NextSense
NextSense is an Australian not-for-profit (founded 1860) operating Australia's largest cochlear implant program and integrated hearing, vision, allied health, education, and research services across 20+ sites nationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1860
- HeadquartersThe Rocks, Australia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NextSense does
NextSense, legally the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, is an Australian not-for-profit organization founded in 1860 that operates Australia's largest and most comprehensive cochlear implant program alongside integrated hearing and vision loss services. The organization delivers clinical services (cochlear implant surgery, device activation, and ongoing programming), paediatric audiology, allied health therapies (speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology), specialist schools and preschools, and early intervention programs across 20+ physical sites spanning NSW, Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, with Connected Services (telepractice) extending reach to regional and remote Australia.
The core technology stack centers on cochlear implant clinical workflows supported by world-leading surgeons, telepractice/remote service delivery, and a portfolio of six digital learning applications (Auslan Tutor 2, Ling Test, Auslan Storytime, Signs and Sounds, Listen and Learn, and Adapting Signs). The professional education arm — NextSense Institute — affiliates with Macquarie University to deliver the Master of Disability Studies and a suite of certificate and on-demand courses, with the Rydge Family Library now merged into the Macquarie University Library. The Centre for Innovation on the Macquarie University campus houses research, education, and clinical operations under one roof.
Revenue is generated through a mixed managed-services and charitable model: Medicare bulk-billing (no out-of-pocket costs for cochlear implant services), NDIS provider billings, dedicated NSW Government funding (a $20.4 million allocation in the 2026/27 State Budget supports over 1,000 NSW children annually), postgraduate tuition, corporate partnerships, and donations/bequests. The customer base spans children and adults with hearing or vision loss, their families, and education/health professionals accessing postgraduate and continuing professional development programs. The organization is governed under the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Act 1998, registered with the ACNC, and accredited as an NDIS provider.
NextSense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextSense
- Legal name
- Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
- Website
- https://nextsense.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1860
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- NextSense is an Australian not-for-profit (founded 1860) operating Australia's largest cochlear implant program and integrated hearing, vision, allied health, education, and research services across 20+ sites nationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextSense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sensory Disability Healthcare Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), All Other Outpatient Care Centers (621498), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audiology & Hearing Services (ENT-Affiliated) (HLAKAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH), ENT (Otolaryngology) Telemedicine Platforms (HLALAGAM)
Keywords
Where NextSense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- The Rocks
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices17 records
Markets served
NextSense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Health Funding: NSW Government allocated $20.4 million to NextSense and The Shepherd Centre as part of 2026/27 State Budget for cochlear implant follow-up care. Services are bulk-billed through Medicare with no out-of-pocket costs.
- NDIS Provider Revenue: Registered NDIS provider delivering services covered under NDIS plans for eligible individuals and families. Many assessments and services covered by NDIS funding.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Not-for-profit organisation relying on generous donations from supporters. Website facilitates donation amounts of $80, $120, $200 or custom amounts. Monthly giving program available.
- Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Supporters can leave a gift in their Will to help NextSense support future generations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Cochlear implant services - no out-of-pocket costs |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Paediatric Audiology - some fees may apply |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Vision Assessments - covered by NDIS |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
NextSense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextSense provides integrated hearing and vision loss services across Australia, including Australia's largest cochlear implant program supporting 400+ recipients annually, paediatric audiology, allied health and speech therapy, early intervention programs, specialist schools and preschools, and professional education through NextSense Institute. Services are delivered through 20+ physical locations and a Connected Services (telepractice) platform reaching regional and remote areas, with cochlear implant services bulk-billed through Medicare at no out-of-pocket cost.
Product overview
NextSense offers a comprehensive suite of hearing and vision loss services operating as an integrated platform with multiple service lines. The core offerings include Australia's largest cochlear implant program (supporting 400+ recipients annually), early intervention services for hearing and vision, paediatric audiology, allied health and speech therapy, specialist schools, preschools, and connected/telepractice services reaching clients nationwide. The professional education arm (NextSense Institute) provides postgraduate degrees (Master of Disability Studies), certificate courses, on-demand training, and a specialised library. Digital products include six apps for Auslan learning, hearing assessment, and sound recognition (Auslan Tutor 2, Ling Test, Auslan Storytime, Signs and Sounds, Listen and Learn, Adapting Signs). The organisation delivers services through 20+ sites across Australia plus remote delivery, positioning NextSense as both a service provider and educational institution in the sensory disability sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NextSense Institute: Professional education arm offering postgraduate degrees, continuing professional education, and research programs for professionals supporting people with hearing or vision loss
- NextSense School
- Rydge Family Library
- NextSense Centre for Innovation
Products and services
- Cochlear Implant Services
- Early Intervention (Hearing)
- Paediatric Audiology
- Allied Health and Speech Therapy
- NextSense School (Hearing)
- Preschool and Kindergarten (Hearing)
- Connected Services (Hearing)
- Early Intervention (Vision)
- Vision Assessments
- Accessibility and Inclusion
- Allied Health and Therapy (Vision)
- NextSense School (Vision)
- Auslan Tutor 2
- Ling Test
- Auslan Storytime
- Signs and Sounds
- Listen and Learn
- Adapting Signs
- NextSense Institute
- Master of Disability Studies
- Certificate Courses
- On-demand Courses
- Centre for Innovation
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ people receive cochlear implants annually; 5,200+ children and adults supported with cochlear implant services
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NextSense
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NextSense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
NextSense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- NSW Government (NSW Minns Labor Government)coreThe NSW Minns Labor Government allocated $20.4 million to NextSense and The Shepherd Centre as part of the 2026/27 State Budget to provide specialized pre- and post-implantation care for children with cochlear implants. The funding will support over 1,000 NSW children annually with services including initial device activation, ongoing programming, early intervention for speech and language development, and family support.
