Rumblings of Change in the Hearing Markets: Sonova Buys Advanced Bionics
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The hearing markets have followed a different evolutionary branch than the rest of the medical world, with a complicated infrastructure, and a schism between its two main product categories; the hearing aids sold through the audiology channel, and cochlear implants, surgical devices marketed to ENTs. This fragmentation has long kept the hearing markets from realizing their potential. The recent merger of Advanced Bionics with Sonova is a major step toward bridging the chasm in the hearing impairment industry, and perhaps in beginning to change its dynamics.