Sound Start

What Sound Start does

Sound Start is a non-profit pediatric healthcare organization based in Oregon that provides comprehensive audiology services and specialized childcare for children and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing, ages 0-26. The organization operates two physical clinic locations in Beaverton (Portland metro area) and Roseburg, Oregon, complemented by a teleservices platform that enables remote video appointments for hearing aid checks, cochlear implant troubleshooting, and consultations. Core services include cochlear implant evaluation, activation, and mapping; hearing aid fitting using Real-Ear Measurements; remote-microphone system fitting; speech perception testing; newborn hearing screenings (delivered in partnership with midwives); and educational audiology consulting with Oregon school districts. A specialized childcare program for children ages 3-5 with hearing needs rounds out the offering, creating an integrated clinical-plus-early-intervention model.

The clinical team is led by Dr. Shelby Atwill, AuD, a credentialed Pediatric and Cochlear Implant Audiologist, supported by a small staff (5 visible team members). Real-Ear Measurements are used to verify hearing aid amplification performance in each child's ear canal, and cochlear implant programming is delivered both in-person and via teleservices. The organization also trains student-audiologists, which functions as both a workforce pipeline and a referral channel into the practice.

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance billing for clinical services, with Sound Start stating it accepts all insurance plans; teleservices are covered by most insurers. The go-to-market combines direct service delivery with community-led referral channels, including partnerships with Hands and Voices Oregon, AG Bell Association, Hearing First, Oregon school districts, and midwife practices. Marketing relies on organic digital presence (website, Facebook, Google reviews) supplemented by these community and professional training programs.

Name

Sound Start

Legal name

Sound Start

Website

https://soundstartpdx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sound Start is a non-profit Oregon organization providing pediatric audiology services—including cochlear implant programming, hearing aid fitting, and teleservices—plus specialized childcare for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and young adults ages 0-26.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Audiology Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vision & Hearing Early Intervention Services (EDACAFAN), Hearing Impairment & Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Inclusive Childcare (HSAAAIAJ), Assistive Listening & Classroom Audio (FM/DM, Soundfield) Systems (EDAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Pediatric audiology services
• Cochlear implant programming
• Hearing aid fitting
• Teleservices audiology
• Deaf hard of hearing children

Headquarters

HQ city

Snowmass Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Audiology Services: Revenue is generated through billing insurance for pediatric audiology services including hearing tests, hearing aid fitting, cochlear implant programming, and related services. The organization accepts all insurance plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sound Start provides comprehensive pediatric audiology services for children and young adults (ages 0-26) who are deaf or hard of hearing, including cochlear implant evaluation and mapping, hearing aid fitting using Real-Ear Measurements, remote-microphone system services, newborn hearing screenings, and educational audiology consultations. The organization also operates an on-site childcare program for children with hearing needs and delivers remote care via teleservices (secure online video appointments).

Product overview

Sound Start is a pediatric audiology and childcare organization offering a unified service model centered on children's hearing health. The core offering consists of comprehensive audiology services (including cochlear implant services, hearing aid fitting using Real-Ear Measurements, remote-microphone systems, newborn screenings, and educational audiology consultations with school districts) for children ages 0-26. These services are supplemented by teleservices (online video appointments) for remote care and an on-site childcare program. The organization accepts all insurance plans and serves locations in Beaverton and Roseburg, Oregon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children's Audiology Services

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• School Districts (Oregon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Start provides educational audiology services consulting with Oregon school districts, supporting students with hearing needs under IEP, IFSP, and 504 plans.
• MidwivescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with midwife practices to offer newborn hearing screening services at birth, enabling early identification of hearing loss.
• Hands and Voices OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization supporting families and children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Hands and Voices provides parent-to-parent connections, mentorship, educational advocacy, and community support programs that complement Sound Start's services.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of HearingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit supporting families and children who are deaf or hard of hearing who use or are interested in listening and spoken language. AG Bell sponsors the Listen-Learn-Link Parent Support Line that Sound Start connects families to.
• Hearing FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline platform connecting parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing with professionals. Sound Start references Hearing First's listening and spoken language resources.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Hearing First: Online platform connecting families of deaf/hard-of-hearing children with listening and spoken language professionals. Already a referenced partner and comparable as an adjacent enablement platform in the same family journey.
• Phonak: Global hearing aid manufacturer with a dedicated pediatric portfolio (including remote-microphone/FM systems used by Sound Start). Comparable as an enabling technology and ecosystem participant in pediatric audiology.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: International nonprofit supporting children with hearing loss and their families. Already a strategic partner of Sound Start and comparable as a parent-support and advocacy ecosystem player.

Direct peers

• Listen and Talk: Seattle-area nonprofit providing listening and spoken language programs and audiology services for children with hearing loss. Comparable as a pediatric-focused audiology and early intervention organization serving a Pacific Northwest population.
• Hearts for Hearing: Oklahoma-based pediatric audiology nonprofit providing cochlear implant programming, hearing aid fitting, and listening and spoken language therapy. Closely comparable in mission, pediatric-only focus, and nonprofit structure to Sound Start.
• CID - Central Institute for the Deaf: St. Louis-based nonprofit offering pediatric audiology, cochlear implant services, and listening and spoken language programs. Comparable in combining clinical audiology services with educational programming for deaf/hard-of-hearing children.

Broad incumbents

• Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) – Pediatric Audiology: Academic medical center in Portland offering pediatric audiology and cochlear implant services. Comparable in service line and Oregon geography, but with substantially broader institutional resources than Sound Start.
• Cincinnati Children's – Pediatric Audiology: Major pediatric hospital with a dedicated audiology and cochlear implant center. Comparable in pediatric audiology clinical depth, but operates as part of a large integrated children's health system.
• Boys Town National Research Hospital: Specialty pediatric hospital with a nationally recognized audiology and cochlear implant program. Comparable in pediatric audiology specialization, but operates at significantly greater scale and research depth than Sound Start.

Regional players

• Tucker Maxon School: Portland, Oregon school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, focused on listening and spoken language. Directly comparable in geography and mission overlap with Sound Start's pediatric hearing services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/soundstartpdx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sound-start

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sound Start