About us
Innovating for more patient-centred, connected healthcare
The EarSwitch™ story
We’ve developed a suite of in-ear biometric control and sensor technologies for an ever-increasing range of global applications.
Why? So that we can provide the new global standard of medical monitoring and transform the future of healthcare.
Born from a clinician’s experiences
Seeing people with motor neurone disease (ALS) lose their ability to communicate gave Dr Nick Gompertz an idea: to develop a non-intrusive, in-ear device that could help people with neurological impairments choose how to live their lives.
That’s when he founded EarSwitch™. While our initial technology was intended to be a communications device, Nick soon discovered that the ear opened up even more use cases.
From controlling devices by tensing a middle ear muscle, to recording real-world data from a site close to the eardrum, there's a lot of potential to be found within the ear. Potential that we’re using to change people's lives and create a new global standard of medical monitoring.
Supported by academic, clinical, and commercial partners
Today, EarSwitch™ is so much more than Nick’s vision. We now have a team of 14 people turning ideas into reality from our HQ in Bristol, with doctors, scientists, developers, engineers, and industry experts working together to build and market potentially life-saving technologies.
We also have multiple academic and clinical partners helping to fund this development, take our products through clinical trials, and connect us to potential licensees – so that we can make the greatest positive impact on society.
This includes the NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme, the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP), Praetura Ventures, and the NVIDIA Inception Program - to name a few.
Recognition of our in-ear innovation
As a clinician-founded start-up, being recognised for our in-ear innovation isn’t just a huge honour. It’s a vital part of sharing the EarSwitch™ vision, connecting with investors, and continuing to develop our suite of life-changing products.
Here are some of the awards, grants, and collaborations that are helping us to reimagine the future of healthcare.
Awards
Most Innovative Use of Tech
We won the Most Innovative Use of Tech category at the 2023 SPARKies awards, a celebration of tech in the South West. Thank you so much to SPARKies – and well done to the rest of the winners and nominees!
Venturefest South 2023: Innovator of the Year
We won Innovator of the Year at the Venturefest South awards 2023, an event that our founder Dr Nick Gompertz is excited to have been both an attendee and a panellist at.
Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Finalist
Our founder Nick was shortlisted in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2022 and in 2023 for Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year, South West. Well done to the category winners and the rest of the nominees!
Medilink UK 2022: Innovation Award
We won the Innovation Award at the Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards 2022 in recognition of our in-ear control technology and its contribution to the life sciences sector.
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Our collaborations
The Scott-Morgan Foundation
Our founder Nick is a proud patron of the Scott-Morgan Foundation, which drives the development of assistive technology for people with ALS, MND, and other disabilities.
NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme
Nick is part of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, which connects us to invaluable mentoring, pitching opportunities, corporate governance support and much more as we enhance our technology.
Want to be part of the Ear-Switch® story?
If you’d like to learn more about our journey and how you can be a part of it, either as an investor, partner, or a licensee of our technology, we’d love to hear from you.