The Series E investment round was led by Sonion A/S, a leader in micro-acoustic and micromechanical technologies and solutions for hearing instruments and specialty earphones. Existing investors that included TDF Ventures, GII LLC and WSJ Joshua Fund also contributed to this round of funding, bringing the total of funding raised to date to $35 million.
“Sonion is very excited about this opportunity to not only partner with Valencell exclusively for the Valencell technology for the ear-level space but also to join the strong investor team in Valencell”, said Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen, President & CEO of Sonion a/s.
“We see strong growth opportunities for this collaboration as we combine the Valencell technology and roadmap of exciting biometrics including more advanced medical monitoring functionalities with our 40 years+ of experience and skills in micro-acoustics, micro-mechanics, and power management.”
Raleigh, North Carolina-based Valencell was founded in 2007 by Dr. Mike Aumer, Dr. Steven LeBoeuf, and Dr. Jesse Tucker. The company’s biometric sensor technology is protected by more than 60 granted patents, with more than 100 additional patents pending.
Valencell’s sensor technology allow wearables and hearables to continuously measure biometrics such as heart rate and blood pressure for health and fitness assessment. And the market for wearable biometric sensors continues to expand globally – with applications being developed in health and medical devices, military and industrial safety, and AR/VR devices.
Companies using Valencell’s sensors include Bose, Suunto, LG, Jabra, Samsung, and Sony.
The Scosche Rhythm24 now available. “It’s the optical HR sensor band that you can put up against virtually anything and come away winning the accuracy war every time” Valencell (@Valencell_Inc) May 31, 2018
The primary goal in wearable biometric sensor technology is to smoothly incorporate functional, portable electronics and computers into individuals’ daily lives. monitoring a person’s health and wellbeing. Just as hand-held devices changed our cultural landscape, so too, will wearable devices.
“Valencell has an established track record of innovating in wearable biometric sensors and this funding enables us to accelerate our investments in R&D, market development, and go-to-market resources,” said Michael Dering, CEO, Valencell.
“In addition, with Sonion leading the investment round, Valencell gains a powerful strategic partner to bring new capabilities to serve the consumer hearables and hearing health markets. Valencell and Sonion share a strong vision and operating model for making major advancements in hearing health and hearable devices.”
