Audientes

Denmark-based Audientes is a provider of hearing aids and self-administered hearing tests. The company’s main product, Ven, is a self-fitting hearing aid that can double as a Bluetooth headset device. The hearing aid also comes in-built with a hearing test to calibrate itself to each user’s individual hearing ability, with test results being sent to the user’s connected smartphone via the company’s app. The self-administered hearing test adheres to the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) NL2 fitting algorithm and requires no additional equipment or consultations with specialists.

Audientes operates on a D2C basis, directly selling its hearing aids to seniors at around USD 390 per unit. Additionally, the company is publicly listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange under the ticker symbol AUG.

Key customers and partnerships

In August 2024, Audientes and Shenzhen Hengtong Partner, a Chinese medical product distributor, signed an agreement to establish a joint venture in the hearing aid industry. The Shenzhen-based joint venture was noted to develop and commercialize affordable hearing solutions for the Chinese market, combining Audientes' technology with Hengtong's local expertise. Hengtong would own 60% of the venture and Audientes 40% of it, which aimed to boost market competitiveness, accelerate product localization, and expand sales channels in China. Initial activities included developing a Chinese version of Audientes' Ven self-fitting hearing aid, expected to launch in mid-2025. The venture also planned to participate in government initiatives and explore new business areas in the hearing aid sector. The join venture company was finalized and officially formed in November 2024.

In June 2023, the company partnered with Shenzhen Hengtong Partner Company Ltd. Through the partnership agreement, Hengtong would help Audientes enter the Chinese market through its distribution network. The partnership also entailed Hengtong assisting Audientes with obtaining the necessary medical device approvals for the Chinese market.

In January 2023, the company partnered with the Association of People with Disability (APD), an Indian NGO. Through the partnership, APD helped Audientes distribute its hearing aids throughout South India.