In order to go against this, the South Korean company Olive Union decided to develop a better and affordable hearing aid accessible to everyone. In order to do so, they resorted to crowdfunding, launching an Indiegogo campaign that was successfully funded in just a few days. This company believes that, while 95% of hearing loss patients can be successfully treated with hearing aids, only 22% currently use them, due to persisting barriers, including high cost (most range from $2,000 up), limited access, and the stigma associated with wearing a visible hearing aid, even though they became increasingly smaller over time.
With all this in mind, they went out to create a less expensive, next-generation, and good-looking device, and Olive is the result of that work. It features a smart sound algorithm and Bluetooth technology, as well as a hearing test app so the device can be tuned – something that will cut down on expensive trips to the audiologist. Olive resembles a Bluetooth headset more than a hearing aid. Everything about it is wireless, including charging, which is done with a nicely designed charging dock. It features a single button, which is used to turn the device on and off, and comes with multiple silicone tip sizes to fit all ear lobes. Olive’s battery lasts 4 hours. When you visit the Indiegogo campaign, you can purchase one Olive and be a Beta tester for the device for only $50, a great price compared to their competition. The campaign also features discounts for other orders, such as a pair of Olives so, if you are interested, be sure to look into the campaign’s page or Olive’s website to know more.
