Ear Science Institute Australia

What Ear Science Institute Australia does

Ear Science Institute Australia is an independent, not-for-profit medical research institute (founded circa 1999, registered charity, Subiaco WA) that is the only Australian organisation solely dedicated to ear and hearing science. It operates an integrated portfolio combining research, clinical care, and education, anchored by 26 Lions Hearing Clinics across Western Australia and New South Wales, a dedicated Ear Science Implant Clinic in Subiaco (WA's largest, with 1,400+ implant recipients), and an Ear Science Surgical Facility. The institute delivers 50,000+ appointments and supports 23,000+ patients annually, including pension concession, NDIS, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Medicare-rebated cohorts, alongside regional Aboriginal community outreach via the Healthy Hearing Outback program in the East Pilbara.

Its core technology assets include ClearDrum, a granted world-first silk fibroin prosthetic eardrum developed with Deakin University's Future Fibres Hub and supported by a $993,500 MTPConnect BioMedTech Horizons commercialisation grant; RealSound, a VR/AR-enabled hearing diagnostic platform; and the Aussie Ear Bank (Australasian Hearing Registry and Biobank), the first Australasian biobank dedicated to genetic-associated hearing loss. Research capabilities extend to cochlear implant innovation (electrocochleography-triggered hearing preservation), stem cell and gene therapy development (with granted international patent coverage on Ear Organoid methodology), and hearing therapeutics under the leadership of internationally credentialed surgeon-scientists.

The revenue model is diversified across professional services (clinical assessments, hearing aid fittings, implant procedures partially funded by Medicare, NDIS, DVA, and Hearing Services Program vouchers), government and competitive grants (NHMRC, MTPConnect, WA Future Health Research and Innovation Fund), corporate partnerships (Sonova, BHP, Mineral Resources), and tax-deductible community donations via the Gift of Hearing Appeal (cumulative $24M raised). GTM combines direct patient acquisition through free hearing checks and online screening, GP/ENT referral pathways, and outreach delivery to remote Aboriginal communities in partnership with Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service.

Name

Ear Science Institute Australia

Legal name

Ear Science Institute Australia Incorporated

Website

https://earscience.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ear Science Institute Australia is an independent not-for-profit medical research institute that integrates ear and hearing research, clinical care, and education across 26 Lions Hearing Clinics in WA and NSW, serving 23,000+ patients annually with hearing aids, implants, and outreach programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hearing Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiology & Hearing Services (ENT-Affiliated) (HLAKAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Otology & Neurotology (Ear/Hearing/Balance) (HLAKAMAC), Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH), General Otolaryngology (ENT) (HLAKAMAA)

Keywords

• Hearing healthcare services
• Hearing implants
• Audiology diagnostics
• Ear and hearing research
• Otology surgical care

Headquarters

HQ city

Subiaco

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Services Revenue: Revenue from hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, cochlear implant procedures, and ongoing patient care. Services are partially covered by Medicare, NDIS, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Hearing Services Program voucher scheme.
2. Government Funding and Grants: Funding from Australian Government Department of Health through Rural Health West's Outreach program, NHMRC grants, and Future Health Research and Innovation Fund grants.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting research and clinical services through Gift of Hearing Appeal and other fundraising initiatives. Community supporters have helped raise $24M to advance research discovery, clinical care, and innovation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ear Science Institute Australia delivers clinical hearing healthcare and translational research through its Lions Hearing Clinics network and Ear Science Implant Clinic, providing hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, cochlear and other hearing implants, tinnitus management, and surgical treatment of ear disease. The organisation also develops and commercialises proprietary hearing technologies such as the ClearDrum prosthetic eardrum and the RealSound VR/AR hearing diagnostics platform, alongside research programs including the Aussie Ear Bank biobank for genetic hearing loss.

Product overview

Ear Science Institute Australia operates as a not-for-profit research institute and healthcare provider offering an integrated portfolio of hearing services and products. The core clinical offerings include Lions Hearing Clinics (hearing assessments, hearing aids, tinnitus management) and the Ear Science Implant Clinic (cochlear, bone conduction, and middle ear implants). Key products include ClearDrum®, a silk fibroin-based prosthetic eardrum implant. Research initiatives include the Aussie Ear Bank biobank for genetic hearing loss research, RealSound VR/AR diagnostics platform, and outreach programs like Healthy Hearing Outback and the Lions Hearing Aid Bank. Fundraising is supported through the Gift of Hearing Appeal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aussie Ear Bank: Australasian Hearing Registry and Biobank - Australia's first repository dedicated to storing tissue samples linked to genetic-associated hearing loss for advancing personalised care and novel treatments.
• Lions Hearing Aid Bank
• Healthy Hearing Outback
• ClearDrum

