Our History

In addition to changing our name from Starkey Laboratories, Inc. to Starkey Hearing Technologies, we launch several exciting innovations, including SurfLink Mobile, which enables hands-free cell phone conversations; Wi Series Custom, which expands our popular wireless hearing aids into custom-fit styles; and three new wireless options — 3 Series, Tour and Ignite — which brings the benefits of wireless to virtually every person who wants it.

We launch both AMP™, the invisible hearing aid for people who aren't ready for a hearing aid, and X Series, our most comprehensive line of traditional digital hearing aids ever.

A number of exciting products launch, including Wi Series™, our advanced wireless hearing aids that also enable wearers to stream stereo sound directly from their TVs or radios to their hearing aids without any body-worn relay devices; the S Series™ iQ line, featuring Voice iQ, a new noise management and speech preservation system that takes on the issue of hearing in noise; SoundLens™, the world's first custom invisible-in-the-canal hearing aid; and Starkey Pediatrics, which offers Nickelodeon™ characters on earmolds and hearing aid materials.

S Series with Drive Architecture™ is released. Using multi-core, open architecture technology, S Series goes on to become one of the best-selling lines of hearing aids in the industry.

Zōn™ revolutionizes the way hearing aids look, and goes on to win more than a dozen design and consumer electronics awards.

We redefine the hearing aid industry with Destiny™, the first hearing aid to utilize digital technology in a completely new way, and the first to virtually eliminate feedback once and for all.

Elton John's appearance at Starkey's "So The World May Hear" Awards Gala helps the Starkey Hearing Foundation raise a record $2.7 million. Construction begins on the new William F. Austin Center, and the Starkey Hearing Research Center opens.

Genesis 4 is released, offering hearing impaired users superior levels of audibility, high fidelity and hearing comfort.

The Starkey Hearing Alliance network is established.

We launch the Genesis digital hearing aid family, which becomes the industry's most comprehensive product line, with Axent hearing aids becoming the benchmark for advanced digital technology.

Starkey brings hearing aids into the digital age with the release of the Cetera and Aries digital hearing aid systems. Both take a research-based approach to amplification.

We release the Tympanette, the first hearing aid to fit entirely in the ear canal. Tympanette was the industry's smallest and most popular completely-in-the-canal hearing aid for its time.

President Ronald Reagan gets fit with Starkey INTRA hearing aids, encouraging a wider acceptance of hearing aids among the public, and resulting in increased sales throughout the industry.

CE-5 series is released, the industry's first canal hearing aids.

We develop the CHAT hearing aid tester, the Tinnitus Research Audiometer and the Digital Drain Meter — state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment that helped improve patient service.

The Starkey Fund is developed as a battery recycling program, with proceeds going to help needy people receive hearing assistance. The program evolves into the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

We open our first subsidiary in Manchester, England. Over the next five years, Starkey opens facilities in Toronto, Canada; Glencoe, Minnesota; Hamburg, Germany and Paris, France.

Starkey releases the CE-1, a custom in-the-ear hearing aid with the industry's first 90-day trial period and one-year "Worry Free" warranty. Soon after, Starkey becomes the world's leading manufacturer of custom hearing instruments.

Bill Austin purchases Starkey Laboratories, a small earmold company, from Harold Starkey. Austin merges Professional and Starkey, retaining the Starkey name.

Bill Austin starts Professional Hearing Aid Service, an all-make hearing instrument repair service in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The company offers fixed repair charges — an industry first.