About hearbetter

It is MED-EL’s goal to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today.

Ingeborg Hochmair is CEO of MED-EL, an industry leader in implantable hearing solutions. She co-founded the company with her husband Erwin and hired the first employees in 1990. The privately owned business is headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. While studying at the Technical University of Vienna, Ingeborg became the first woman at the institution to receive a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1979.

Our ears are unique, like our fingerprints: Shape and size vary from person to person. This is why hearing loss is individually different. There is not one universal solution that fits all. We at MED-EL are aware of this. This is why we trust in tailored hearing solutions that suit the individual needs of every single user.