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Australian hearing health company Audeara (ASX: AUA) has secured an exclusive agreement with ShokzHear, the healthcare division of US-based global bone conduction audio leader Shokz, to deploy a customised assistive listening device targeting school-aged children across Australia.
Under the two-year deal, Audeara will bring to market a product called the "OpenLearn Small by ShokzHear", a bone conduction device designed specifically for children experiencing functional listening difficulties in educational settings.
First orders are expected later this calendar year, with Audeara planning to distribute the device through government-funded programs and charitable channels.
The company estimates up to 600,000 Australian school-aged children experience functional listening challenges, representing a sizeable addressable market for the purpose-built device.
Shokz, which was founded in 2011 in New York and is a pioneer in bone conduction technology, has sold more than 20 million units globally and holds over 5,800 patents applied worldwide.
ShokzHear is the company's dedicated healthcare arm, focused on applying its bone conduction technology to assistive listening applications.
“We are excited to collaborate with Audeara to provide customised audio solutions for the Australian market. Audeara’s local market insight and experience in assistive listening technologies makes them a valuable partner as we adapt our technology platform for new applications,” says Fengyun Liao, director of ShokzHear.
Audeara CEO Dr James Fielding has framed the partnership as both a commercial and social impact opportunity.
“At its core, this agreement is about helping people access sound in environments where it matters most," says Fielding.
"Across Australia, hundreds of thousands of children experience listening challenges during critical years of learning. When speech isn’t clear, engagement drops, confidence is impacted and opportunities can be lost.
"This agreement allows us to deliver at scale through fully funded programs, with a solution shaped by Audeara’s listening expertise and validated in real-world environments.
"Importantly, it demonstrates that solving meaningful problems can also create a scalable and sustainable commercial pathway.”
The deal builds on momentum in Audeara's domestic wholesale business. The company's Q3 FY26 quarterly report revealed a cash position of $1.05 million at the end of March, up from $734,000 in December.
Year-to-date wholesale sales of $2.24 million were 25 per cent up on full year FY25 Australian wholesale revenue following the release of the new Auracast portfolio into major national key accounts which the company says creates a "solid platform for continued growth".
Audeara, which was founded in 2015 by Fielding, Dr Chris Jeffery and Alex Afflick, has made inroads into international markets with its products stocked in Europe, the US and Asia.
The company also has partnerships with three top-tier global audiology brands Amplifon, Demant and WS Audiology.
In 2023, Audeara entered a research and development agreement with Taiwan's largest audiology clinic Clinico to develop an in-ear earbud device.
The company’s technology uses a hearing profile algorithm that personalises the sound output to the needs of the individual, allowing its headphone hardware to adapt to the hearing capabilities of the user.
The Shokz partnership follows Audeara's push into international markets, including a maiden order from Chinese distribution partner Eastech announced in October last year.
Fielding says the ShokzHear agreement positions the company to tap into recurring, program-funded demand rather than one-off consumer sales, with the two-year initial term providing a runway to establish the product in the Australian education sector.
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