Archive — US — techcrunch
After losing his voice to cancer, this founder is building “glasses for voice”
Konrad Zieliński, who lost his voice to cancer, founded Uhura Bionics to create non-invasive voice devices for laryngectomees, allowing for emotional speech. His startup’s products, including the high-end Whitney model, aim to fill a $2 billion market gap. Currently classified as wellness devices, efforts to qualify them as medical devices could enable insurance reimbursement.
Key points
- Konrad Zieliński lost his voice to cancer during university.
- Traditional speaking devices are robotic or require surgery for voice prostheses.
- Zieliński completed a PhD on bionic systems for laryngectomees.
- He founded Uhura Bionics, launching two wearable voice devices: a basic model and the higher-end Whitney.
- Whitney aims to provide emotional and versatile speech for laryngectomees, similar to glasses for eyesight.
- Uhura’s products are currently wellness devices selling for $500 and $1,500.
- Zieliński is pursuing Class I medical device classification for insurance coverage.
- Estimated market size for laryngectomee devices is approximately $2 billion.
Why it matters
- The rise of accessibility technology aligns with current IT trends focused on healthtech and personal wellness.
- In 2025, innovations in medical devices are expected to emphasize non-invasive solutions and digital health.
- The growing market for devices addressing speech disorders highlights a significant shift towards personalized medical solutions.
Zieliński's journey showcases the intersection of technology and personal health, as Uhura Bionics aims to revolutionize voice restoration for laryngectomees, setting a precedent for emotional and personalized communication in future medical device markets.