You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Doppler Labs, the Earbud Maker That Wants to Change the Way You Hear, Raises $17 Million The wearable tech company also recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign.

By Nina Zipkin

entrepreneur daily
Doppler Labs Facebook

Two-year-old wearable tech company Doppler Labs, which specializes in "hearables," has had quite the summer.

Less than a week after the close of a highly successful month-long Kickstarter campaign, the company announced that it raised $17 million in Series B funding from investors Acequia Capital, the Chernin Group, Wildcat Capital Management. The round also includes previous investments from Live Nation Entertainment, Universal Music Group and WME.

Related: These New Earbuds Let You Adjust the Volume of Everything Around You

Doppler Labs is the company behind the Here Active Listening System, whose wireless earbuds and mobile app allows users to modulate the volume of the world around them in basically real time. The crowdfunding campaign for the system raised more than $635,000 from 2,855 backers. The company's goal was $250,000, which it beat in under two days.

The earbuds are built on a technology that processes what the user hears, and then plays it back to them in 30 microseconds. Users can turn up the music at a concert, add sound effects to everyday activities or muffle the sound of the subway. Doppler Labs' first product was a set of ear plugs called DUBS Acoustic Filters.

Related: Should You Break Into the Wearables Market?

In an announcement about the funding round, co-founder and Noah Kraft said "We envision a post-mobile future where all people use a computer, speaker and mic in their ears to enhance how they interact with each other and their environment, and we work every day to create products that move us closer to achieving that vision."

The company plans to utilize the funds to further develop the tech, build and release new products more quickly, and hire more employees to join the current staff of 47 in New York and San Francisco.

Related: 4 Steps to Help You Prepare for the Fundraising Process

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction

The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

From Tom Brady to Kevin O'Leary – See Who Lost Big in the Wake of the FTX Crypto Collapse

The crash exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, leaving investors and customers scrambling to recoup their funds.

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.