Fortell raises $163M from Founders Fund and others to deploy AI in hearing aid market

SAN FRANCISCO — Hearing aid startup Fortell has raised $163 million in financing from backers including Founders Fund, Thrive Capital, and Valor Equity, according to a report published by TechCrunch on Sept. 16, 2026. The capital deployment backs the company's effort to scale its artificial intelligence technology against established incumbents in the consolidated hearing device sector.

Strategic Context

The funding follows six years of development led by founder Matthew de Jonge. De Jonge developed the company to tackle persistent adoption barriers and low compliance rates associated with traditional audiology hardware, contrasting the usability of hearing aids with other corrective devices like eyewear.

"Why do I have to beg my grandparents to put on their hearing aids, but no one has ever needed to ask me to put on my glasses?" de Jonge asked, pointing to the user friction and design challenges that have historically limited regular usage among older consumers.

Fortell is utilizing artificial intelligence to reshape the audio processing and fitting architecture of its devices, attempting to remove the operational hurdles that discourage consistent wear.

Forward Outlook

Backed by $163 million from institutional investors such as Founders Fund, Thrive Capital, and Valor Equity, Fortell enters a heavily consolidated medical device market dominated by legacy manufacturers. Industry participants and capital allocators will monitor how the six-year-old startup deploys the financing to scale operations, alter distribution models, and drive consumer adoption against entrenched competitors.