52 Hertz

What 52 Hertz does

52 Hertz is a French deeptech startup developing the Talky-Divy®, an underwater voice communication device for scuba divers. The system integrates a bone conduction mouthpiece into a standard diving regulator, capturing the diver's voice via an embedded microphone and delivering incoming audio through vibrations transmitted from the teeth to the eardrums — eliminating the need for ear inserts. A paired underwater radio link connects two divers' devices, while an AI-powered signal processing algorithm, developed in collaboration with Inria's Valse research team, filters and enhances the heavily distorted bone-conducted voice signal in real time on embedded hardware with constrained compute and energy resources. The architecture is positioned as a novel dual-use (civilian and military) underwater communications platform.

The company operates a hardware-sales business model, initially targeting professional and military divers before expanding to the recreational segment once product reliability is proven. The Talky-Divy Pro, a professional-grade version, is in final prototyping with commercial launch targeted for 2027; pricing has not been publicly disclosed. 52 Hertz is pre-revenue and concluded a €800,000+ seed funding round in April 2024 led by Breizh Up (managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the Brittany Region) and IFREMER Investissement Innovation, with participation from business angel networks and private investors. A separate RAPID dual-use innovation grant from the French Ministry of Defence's Innovation Agency (AID) supports the MerCURE project for military diving communication and was demonstrated at I-Naval 2024 to DGA Techniques navales, opening a defense procurement pathway.

The company is headquartered at the Technopole Brest Iroise in Plouzané, Brittany, after relocating from Station F in Paris. Operations are run by a small team led by co-founders Jonas Guerche (President) and Gabriel Guerche (Director General), supported by an embedded systems engineer, a marketing/communications apprentice, and additional staff. Customer acquisition is event-driven and sales-led, combining earned media coverage, diving industry and defense trade show presence (e.g., I-Naval 2024), innovation competitions (Octo'Pousse, Blue Challenge, PEPITE), and a priority access sign-up form on the company website aimed at early-adopter professional and enthusiast divers ahead of the 2027 commercial launch.

Name

52 Hertz

Legal name

52 Hertz

Website

https://52-hertz.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

52 Hertz is a French deeptech startup developing Talky-Divy®, an underwater voice communication device for scuba divers that uses bone conduction and AI-powered signal processing. It targets professional, military, and recreational divers, with the Talky-Divy Pro planned for 2027 commercial launch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underwater Diving Communication Equipment

NAICS

Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (33421)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAAAFAG

Speech Enhancement & Noise Suppression (AEC/NR)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Speech, Audio & Conversational AI

SECONDARYHDACAFAH

Microphones, Headsets & Audio Input Devices

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Computing Hardware & Peripherals/Input Devices & Accessories (Keyboards, Mice, Controllers)

SECONDARYHDAAAJAF

On-Device Speech & Audio AI (wake word, ASR, enhancement)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Edge AI & On-Device Machine Learning

Keywords

• Underwater communication devices
• Bone conduction audio
• Scuba diving technology
• Diving safety equipment
• Military diving gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Plouzané

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Talky-Divy® Pro Device Sales: 52 Hertz is developing and preparing to commercialize the Talky-Divy Pro, a hardware device for underwater voice communication for divers. Revenue will be generated through direct sales of the device to professional and recreational divers. The product is in late prototype stage with commercial launch planned for 2027.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

52 Hertz develops and manufactures the Talky-Divy®, a hardware device for underwater voice communication between scuba divers. The system integrates bone-conduction earphones and a microphone into a standard diving regulator mouthpiece, uses radio transmission between paired devices, and applies AI-powered signal processing to make speech intelligible underwater. The company is currently finalising the Talky-Divy® Pro, a professional-grade version targeted for commercial launch in 2027.

Product overview

52 Hertz offers a product family centered on the Talky-Divy® underwater voice communication system for scuba diving. The core product is a connected mouthpiece device that integrates with standard diving regulators, featuring bone conduction earphones for in-ear sound delivery and a microphone for voice capture. An AI-powered algorithm processes and enhances voice signals for underwater clarity. The portfolio includes the original Talky-Divy® and the upcoming Talky-Divy® Pro (professional version planned for 2027 launch).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Talky-Divy®: Underwater voice communication device for scuba diving using bone conduction technology and AI-powered speech processing

Products and services

• Talky-Divy® An underwater voice communication device for scuba divers that integrates into standard diving regulator mouthpieces. Uses bone-conduction earphones to transmit sound through teeth and jaw to the ears, and a microphone to capture the diver's voice. Includes AI-powered signal processing to make speech intelligible despite water distortion. Built for paired use between two divers via small radio boxes.
• Talky-Divy® Pro Professional-grade version of the Talky-Divy® underwater voice communication device, in development with commercialisation planned for 2027. Targets professional divers, military divers, and underwater technicians, with improved specifications and capabilities compared to the original Talky-Divy® concept product. Priority access is being collected via the company website ahead of launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Device demonstrated with clear and natural voice transmission underwater during MerCURE project evaluation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Université Paris-SaclaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Gabriel Guerche holds a Master in Nuclear Physics from Université Paris-Saclay and benefited from the PÉPITES status within the Paris-Saclay ecosystem. Gabriel was also an alumnus of the student-entrepreneur program at Université Paris-Saclay, which supported the early development of 52 Hertz. The founders were recognized as laureates of the Challenge Startup organized by Université Paris-Saclay and visited the San Francisco Consulate General as part of the prize.
• IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021IFREMER organized the Octo'Pousse competition which 52 Hertz won in June 2021, gaining a CDD, €112k, and 24-month research collaboration with an IFREMER laboratory. IFREMER also co-invested in 52 Hertz's April 2024 funding round via the Ifremer Investissement Innovation fund. IFREMER provides technical testing infrastructure, scientific expertise, and market credibility in the OceanTech ecosystem.
• Inria (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2020Researchers from the Valse team at Inria's Lille center (Denis Efimov and Rosane Ushirobira) provided expertise in signal processing and mathematical filtering to enhance voice intelligibility in the Talky-Divy device. The collaboration addressed distortion from the diving mouthpiece and underwater environment, developing real-time filtering algorithms suitable for embedded hardware with limited computational resources. This is a core technical partnership underpinning the product's functionality.
• Sorbonne Université / Station F (Incubation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 202052 Hertz originated as a student-entrepreneur project within the PÉPITE network at Sorbonne Université and was incubated at Station F in Paris through the PÉPITE Start-Up Ile-de-France program. The founders (Jonas and Gabriel Guerche) pursued their studies at Sorbonne Université and benefited from the PÉPITE SU support structure, Schoolab incubator, and SATT Lutech coaching. Sorbonne Université's scientific environment and student diving association were key to the project's genesis.
• Technopole Brest IroiseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 202052 Hertz relocated to the Technopole Brest Iroise technopole in Plouzané, which provides infrastructure, ecosystem networking, and support for OceanTech companies in the Brest area. The technopole is a key hub for Brittany's maritime innovation cluster.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/52-hertz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors6 records

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 52 Hertz