Doppler Labs

Market position

Doppler Labs was an early entrant and widely recognized innovator in the smart earbud or 'hearables' category, competing against Apple's AirPods, Google's Pixel Buds and headphone makers such as Bose and Jaybird. It received Fast Company, Time, Inc., SXSW, Cannes Lions and Forbes recognition, but was unable to convert that visibility into volume sales, and its collapse was grouped by observers with those of other hardware startups such as Jawbone and Pebble.

Doppler Labs' products focused on actively modifying the user's perception of the surrounding world rather than simply playing back audio: Here One let wearers filter or amplify specific ambient sounds, such as suppressing airplane or traffic noise while retaining human speech, or boosting bass at a concert, controlled through a companion app. The company also worked on real-time translation and on hearing-assistance functionality intended to differentiate later products from AirPods and Pixel Buds, and it was an early mover in true wireless earbuds, launching before those competing devices reached market.

Technology

The company built in-ear computing hardware and software: DUBS used a proprietary 17-piece physical acoustic filter system to reduce sound pressure across frequencies while preserving fidelity, while Here One combined a speaker, microphone and processing in each ear with noise cancellation and 'active listening' digital signal processing that let users selectively filter, amplify or augment ambient sound via a smartphone app. The platform also supported music streaming, phone calls, an in-development real-time translation feature and a hearing-aid application for mild to moderate hearing loss.

Go-to-market

The company reached consumers through direct sales and crowdfunding, using a Kickstarter campaign for Here Active Listening as a proof of concept, and built visibility through live-event and cultural partnerships including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Tao Group, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, JetBlue, Gimlet Media, MADE Fashion and the New York Mets. It also pursued public advocacy, backing the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 and launching the #HereTogether campaign with the Global Citizen Festival, and drew press attention through awards and product demos.

Consumers seeking control over their listening environment — concertgoers and live-event attendees, travellers, music and audio enthusiasts — and, from 2017, people with mild to moderate hearing loss seeking over-the-counter hearing assistance.

Geography

Headquartered in San Francisco after being founded in New York City, with worldwide product distribution and contract manufacturing in China. The team also worked out of Universal Music Group's offices in downtown San Francisco during its 2016 fundraising and acquisition meetings.

History

The company was founded in November 2013 in New York City by Noah Kraft, Fritz Lanman and Dan Wiggins, and was later headquartered in San Francisco. Its first product, DUBS Acoustic Filters earplugs, reached the market in 2014, followed by the Kickstarter-funded Here Active Listening earbuds, launched at Coachella in July 2016. Wiggins was fired in 2015. In July 2015 the company raised $17 million in Series B funding and in July 2016 raised a further $24 million led by The Chernin Group, bringing total funding to about $50 million. Here One entered mass production in February 2017 after a component delay pushed the schedule back from fall 2016, requiring an additional $10 million raise to ship. In 2017 Brian Hall became CEO and the company reoriented around the hearing-health market, supporting the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 and building an app for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. After acquisition and investment discussions with Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft failed and Series C funding could not be secured, Doppler Labs announced its wind-down on November 1, 2017 and closed on December 1, 2017. Dolby purchased most of the remaining IP assets in 2018, and co-founder Dan Wiggins acquired the Doppler Labs trademark as of May 14, 2024.

Risks & controversies

Here One shipped with a design flaw that produced lower-than-expected battery life — targets of 4.5 hours of augmented hearing or three hours of music streaming fell to roughly a couple of hours because a Bluetooth chip drew more power than expected — along with a malfunctioning charging case, resulting in negative reviews and weak word of mouth. Manufacturing changes and a component delay pushed mass production from fall 2016 to February 2017, causing the product to miss the holiday season and the race against AirPods, and forcing an additional $10 million raise. Sales of 25,000 pairs fell far short of internal expectations, investors declined to fund a Series C, no acquirer emerged, and the company shut down. Executives acknowledged they had been overconfident during 2016 acquisition discussions. The company also filed a trademark infringement suit against Bose in March 2017.