Lexie Hearing Named to the 'TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023' List

Lexie Hearing, with global headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa, has been recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023 for its "leap ahead of the pack" in over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The recognition webpage states, in part:

A shrewd partnership with Bose and distribution in 12,000 stores across the U.S. helped hearing-aid maker Lexie Hearing leap ahead of the pack. It now expects to earn $60 million in revenue and expand to many more stores this year. But COO Seline van der Wat says customer service is key to Lexie’s success. 'We don’t just get hearing aids into people’s ears,' she says. 'We keep them there.'”

In July 2022, Lexie announced it had partnered with Bose to offer the self-fitting technology formerly found in the Bose SoundControl hearing aid. The result was the Lexie Powered by Bose B2 hearing aid, an OTC rechargeable receiver-in-canal (RIC) device that costs $999/pair. This May, Lexie announced a firmware update that added voice streaming for iPhones to the B2's feature set (previous B2 users can update for $50).

The Lexie B1 Powered by Bose hearing aid is a more economical RIC at $849 with similar features, except it uses disposable batteries and does not stream phone calls. There is also the Lexie Lumen behind-the-ear (BTE) model for $799.

All of Lexie's hearing aids are self-fitting through the Lexie mobile app, an easy-to-use smartphone app that lets you control your hearing aids and contact Lexie Hearing's professional support staff. The company also offers its Lexie Rewards customer loyalty program, which awards points toward discounts on monthly subscription costs, and features gamified incentives to help new customers move up the learning/usage/comfort curve.

“It's an incredible honor to be recognized by TIME, next to some of the world's most iconic brands,” said Lexie Hearing Founder and CEO Nic Klopper. “At Lexie, we work every day to create accessible hearing care for everyone, everywhere, and we're thankful to TIME for recognizing our positive global impact."

"For too long, proper hearing care was under-prioritized and difficult to access,” added Klopper. “Hearing aids were exorbitantly expensive and required ongoing consultations. Lexie is changing that. We have changed an industry by offering more affordable solutions with high-powered technology, providing a clinically-proven hearing experience for a much smaller cost than prescription hearing aids. Our over-the-counter hearing aids and award-winning customer support are life-changing for people with mild to moderate hearing loss who can now get Lexie hearing aids at the click of a button, and once again hear the people and life they love."

TIME editors solicited nominations for the list from companies across a range of sectors, including health care, entertainment, technology and design.

To see the full list, visit: time.com/100companies