CEO Song Myung-geun: "I hope people will recognize that hearing aids can be as stylish as glasses."
You can also connect it to your phone and do your own hearing test.

A friendly grandson and grandmother went on an outing on a variety show. Their destination was an ENT clinic. The family was increasingly concerned that one of the hearing aids they'd fitted a few years ago wasn't fitting the grandmother's ear properly, so they decided to get a hearing test and have the device checked. After hearing the doctor's negative opinion, the grandson tried to get a new one fitted, but the grandmother raised her voice.

The reason, of course, is the high cost. Wearing both hearing aids can slow hearing loss, but many people only wear one. In this high-cost hearing aid market, a hearing aid priced at around 100,000 won has been released. It's called Olive Union (http://www.oliveunion.com/ko/) .

Song Myeong-geun, CEO of Olive Union, decided to develop the device himself after seeing his hearing-impaired relatives reluctant to wear it due to the high price and design that clearly indicated it was a hearing aid.



The average price of a hearing aid in Korea is around 2.9 million won. In 2015, the government announced the "Expanding Health Insurance Support for Assistive Devices for the Disabled" and promised subsidies of up to 1.31 million won for hearing aid purchases. However, this approach presents practical challenges due to the complex process required to obtain a hearing impairment assessment. The four detailed examinations are not covered by insurance and the patient must pay 200,000 won per examination.

Olive Union's hearing aids are smart devices that connect to your phone via Bluetooth. Users can conduct hearing tests directly from their phone. They listen to sounds that vary in decibel level, and the user presses a button on their phone to advance to the next level, measuring their response speed. Users can create personalized hearing profiles and manage their hearing status in real time. The volume can also be freely adjusted.



The battery lasts up to eight hours. Officials say that hearing-impaired patients "don't wear their hearing aids 24/7," so a wallet-sized wireless charger can fully charge the device twice, allowing for a full day of use with intermittent charging. Battery levels can be checked in the app.

Another strength is its appearance, resembling Bluetooth earphones. Many people give up on hearing aids due to negative perceptions about hearing loss. CEO Song believes that wearing hearing aids should be "as easy and stylish as wearing glasses."

Additionally, anyone can wear the in-ear earphones as if they were tailored to them simply by changing the silicone type.

Olive Union was founded in 2016. It began with a crowdfunding campaign on the American crowdfunding platform Indiegogo and shipped its first batch of products in July of this year. This September, a second batch of 3,600 products was ordered for a beta version with firmware, and preparations for shipment are underway.

“Since we launched on the American platform, we received a lot of phone inquiries from domestic customers. “The official domestic launch is being delayed due to certification procedures, but by December, you will be able to order hearing aids from home, just like you would when shopping online,” said Supervisor Lee Su-jin.

Olive Union's hearing aids will be released in the late 100,000 won range, with a price tag of late 300,000 won for both ears.