GoKawiilFortell raises $163M to build AI-driven hearing aids
Startup Fortell, founded by Matthew de Jonge, has raised $163 million from investors including Founders Fund, Thrive Capital, and Valor Equity Partners CEO Antonio Gracias. The company is developing hearing aids that use AI to identify important sounds in real time and suppress background noise, rather than simply amplifying everything at once as most current devices do. De Jonge discussed the six-year effort behind the product on TechCrunch's Equity podcast.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The hearing aid industry is dominated by five companies controlling 97% of the market, with high prices and little insurance coverage limiting access for many people. A well-funded challenger applying AI to sound processing could pressure incumbents to innovate and potentially make hearing aids more effective and affordable, similar to how eyewear became a normalized, low-friction product.
- Fortell raised $163M from top-tier investors to challenge hearing aid incumbents.
- The startup uses AI to selectively amplify relevant sounds instead of blanket amplification.
- The hearing aid market is highly concentrated, with five firms controlling 97% of sales.
Jabra Enhance Select Hearing Aids — If AI-driven hearing tech is on your mind, Jabra Enhance Select offers app-controlled, adjustable hearing aids that use smart sound processing to help you focus on speech over background noise. It's a great entry point into modern, discreet hearing assistance while the next generation of AI hearing aids like Fortell's come to market.
See Jabra Enhance Select Hearing Aids on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techcrunch.com — Theresa Loconsolo, 2026-09-16
Published there as: “How Fortell is using AI (and $163M) to crack a hearing aid monopoly”
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