Celebrating innovation
Fifty years in the making
Take a trip back in time and learn about Starkey's historic milestones
1964-1967
William F. Austin opened a retail business, Professional Hearing Aid Services, in South Dakota.
1963
Harold Starkey opened Starkey Labs in Maple Plain, Minnesota.
1967
William F. Austin moved Professional Hearing Aid Services from South Dakota into the basement of his Hopkins, Minnesota home. He began to market his repair service to dealers everywhere.
1970
In August of 1970, William F. Austin bought Starkey Labs from Harold Starkey in Minnesota for $13,000.
1971
On January 1, 1971, Starkey introduced the first Starkey custom In-The-Ear (ITE) Custom Master. No longer solely focused on repair and earmolds, William F. Austin introduced Custom Master as a "product worthy of your consideration."
1973
Starkey introduced the first 30-day, free trial and the first one-year, Worry-Free Warranty.™
1973
Starkey introduced CE-1 Custom.
1975
Starkey introduces the world's first directional custom ITE hearing aids.
1974-1975
William F. Austin extends his standard 30-day trial to 60 days, and then adds 30 more days for shipping; this revolutionary 90-day trial period shocks the industry.
1977-present
Starkey Hearing Technologies opened foreign subsidiaries in 16 countries, and we continue to grow to this day.
"President Reagan was fit on September 7, 1983. In no time, we were buried in orders. We had hearing aids stacked to the ceiling."- William F. Austin
1983
President Ronald Reagan was fit with a pair of Starkey Intra hearing aids — the first canal instruments. With this public announcement, sales rose across the country, and helped reduce some of the stigma associated with hearing aids.
1984
Starkey Hearing Foundation was founded.
1989
Starkey purchased Omni Hearing Systems and NuEar Electronics.
1992
Starkey made news again with the Tympanette,® the first hearing aids to fit entirely in the canal.
1994
Resolution I and Resolution II are released. This programmable product line could be updated by wire or cable to update the performance of the instrument while being worn. They also included both digital and analog circuitry.
1995
Mother Theresa was fit with Starkey hearing aids.
1996
Sequel custom programmable instruments greatly reduced distortion and offered advanced compression technology.
1997
Starkey Hearing Foundation embarked on its first international mission to El Salvador.
2000
Starkey continued to grow a strong network of independent hearing professionals with the formation of Audibel.
2001
The first fundraising gala for Starkey Hearing Foundation was held.
2001
A decade of innovation began with the Genesis™ digital product family.
2003
The Starkey Hearing Alliance Network was formed, offering training and technology for preferred providers.
2006
Destiny™ hearing aids are the first to utilize both nano and digital technology.
2008
Zōn™ launched with its revolutionary Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) design.
2010
SoundLens were the industry's first Invisible-In-The-Canal (IIC) hearing aids. The marriage of 3D shell design and printing with smaller components allowed IIC fittings down to the second bend of the ear canal.
2011
Wi Series® hearing aids, Starkey's first wireless product line, allowed users to wirelessly stream sound with no body-worn relay device.
2012
Starkey Hearing Technologies created their own Hearing Innovation Expo for scientists, visionaries and hearing professionals. Hosted every two years, this event continues to feature trailblazing keynote speakers.
2013
3 Series™ enabled hands-free cell phone conversations.
2014
Halo™ with Made for iPhone® technology creates seamless streaming with iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch® and Apple Watch.®
2015
Z Series™ launched with a full line of hearing solutions that provide advanced wireless performance and unmatched sound quality.
2016
Muse™ is released and provided the latest wireless hearing solution with 900 MHz technology - powered by Starkey's all new Synergy® platform.
Halo™ 2 hit the market - the latest release of Made for iPhone hearing aids, powered by Starkey's all-new Synergy platform.
2017
The iQ product family delivers pristine audio and exceptional listening clarity to help make speech sound more natural and easier to hear in all listening environments.
2018
Muse™ iQ Rechargeable, our best-in-class hearing aids, last 20 percent longer, are 30 percent smaller and are 100 percent easy-to-use.
Livio® AI is the first ever hearing aid to include embedded sensors and artificial intelligence. These technologies enable health tracking and other features that optimize the listening experience and improve peoples' lives.
Picasso™ custom hearing aids provide amazing comfort and performance and are fully compatible with our Surflink products for carefree connectivity and control.
2018
Israel Research and development center opens to increase the company's global footprint. The team in Tel Aviv will focus on biosensor technology, algorithm development, audiology and signal processing research and much more.
2019 and beyond
Turning research into reality
business in
more than 100 markets worldwide
R&D projects
"Alone we can't do much.
Together we can change the world."-
William F. Austin
