When Jackson McConnell was 11 years old, he decided to take combating his severe hearing loss into his own hands. While researching hearing aids on his mom’s old Dell computer in the kitchen, he discovered Starkey, a hearing-aid company that’s been around since 1967.
McConnell said he penned a note to the company’s founder, Bill Austin, “out of desperation,” writing: “I just want to hear I want to be like you. I want to be able to try your hearing aids, so badly.”
Austin received the letter—and invited McConnell to be personally fitted by him.
“I truly heard the world and the people around me for the first time to the fullest extent,” McConnell told Fortune. “Everything before that was muffled sounds and very poor hearing.”
Before McConnell discovered Starkey, he had “tried just about every single possible hearing aid, brand, type device under the sun,” McConnell said. “Unfortunately, while they allowed me to hear better than I could without my hearing loss, nothing—nothing—ever got me to the point where I felt whole.”
McConnell, who got his first pair of hearing aids at just six weeks old, said growing up with hearing loss caused him to feel a “profound sense of isolation.” Although he could undoubtedly hear better with any hearing aid than he could without, his severe hearing loss made it difficult to experience the depth and nuances of sound.
Since that first fitting, McConnell says he gets new Starkey hearing aids when they update their models—and the devices have seen substantial improvements since the company started focusing on implementing AI.
The Edge AI hearing aid also includes fall detection features, which will notify up to three people if the user falls. It also comes with medication reminders and a personal AI assistant that can translate 72 different languages, and even tell users what the weather is like outside.
These features also help destigmatize hearing loss and the use of hearing aids, Brandon Sawalich, president and CEO of Starkey, told Fortune.
“People don’t want to get hearing aids because they’re getting older. They’re going to be stereotyped,” Sawalich said. “I wanted to take the hearing aid, and redefine it and reinvent it. And that’s what we’ve done.”
These devices can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $5,750 since they’re sold through hearing health care professionals. There are varying costs to these devices based on the features users need (which dictates the model they’ll need to purchase). Health care professionals can also charge a range for their services, which ultimately affects the consumer price for the product. Insurance deductibles, health savings plans, as well as programs like Medicare and Medicaid can also affect the price of hearing aids.
“[They] allow for conversations to open up around hearing loss,” Sawalich said. “One of our biggest goals at Starkey is to put an end to the stigmas around hearing aids and bring attention to the comorbidities associated with untreated hearing loss. It starts with conditioning the public.”
With increased awareness, it’s more likely people will get their hearing tested and seek out treatment options, he added.
Sawalich has also called the ear “the new wrist,” referring to the growing industry of wearable tech—like Apple Watches, Woops, Oura rings, and the like. That’s led Starkey to develop new products that can also help prevent hearing loss.
“I would be irresponsible if I’m not thinking diversification, but for the right reasons,” Sawalich said. “We’re in the people business. Yes, you have to make money, but you have to provide a product that somebody finds useful. And we’re not consumer electronics. A hearing aid is not a commodity.”
“No pun intended, but it’s a silent pandemic,” Sawalich said. “Once you lose your hearing, you can’t get it back.”
