Auricle

Neurostimulation implant to restore hearing & speech understanding

Y CombinatorWinter 2021ActiveHealthcareMedical DevicesHard TechNeurotechnologyHealth TechMedical Devices

What they do

Problem

Millions of people with moderate-to-severe hearing loss no longer benefit from hearing aids but avoid cochlear implants due to invasiveness and loss of residual hearing.

Solution

A reversible, less invasive neurostimulation implant designed to restore hearing and speech understanding while preserving remaining natural hearing.

Who it's for

Patients with hearing loss who are poor candidates for hearing aids but not ready for cochlear implants, treated by ENT surgeons/audiology clinics.

Founders

Francis Wong

Founder

I'm Francis, a UK-trained surgeon who worked in the National Health Service as a surgeon for 5 years. In 2012 I moved to the Bay Area to get my MBA/MPH at UC Berkeley. I've worked in several product management roles at startups including 23andMe and Castlight Health. I also founded Outcomes, Inc., a digital health startup enabling the routine use of patient-reported outcomes. Prior to Stanford, I worked at Haven in Boston and co-founded Auricle out of the Stanford Biodesign Fellowship.

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Jay Dhuldhoya

Founder

I am a medical device engineer and entrepreneur with a BA from Columbia and an MS from Rice in biomedical engineering. I have led R&D, quality, and manufacturing projects at Element Science, an SF-based Class 3 medical device start-up. I recently completed the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship where I co-founded Auricle.