insertion without surgery, and acoustic fine-tuning) and is supported by the proprietary Vibrosonic harmonize® fitting software for audiologists. The company is regulated under EU MDR 2017/745 and holds ISO 13485 certification, and it has announced a future product, Vibrosonic one, intended to place all components inside the ear canal for a fully invisible solution.

The business model is a B2C medical-device subscription sold through a specialist channel of trained ENT doctors and audiologists. Customers pay €800 per ear per year, which covers the Hearing Contact Lens, regular replacement of hearing contacts, and associated doctor fees; the offering is private-pay and not reimbursed by German statutory health insurance. Founded in 2016 by Dominik Kaltenbacher, Ernst Dalhoff, and Jonathan Schächtele, Vibrosonic has approximately 42 employees as of early 2026, is operating in a pre-launch or exclusive early access phase, and has been recognized with the kununu Top Company seal for four consecutive years.

Name

Vibrosonic

Legal name

Vibrosonic GmbH

Website

https://vibrosonic.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vibrosonic GmbH is a Mannheim-based medical technology company that develops and markets the Hearing Contact Lens®, a piezoelectric micro-loudspeaker placed directly on the eardrum. It is sold to individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss through trained ENT doctors on an annual €800-per-ear subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Hearing Devices

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Hearing Enhancement / Assistive Listening Audio Devices (CRACANAL)

Keywords

• Medical hearing devices
• Piezoelectric hearing aids
• Eardrum contact lens
• Hearing care fitting software
• Invisible hearing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mannheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Vibrosonic alpha Subscription (Abo-Modell): Annual subscription model at 800 Euro per ear per year, covering the cost of the Hearing Contact Lens, regular replacement of hearing contacts, and medical doctor costs. This is a recurring revenue model where customers pay annually for the service and device replacement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vibrosonic develops, produces, and markets externally invisible premium hearing solutions based on its patented Hearing Contact Lens® — a piezoelectric micro-loudspeaker placed directly on the eardrum. The flagship Vibrosonic alpha system combines the Hearing Contact Lens with an open-fit ear canal module and a discrete behind-the-ear module, and is sold through trained ENT doctors on an annual subscription basis to people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Product overview

Vibrosonic offers a portfolio of medical hearing solutions anchored by the Vibrosonic alpha system, which consists of three integrated components: the Hörkontaktlinse® (Hearing Contact Lens®) that sits directly on the eardrum for direct sound stimulation, an ear canal module with ventilation domes, and a behind-the-ear processor module. The portfolio is complemented by Vibrosonic harmonize®, fitting software for audiologists to configure hearing instruments. A future product called Vibrosonic® one is in development to create an invisible all-in-ear solution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vibrosonic alpha: The company's first hearing solution, consisting of the Hearing Contact Lens (placed on the eardrum), an ear canal module with open soft domes, and a discreet behind-the-ear module with battery and microphones. Positioned on the eardrum by a trained ENT doctor without surgical procedure.
• Vibrosonic harmonize
• Vibrosonic one

Products and services

• Vibrosonic alpha The first commercial Vibrosonic hearing solution, consisting of three integrated components: the Hörkontaktlinse® (Hearing Contact Lens®) placed on the eardrum, an ear canal module with open soft domes for ventilation, and a discreet behind-the-ear module with battery and microphones. Designed for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss; fitted by trained ENT doctors without surgery.
• Hörkontaktlinse® / Hearing Contact Lens® Micro-loudspeaker that sits directly on the eardrum and stimulates it through piezoelectric actuation under electric impulses. Enables a wide sound spectrum to be transmitted without occluding the ear canal, supporting natural hearing.
• Vibrosonic harmonize® Proprietary fitting software that lets hearing care professionals configure and adjust Vibrosonic alpha hearing instruments. Compatible with Hi-Pro® USB, Hi-Pro 2, and NOAHLink® programming adapters; Windows 10 (64-bit) with standard PC requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminates social stigmatization of visible hearing aids for the 45+ million Europeans who refuse traditional devices
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Auric (Partner at ENT Congress)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2019Auric, one of Vibrosonic's main partners, hosted the Annual Congress for ENT doctors at the Congress Center of Mannheim's Rosengarten from October 31 to November 3, 2019. Vibrosonic participated under the auspices of Auric, gaining insights into doctors' daily routines and making valuable contacts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sonova: Swiss-listed global leader in hearing care (Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics cochlear implants). Comparable as a manufacturer of premium hearing instruments and a direct competitor for audiologist and ENT relationships, but operates at vastly greater scale with a much broader product portfolio.
• WS Audiology: Owner of Widex and Sivantos (Signia), formed from the merger of Widex and Sivantos. A major global hearing aid manufacturer competing in the same audiologist/ENT channel as Vibrosonic, with far deeper R&D and distribution resources.
• Demant: Danish parent of Oticon, Bernafon, Sonic, and Philips Hearing Solutions. A leading global hearing aid manufacturer with comparable go-to-market via hearing care professionals and a strong push into invisible and custom-molded form factors.
• GN Hearing: Danish manufacturer of ReSound and Beltone hearing aids. Competes in the same audiologist/ENT channel and is actively developing custom, invisible-in-canal hearing solutions relevant to Vibrosonic's positioning.
• Starkey Hearing Technologies: US-based privately held hearing aid manufacturer (Starkey, Audibel, NuEar). Competes for hearing care professional mindshare globally and has been a notable innovator in custom-mold and AI-enabled hearing aids.

Direct peers

• Eargo: US-listed DTC hearing aid company focused on virtually invisible, consumer-friendly devices sold directly online. Directly comparable as a small-form-factor, stigma-addressing hearing aid player — though Eargo uses a direct-to-consumer channel rather than ENT fitting.
• Lexie Hearing: US DTC hearing aid brand offering affordable, OTC-aligned hearing aids online. Comparable as a digital-first, stigma-reducing hearing aid player, though it competes in the over-the-counter and online channel rather than the medical ENT channel.

Emerging players

• Cochlear Limited: Australian-listed global leader in implantable hearing solutions (cochlear implants, bone conduction). Comparable as an innovator in advanced hearing technology for severe and niche hearing loss, though its implant category differs from Vibrosonic's external eardrum contact lens.
• MED-EL: Austrian family-owned manufacturer of cochlear implant systems and hearing implant solutions. Comparable as a European-based MedTech innovator serving severe hearing loss through medical channel distribution, though addressing a different surgical segment.
• Bose Hear: Consumer audio giant that has entered the hearing aid category with FDA-cleared self-fitting hearing aids (SoundControl). Comparable as a brand-led, consumer-electronics-adjacent entrant into hearing assistance, with strong consumer brand reach but limited medical-channel presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=lO0NYwkLrtA

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vibrosonic