Soundhawk raises $5.7M to bring wearable superhearing to the masses

Can a wearable device give you the super hearing you’ve always wanted? Soundhawk thinks so.

Over the past four years the startup has been secretly working on a device that it says will greatly enhance the wearer’s ability to hear the world around them. And this is far from just a hearing aid: Soundhawk says that its device, coupled with its smartphone app, will work with the wearer’s “unique hearing profile” to improve hearing in even the loudest environments.

As crazy as that sounds, it’s already backed by some real investor money. The company announced today that’s raised $5.7 million to create the device, which it expects to release in the first half of next year.

While Soundhawk isn’t saying much specific about the device (only that it’s “beautifully designed”) it’s clear that it isn’t blowing hot air here. The company was founded by hearing expert Rodney Perkins, who not only has 40 years of experience in the field, but also founded the California Ear Institute at  Stanford University. More, Soundhawk says it has over 17 patents related to its invention, which revolves around “the personalization of sound.”

The funding round, Soundhawk’s first, was led by True Ventures, which has proven to have a good eye for hardware companies. It’s previously poured cash into the likes of MakerBot (acquired for $600 million earlier this year), Fitbit, and, most recently, littleBits.