STÄFA, SWITZERLAND–Sonova Holding AG announced today (June 16) that it had reached an agreement to purchase 100% of Comfort Audio, a Swedish maker and distributor of assistive listening technology. The transaction, which will require approval by regulatory agencies, is a further step in the diversification of Sonova, parent company of Phonak and the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer.
In addition to its hearing aid brands–Phonak, Unitron, and Lyric–Sonova has also added a cochlear implant company (Advanced Bionics) and several hearing aid distribution networks, including Connect Hearing, Hearing Planet, Boots Hearing, and Hansaton, to its group.
The purchase of Comfort Audio, for an undisclosed price, will give Sonova a line of products designed to help people with hearing loss in challenging listening situations, such as schools and workplaces. Comfort’s technology will complement the broad wireless and non-wireless products that Sonova already offers.
Comfort Audio has about around 90 employees, mainly in Sweden, and has a strong distribution network in Scandinavia as well as a presence in several other European markets and the US. It had 2013 sales of 143 million Swedish kroner, about $22 million. Sonova plans to maintain Comfort Audio’s Halmstad base.
