Innovate for adoption
Innovation is central to Sonovaʼs strategy — and adoption is its defining measure of success. By focusing innovation on making hearing care easier to start, easier to live with, and more relevant to peopleʼs lives, we align our business goals with our purpose: bringing the delight of hearing to ever more people.
We are expanding into new segments through lifestyle-aligned product designs, stronger connected solutions, and deeper integration of AI and digital capabilities. At the same time, we are unifying R&D across hearing aids and cochlear implants to unlock synergies across the portfolio and accelerate innovation. In parallel, we are developing solutions tailored to the specific needs and growth potential of Asian markets.
Innovation for adoption means going beyond our long-established leadership in traditional receiver-in-canal hearing aids. We are expanding into new form factors that appeal to lifestyle- and healthy-aging needs. A strong example is Phonak Virto™ R Infinio custom in-the-ear hearing aids. By applying consumer-focused design in a segment where Sonova had not been traditionally prominent, we have driven strong adoption and sales momentum.
Connected platforms are another key driver of adoption. We are placing greater strategic emphasis on user experience, system integration, and seamless digital journeys. As the industry leader in AI, we are embedding AI and digitalization not only across our product portfolio but throughout our business and hearing care activities. This creates a flexible and scalable ecosystem that can be precisely adapted to different consumer expectations, price points, and sales channels.
Sonovaʼs unique position as a producer of both hearing aids and cochlear implants further strengthens our innovation engine. By bringing the R&D organizations of both businesses under one leadership, we are accelerating knowledge transfer, generating additional synergies, and enabling new applications across hearing solutions.
Innovation for adoption also underpins our approach to global growth — particularly in Asia, where market penetration remains well below levels in Europe and North America. We are taking a staged approach: first, establishing country-specific channels, expanding local sales presence, and strengthening targeted marketing of our existing portfolio to a rapidly growing middle class. We then address structural barriers such as limited access, low awareness, and shortages of trained hearing care professionals. Finally, we develop “made-for-Asia” solutions — products and cost-efficient care models closely tailored to local needs, affordability levels, and consumer behaviors.
Innovate for adoption: Virto R
Since its launch in 2025, the Phonak Virto™ R Infinio has received multiple awards, including the 2026 iF Design Award, 2025 Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HHTM) Hearing Technology Innovator Award, and the 2026 Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Innovation Award.
Virto R was recognized for redefining the custom in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid category, eliminating long-standing trade-offs between discreet format, sound performance, and connectivity. Market response has validated this recognition: within less than a year, Virto R has not only significantly increased Sonovaʼs market share in the ITE category, but has also expanded the category itself in key markets worldwide.
How was Virto R positioned to drive this level of adoption? And what does it reveal about how Sonova will innovate in the future? Three colleagues closely involved in Virto Rʼs launch year share their perspectives.
Josipa Kern, Vice President, Phonak Brand
“My background in the vision care industry taught me not to frame hearing support simply as the treatment of a ′loss′. We want people to think: My hearing needs support — and hereʼs a solution. What a cool device!”
With Virto R, we made design a starting point. Of course, the product delivers everything expected from a premium hearing aid solution – exceptional speech-in-noise performance, universal connectivity, rechargeability, StereoZoom, AI-trained Autosense OS™, Roger wireless. But we knew that even the most advanced technology would be rejected if look and feel didnʼt appeal to consumers. So we designed something people could feel proud of — something beautiful and impressive — and then integrated all that performance into that device. We could do this because Sonova brings together deep audiological expertise, consumer insight, and real world data.
Using our AI-driven RightFit™ technology, we identified the features that truly matter to this consumer segment and optimized the balance between small profile and outstanding acoustic performance. This development model is highly repeatable: understand each segmentʼs needs, then apply our design and technology strengths with precision. In the months following launch, we were flooded with messages — photos from users wearing their Virto R, inquiries from families, interest from investors — all because people immediately saw that this was something different. It felt like we had created a new hero product. And I canʼt wait to do it again. Stay tuned!”
