NEWCASTLE, UK — Sonical, creator of the Remora hearing platform, has announced a strategic research partnership with Newcastle University focused on developing and deploying new technologies to support people living with tinnitus.
The collaboration brings together Sonical’s Remora device with neuroscience expertise from Newcastle University, led by Dr. William Sedley, an expert in auditory perception and tinnitus neuroscience.
The partnership aims to address a long-standing challenge in hearing health: translating promising tinnitus research into practical tools that can reach patients more quickly.
A Growing Global Challenge
Tinnitus affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is commonly associated with persistent ringing or buzzing that can significantly impact sleep, concentration, and overall quality of life. Despite decades of research, progress toward scalable, effective interventions has remained gradual, with many studies limited in size and duration.
“For people living with tinnitus, the pace of innovation simply hasn’t been fast enough,” said Gary Spittle, Founder and CEO of Sonical, who also has to deal with the condition on a daily basis. “Too many are left waiting for solutions that may never reach them. We’re on a mission to change that.”
From Lab to Real-World Application
The partnership is designed to shorten the path from research discovery to real-world implementation. Using Remora—Sonical’s AI-powered hearing computer—therapeutic approaches developed by Dr. Sedley’s team can be delivered directly to users at scale without requiring a smartphone or frequent clinical visits.
This approach enables faster testing, iteration, and data collection across larger populations compared with traditional research models.
Image: Will Sedley – RNID – credit Exposure Photo Agency Ltd
“Remora gives us a unique opportunity to take cutting-edge neuroscience and put it into the hands – and ears – of people who need it far more quickly than traditional methods allow,” said Dr. William Sedley, neuroscientist at Newcastle University. “By working together, we can evaluate new approaches in the real world and learn at a pace that simply hasn’t been possible before.”
Remora as a Therapeutic Platform
Central to the collaboration is Sonical’s Remora platform, positioned as more than a listening device. The system is designed to run advanced audio processing and customized therapeutic algorithms directly on the hardware, enabling continuous and discreet use independent of other devices.
“What is perhaps most appealing is the potential for Remora to apply real-time modifications to its audio output, effectively turning everything the user is already listening to into sound therapy to help quieten their tinnitus. The idea of people being able to quieten their tinnitus just by going about their normal daily activities is very exciting.”
–Dr. William Sedley
The companies describe Remora as a platform capable of supporting health-focused applications, with tinnitus as the first major area of focus.
Exploring Multiple Paths to Support
Both organizations emphasize that tinnitus is a complex and highly individualized condition, and progress will likely depend on pursuing a range of therapeutic approaches rather than a single universal solution. These may include interventions that benefit smaller subsets of patients or those with moderate effects that can be combined with other strategies.
“If a new method helps even ten percent of people with tinnitus, that’s still millions of lives improved,” added Spittle. “We can’t afford to wait for perfect answers. Our goal is to get promising ideas into the real world quickly, learn from real users, and keep moving forward.”
Looking Ahead
The initial phase of the collaboration will focus on deploying and evaluating Newcastle University’s tinnitus research through the Remora platform, with the goal of generating large-scale real-world data to guide future development. While tinnitus is the immediate priority, both organizations view the partnership as a foundation for broader work in auditory and brain-related hearing conditions.
“This is only the start,” said Dr. Sedley. “The combination of advanced research and an agile platform like Remora that combines sensors and audio opens up exciting possibilities for many areas of hearing and brain health.”
For more information on Sonical, please visit: https://www.sonical.ai and Remora Pro: https://www.remora.pro/https://www.remora.pro
About Sonical:
Sonical is the leading provider of embedded platforms for audio products and is the team of experts behind CosmOS, the operating system for the ear. CosmOS makes products ‘appable’ giving the user complete control of how they listen to content, hear the world and monitor their health.
About Remora Pro:
Remora PRO revolutionises wireless audio with Ultra-Wideband technology, delivering lossless, ultra-low latency sound – ushering in the world’s first Headphone 3.0 platform for the ultimate customisable and personalised wireless audio experience.
Source: Sonical
