MED-EL hearing implant solutions has announced its acquisition of Austrian company BHM-Tech which specialises in bone conduction hearing systems.
MED-EL (Medical Electronics) and BHM-Tech (the Berl Hörgeräte Manufaktur or Berl hearing aid manufactory) welcomed the merger of the two Austrian companies.
The acquisition, which took place in July 2024, was announced on 12 September 2024.
MED-EL said the move strengthened its position in the hearing solutions sector, broadening its product portfolio as BHM-Tech’s cutting-edge bone conduction technology would provide additional options for people with hearing loss.
After the successful handover of his company, BHM founder Mr Franz Berl will retire but to ensure a smooth transition, he will continue to offer advice as a consultant.
Mr Markus Hütter, a MED-EL employee of many years, was appointed as the new managing director for BHM-Tech.
“We look forward to integrating BHM-Tech’s innovative product portfolio into the MED-EL family”, Hütter said. “Together, we will further advance the future of hearing technology and continue to offer first-class hearing solutions to our customers.”
All BHM-Tech employees will stay in their positions and continue working in their familiar surroundings, MED-EL announced.
MED-EL said financial details on the acquisition were confidential and would not be disclosed by either party.
BHM develops hearing aid systems, manufactured by hand in Austria and distributed around the world. It said its core competence – the continual development and precise manufacture of hearing systems and bone conductors – combined craftmanship with high-end technology.
“As a trailblazer in hearing aids, accessories and precision components for the medical technology field, BHM also produces highly sophisticated micro-components and components for hearing and prosthesis parts,” BHM stated.
“Many years of experience and commitment to perfectionism make BHM a globally sought-after specialist in bone conduction and special hearing systems.”
MED-EL offers implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss. It is a privately owned business co-founded by electrical engineers Dr Ingeborg and Dr Erwin Hochmair, whose research led to the development of the micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant which is the basis for the modern cochlear implant.