Bernd Wagner, President, Asia Pacific Region (excl. China)
“Japan is one of the most attractive hearing care markets globally. Average selling prices are high, profitability is strong across both Wholesale and Retail, and yet the market remains significantly underserved. Only around 15% of people who could benefit from a hearing aid currently use one. Consumers value advanced technology, but there is also a clear cultural preference for highly discreet, low-visibility solutions. Sonova is well-known for its premium receiver-in-canal products, which are discreet but still visible behind the ear. These solutions are very popular in North America and Europe, where our market share is correspondingly strong. In Japan, however, our presence in the market remained below its potential.
Virto R changed that dynamic. It delivers exactly what the Japanese market was looking for: a compact in-the-ear design combined with Phonakʼs AI-enabled speech understanding and sound clarity, all in an attractive, high-tech form factor. The response from both consumers and wholesale partners was immediate and very positive. As a result, Sonova was able to increase overall market share in Japan through product innovation alone — even before planned improvements to our go-to-market approach took effect. And this story goes beyond Japan. We see similar market profiles across Asia and other regions, where Virto R is unlocking growth opportunities. We are only at the beginning of realizing this potential.”
Jennifer Coblentz Boling, Senior Director, Sales, Government Services
“Phonak has been a leading supplier of hearing instruments to the US Department of Veterans Affairs for several years. However, we were unable to fully participate in the important in the ear segment because we did not have a rechargeable in-the-ear solution. Virto R changed that. Today, it holds around 60% of this segment, and our overall VA market share is at a five-year high. From the start, we integrated provider feedback directly into R&D — particularly on usability, wearability, and look and feel. Every interaction with the device matters, from the first fitting to charging it overnight. We gathered provider insights throughout the development phase as well as provided dummy devices at launch so that they could experience first-hand how users would handle and use the product.
At launch, the RightFit™ system ensured custom earpieces were molded correctly the first time, significantly reducing ordering and turnaround times. We also invested heavily in training to support a smooth induction for users. Demand exceeded expectations, and our Operations colleagues played a critical role — scaling up production and fulfilling highly customized orders reliably, on time, and to the highest quality standards.”
“My whole world just opened up”: A ballerinaʼs story
Sara Mearns is a Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet, acclaimed for the passion, precision, and physical intensity she brings to leading roles across classical and contemporary repertoire. To support both her demanding performances and her everyday life, Saraʼs audiologist recommended Phonak Virto™ R custom in-the-ear hearing aids — discreet in design, secure in fit, and suited to sustained physical movement at the highest level.
“I put them on and felt like I had a superpower,” Sara recalls. “When I started dancing, I forgot I had them in — they didnʼt move. And suddenly, I could hear every single instrument in the orchestra. It was a revelation.”
The impact extended far beyond the stage. “I remember thinking, ′I can breathe.′ I feel so much better. I can think clearly and process things differently. Everything has opened up.”
Today, Sara is a Phonak ambassador, sharing her experience to encourage others to seek support and feel confident doing so. “This is such a huge community, and I feel very honored to be part of it. I want to help people feel the kind of empowerment I feel!”
Virto R: Supporting family conversations in Japan
Shigeko Kurihara is 94 years old — lively, independent, and deeply engaged in daily life. She lives with her son, Takeshi, keeps busy with housework (including sewing her own clothes), and attends exercise classes every week. When she and Takeshi began to notice that hearing was becoming more difficult, they decided to seek advice at their local AudioNova store.
“To be honest, I didnʼt know very much about hearing aids at first,” Shigeko explains. “I simply wanted to understand what they were like. We already knew the AudioNova store because it was nearby, so when the time came to look for support, it felt like the natural place to go.”
At the store, the audiologist fitted Mrs. Kurihara with Phonak Virto™ R custom in-the-ear hearing aids.
“What stood out to me was not only hearing better, but how much easier these were to handle compared with what I had tried before,” she says. “With a behind-the-ear device, I worried about it coming loose — when sweating, removing a mask, or moving around. With this one, I feel much more secure.”
For Takeshi, the impact has been felt most clearly at home. “The difference is very obvious,” he says. “Communication is much easier now. Conversations flow much more naturally, and daily life feels much more harmonious.”
He adds that Shigekoʼs experience reflects a broader reality in Japan. “Many people here — myself included, before this — simply donʼt know much about hearing aids. Itʼs not necessarily a negative perception; they just donʼt feel close to everyday life. In that sense, Virto R feels easier to accept. Itʼs discreet, practical, and integrates naturally into daily routines.”