Products and services

• Lions Hearing Clinics

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 clinics across WA and NSW
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Apollo Hospitals IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026New partnership announced May 2026 to advance genomic solutions for inherited hearing loss. Apollo's 76 hospitals, 11,000+ beds, and access to patients from 180+ countries combined with Ear Science's Aussie Ear Bank will accelerate gene therapy research. Apollo Health Axis vertical supports this initiative.
• SonovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership through Change a Life initiative. Sonova donates hearing devices to Ear Science for patients who require hearing devices but cannot access them without assistance. Gift of Hearing donors combined with Sonova support help change lives of recipients like Ty and Jake.
• Cochlear LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborative relationship with Australia's Cochlear Ltd for cochlear implant technology. Dr Bester works with Cochlear on clinical translation of research including CLT 5667 clinical investigation. Australia was a leader in cochlear implant development.
• Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Healthy Hearing Outback program serving Nyiyaparli and Martu people in East Pilbara since 2014. PAMS provides local health professional upskilling and community engagement alongside Ear Science's clinical team.
• Lions Eye InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Lions Eye Institute, Western Australia. Both institutes share the Lions brand and work on sensory health initiatives.
• Lions Hearing FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative for Lions Hearing Aid Bank - donating refurbished hearing aids to communities in need globally, with focus on developing countries including Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.
• Deakin University (Future Fibres Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Deakin University's Future Fibres Hub for development of ClearDrum - world-first prosthetic eardrum using silk fibroin biomaterial.
• University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Michael Gluth holds Gordon McLaren Chair in Ear Science Surgery & Research at UWA. Multiple research collaborations with UWA researchers including Dr Wong's adjunct position.
• World Health OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEar Science Institute Australia is the first Australian WHO Collaborative Centre for ear and hearing research and education. Collaboration on international hearing health initiatives and global hearing loss pandemic response.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Demant: Global hearing healthcare group (Oticon, Bernafon, Sonic, Philips Hearing Solutions) and one of the world's largest hearing aid manufacturers. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing overlapping hearing assessment and hearing aid services through global retail and clinical networks.
• Sonova: Global hearing healthcare group (Phonak, Unitron, Advanced Bionics) operating across hearing aids, cochlear implants, and audiological care. Comparable as a long-time Ear Science donor partner and as a broad incumbent whose product portfolio overlaps Ear Science's hearing aid fitting and implant services.
• WS Audiology: Global hearing aid company formed from the merger of Widex and Sivantos (Signia), with retail and clinical operations across multiple geographies. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose hearing aid and audiology services overlap with Lions Hearing Clinics' core offering.
• Cochlear Ltd: Global leader in cochlear implant technology headquartered in Australia. Directly comparable as the dominant implant manufacturer that Ear Science partners with on research and clinical translation (e.g., CLT 5667 trial) while also delivering implants through its own clinic network.
• Starkey Hearing Technologies: Major US-based hearing aid manufacturer and provider of audiological services globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping hearing aid fitting and patient care services that compete for the same patient demographic.

Direct peers

• National Acoustic Laboratories: Australian hearing research division of Hearing Australia, conducting research on hearing assessment, hearing loss prevention, and rehabilitation. Comparable as a research-only peer operating in the same Australian hearing science ecosystem with overlapping objectives.
• The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre: Australian hearing research consortium (now operating as a successor entity) linking universities, industry, and clinical partners on hearing loss research. Comparable as an Australian peer organisation advancing hearing science through collaborative R&D.
• Macquarie University Hearing (MU Hearing): University-based Australian hearing research centre combining cochlear implant research, clinical services, and hearing science. Comparable as an academic-clinical hybrid operating in overlapping research domains and patient populations.
• Bionics Institute: Independent Australian medical research institute focused on bionic devices, including hearing restoration technologies such as cochlear implants. Closely comparable to Ear Science as a similarly sized not-for-profit research entity working on hearing therapeutics and implantable devices.
• NextSense (formerly RIDBC): Australian not-for-profit providing hearing and vision services including cochlear implants, hearing aids, and allied health. Comparable as a research-aligned clinical provider serving children and adults with hearing loss, with overlapping mission and service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ear_science
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/earscience
• Facebookfacebook.com/earscienceinstitute
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/ear-science-institute-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/earscienceinstituteaustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ear Science Institute Australia