Press room

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, August 26, 2020 – Livio AI has been named a 2020 Artificial Intelligence Breakthrough award winner in the “Best Intelligent Personal Assistant” category. Honoring the best companies, technologies, products and services in the field of artificial intelligence, the AI Breakthrough Award recognizes the use of artificial intelligence, not as an afterthought or buzzword, but to solve problems and revolutionize an industry.

Livio AI is a multi-purpose hearing aid designed to provide users with exceptional listening quality, as well as act as a gateway to information. With a simple double tap of their hearing aids, or by using their Thrive Hearing Control app, patients have instant access to health tracking features or can simply ask the Thrive Assistant questions such as “What is today’s weather?” Instant information access to hearing aid use and management improves on-boarding of users who might be new to Starkey products, or who simply need a quick reminder on when to carry out certain tasks.

“Our vision was to first use artificial intelligence to improve sound quality and the hearing experience. We soon wanted to go beyond that by including health tracking features and making the hearing aid a gateway to information,” said Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering Achin Bhowmik, Ph.D. “I’m proud of the many teams at Starkey who made this revolutionary device a reality for patients.”

Livio AI stood out among more than 2,000 international nominees. Products and services were judged by a panel with backgrounds in tech, business, sales and academia on the following criteria: Innovation, Performance, Ease of Use, Functionality, Value, and Impact.

“At Starkey, we are redefining the hearing aid through innovative technology that not only provides the best listening experience, but also promotes overall patient wellness,” said President and CEO Brandon Sawalich. “Artificial intelligence makes these Healthable features possible, giving patients what they want, from convenience to customization. I want to thank the entire Starkey family for the hard work and dedication that lead to this achievement.”

To learn more about Livio AI, visit Starkey.com.

About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 5,000 employees, operates 26+ facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.