- Macquarie UniversitycoreNextSense relocated to the Centre of Excellence at Macquarie University, a hub for innovation and advancements in research, education and care. The Master of Disability Studies is administered and delivered by NextSense Institute in affiliation with Macquarie University's School of Education. Library collection merged with Macquarie University Library.
- Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC)coreIn 2014, RIDBC partnered with SCIC to create Australia's largest and most comprehensive cochlear implant program.
- Early Education Program for Hearing Impaired Children (EEP)majorIn 2018, RIDBC merged with EEP to expand services into Victoria.
- TaralyemajorIn 2018, RIDBC merged with children's early education and hearing services provider Taralye to expand services into Victoria.
- Qantas PathfindersminorAnnual charity flight from Sydney to Uluru celebrating 24 years of support for NextSense. The 2026 Qantas Pathfinders Flight raised a record-breaking amount.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NextSense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cochlear Limited: Global leader in implantable hearing solutions and manufacturer of cochlear implant technology. Industry-defining player adjacent to NextSense's clinical service delivery; technology partner whose product roadmap shapes NextSense's clinical offerings.
- Ability First Australia: National federation of disability service providers in Australia. Broader-incumbent peer operating across multiple disability categories, providing scale context for NDIS-funded service delivery models comparable to NextSense's.
Direct peers
- Guide Dogs Australia: National federation of state-based not-for-profits delivering mobility, orientation, and accessibility services for people with low vision or blindness. Direct peer in vision loss services, including allied health, assistive technology, and orientation/mobility training.
- Vision Australia: Australia's leading not-for-profit provider of blindness and low-vision services, including assistive technology, therapy, and education. Direct peer to NextSense's vision services arm (early intervention, vision assessments, allied health, accessibility).
- Hearing Australia: Australian Government-funded national hearing services provider delivering hearing assessments, hearing aids, and rehabilitation to children and adults. Direct peer in pediatric and adult audiology, with overlapping cochlear implant referral pathways across Australia.
- The Shepherd Centre: A NSW-based not-for-profit providing pediatric cochlear implant and hearing services. Direct peer to NextSense in cochlear implantation, early intervention, and spoken-language programs; jointly received $20.4M in 2026/27 NSW State Budget for cochlear implant follow-up care.
- Senses Australia: Western Australia-based not-for-profit providing services for people who are deaf, blind, or deafblind, including therapy, early intervention, and assistive technology. Comparable specialist sensory disability service provider with similar operating model.
Others
- Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) - predecessor entity: NextSense's predecessor organisation, providing historical context for service offerings but no longer operating as a distinct entity. Included only as a referential identity; effectively the same entity post-2021 rebrand.
Regional players
- Bloom Hearing Specialists: Australia-wide hearing services provider offering diagnostic assessments and hearing aids via a clinic network. Comparable commercial audiology services provider operating in adjacent (but non-cochlear-implant) hearing services market segments.
- Telethon Speech & Hearing: WA-based not-for-profit providing pediatric audiology, speech therapy, and hearing services. Regionally-focused peer offering overlapping clinical services to children with hearing loss, primarily in Western Australia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NextSense social profiles
Digital presenceNextSense compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
NextSense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextSense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
NextSense subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
NextSense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextSense 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 NextSense
What does NextSense do?
NextSense provides integrated hearing and vision loss services across Australia, including Australia's largest cochlear implant program supporting 400+ recipients annually, paediatric audiology, allied health and speech therapy, early intervention programs, specialist schools and preschools, and professional education through NextSense Institute. Services are delivered through 20+ physical locations and a Connected Services (telepractice) platform reaching regional and remote areas, with cochlear implant services bulk-billed through Medicare at no out-of-pocket cost.
Is NextSense a public or private company?
NextSense is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NextSense founded?
NextSense was founded in 1860. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is NextSense based?
NextSense is headquartered in The Rocks, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does NextSense make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Health Funding is the primary driver. The others are NDIS Provider Revenue, donations and Charitable Contributions and bequests and Legacy Gifts.
Who are NextSense's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cochlear Limited and Ability First Australia. Direct peers are Guide Dogs Australia, Vision Australia, Hearing Australia, The Shepherd Centre and Senses Australia. Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) - predecessor entity is listed as an others. Regional players are Bloom Hearing Specialists and Telethon Speech & Hearing.
Does NextSense have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextSense.
What industry is NextSense in?
NextSense's product category is Sensory Disability Healthcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAMAI, Audiology & Hearing Services (ENT-Affiliated), with a secondary code of HLAFAKAH, Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers. Its NAICS code is 621340 and its SIC code is 8000.