Understanding the Concept of AI-based Hearing Aid, OSO AI

• OSO AI is a new one-stop solution for people with hearing vulnerabilities.
• The company has recently raised funding of $10.7 Million.

What is OSO AI?

OSO AI is simply an AI-based company that helps individuals with hearing loss and is focused on ambiance intelligence. The company was founded by Olivier Menut, CEO, and Claude Berrou in 2018 and is based in France.

It is a non-invasive augmented ear solution consisting of a box containing microphones and sensors adjoined with algorithms that analyze all the sounds, noises, and movements around a medically vulnerable person. 

The box can be accessed through a mobile application which the caregiver can use to identify the need for intervention in case of any abnormalities or suspicious activities. 

The algorithm employed in the device is capable of identifying more than 150 types and classes of sounds including falls, vomit, shock, breathing, snoring, footsteps, words of the person using the device, and intrusion from any third individual as well.

This is because OSO AI’s algorithm is trained and tested on millions of sound samples as well as is certified by the team of experts at OSO AI.

The biggest upside to this device is it eases and facilitates the work of care staff that is responsible for these medically vulnerable individuals while maintaining the privacy and security of the patient-caregiver relationship.

The technology has been co-developing since 2018 in association with La Croix Rouge, Brest University Hospital, and Vyv3 Handicap establishments.

Ever since its inception, the OSO AI device has been distributed across 20 establishments across France. This includes university hospitals, retirement homes, establishments for people with disabilities, and children and adolescents with motor disabilities. 

In addition, these devices have also been distributed in private homes for personal use, as a part of an experiment of providing remote assistance.

Funding Highlights

The AI-based company dealing in providing hearing aid to needy individuals and the caregivers associated with them closed a funding round in April of 2023 of $10.7 Million. 

The company raised these funds in order to develop its AI-based hearing aid. The company raised these funds through a series A funding round. The investors that participated in the funding round were Innovacom SAS, a company that is a manufacturer and marketer of video encoder computer chips, Novinvest partners SAS, and Breizh-up, which is a co-investment division of the Brittany region which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is managed by UI investments SAS. 

These are historical investors of the company which has now been accompanied by Cemag Invest partners SAS, these investors provided funding of $4.4 Million as the first round of financing which was closed in September 2020. 

A word from the Founder

Olivier Menut, founder and president of OSO-AI, disclosed to the public that since its launch, the hearing device has been in healthy demand which was initially in nursing homes and later spread across other medico-socio centers. 

The company has already installed 1000 devices all over France and plans to take this number to 3000 by the end of this year. Although OSO AI is in its budding stage, it still faces some scale-up challenges such as increased production, the need for continuous technological advancements, and new types of patients being added daily.

The founder claims that the company needs to respond to these issues with significant investment solutions.

Conclusion

OSO AI’s AI-based hearing aid presents a groundbreaking solution for individuals with hearing vulnerabilities. With substantial funding support and partnerships with prominent institutions, the company’s non-invasive device demonstrates its potential to revolutionize care for medically vulnerable individuals, promoting both privacy and efficient caregiving. However, further investments and scaling efforts will be crucial for its continued success and impact.