World Wide Hearing Foundation International

Name

World Wide Hearing Foundation International

Legal name

World Wide Hearing Foundation

Website

https://wwhearing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Hearing Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hearing Enhancement / Assistive Listening Audio Devices (CRACANAL), Assistive Listening & Classroom Audio (FM/DM, Soundfield) Systems (EDAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Hearing care services
• Hearing aid distribution
• Audiology training programs
• Hearing loss screening
• Community health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a non-profit that relies entirely on donations. 100% of donations are used for projects providing affordable hearing aids. Administrative costs are funded separately by private donations and volunteers.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Major grants from Google.org ($750,000), Hear the World Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, Canadian government agencies, and other institutional funders to support hearing care programs and technology development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

World Wide Hearing Foundation International designs and runs last-mile hearing aid distribution programs that provide affordable hearing aids and hearing care to children, youth, and low-income adults in developing countries. Core service delivery combines backpack-sized mobile diagnostic kits, training of local (primarily female) audio-technicians, and follow-up care, with supporting open-access remote audiology technology and a permanent hearing clinic in Lima, Peru.

Product overview

World Wide Hearing is a non-profit catalyst organization that designs and runs last-mile hearing aid distribution programs. The core offering consists of affordable hearing aid provision combined with a Mobile Diagnostic Kit for field screening and a Community Hearing Aid Technician (CHAT) Training Program. These are supported by the Open-Access Teleaudiology Platform (developed with Google.org funding) for remote diagnosis and the WWH Training Platform for education. The Global Hearing Loss Database provides data intelligence. All programs are family-focused and community-based, with the organization partnering with local organizations to ensure sustainable solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Last-Mile Hearing Aid Distribution Program Core program providing affordable hearing aids and hearing care to children, youth, and low-income adults in developing countries through mobile technologies, with follow-up care delivered by trained local technicians.
• Mobile Diagnostic Kit Backpack-portable kit of mobile diagnostic devices including portable audiometers and solar-powered otoscopes that enables hearing screening in remote areas without traditional hospital equipment; a technician can test a child's hearing in under 5 minutes.
• Community Hearing Aid Technician (CHAT) Training Program Training program that prepares local people, primarily women, to become community audio-technicians who can identify ear problems, test for hearing loss, and correctly fit and program hearing aids, ensuring sustainable follow-up care.
• Open-Access Teleaudiology Platform Open-access technology platform funded by the Google.org Impact Challenge grant that enables field workers to capture patient data and refer complex cases to in-country or international specialists, supporting remote hearing loss diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
• WWH Training Platform Online training platform built on Kajabi that hosts the free Hearing Health Introduction Course, teaching hearing health monitoring tips, supportive classroom creation, and noise impact awareness for educators and community members.
• Lima Hearing Clinic Permanent hearing clinic in Lima, Peru established as the foundation's base of operations and resource centre for hearing care in the country.
• Global Hearing Loss Database and Maps Data platform providing global hearing loss prevalence maps and downloadable raw data on hearing loss and ear pathology, including data on Canadian Indigenous communities and worldwide prevalence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hearing aids reduced cost of provision by up to 90%
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Hear the World Foundation (Sonova)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner since 2016 providing funding, hearing aids, and expertise. In 2023, expanded collaboration to maximize social impact in Guatemala, Peru, and Zimbabwe. Recipient of Richard Seewald Award 2018/19.
• IDEA PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Association for the Education of the Deaf - Philippines partner for expanding hearing screening campaigns in Bohol province. Part of EARS Capacity Building Program.
• CBM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Blind Mission International partnering to expand hearing screening campaigns using mobile diagnostic technologies in Philippines.
• Holy Land Institute for the Deaf (Jordan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJordan-based institute for the deaf partnered for Hearing Express pilot - first of its kind affordable hearing aid delivery using entrepreneurial distribution model (2012-2014).
• Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss (Vietnam)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 2016 pilot project screening kindergarten children in Ho Chi Minh City outskirts. Tested hearing loss detection in challenging conditions.
• Oir Para Crecer (Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeruvian NGO screened 85,000 children for hearing loss and fitted over 2,000 pediatric hearing aids with World Wide Hearing and Hear the World support. Plans to fit 10,000 hearing aids.
• Indigenous Communities (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMohawk, Innu and Inuit communities collaborating to build, pilot, and scale Indigenous-led hearing care services. Focus on local capacity building vs. fly-in fly-out model.
• Indigenous Women Mask Makers (Canada)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Indigenous women in Pessamit, Kanehsatake, Iqaluit, Whitehorse, Joliette and other communities to produce and distribute 9,000+ transparent masks during COVID-19, stimulating local economies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wwhearing
• Xx.com/WWHearing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 World Wide Hearing Foundation International