LISNR

LISNR develops ultrasonic, data-over-audio technology that transmits information between devices using speakers and microphones, without requiring Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, QR codes or specialized hardware. Its core product, the Radius ultrasonic SDK, is embedded into customer applications to perform proximity detection, device and user authentication, payment and transaction verification, and offer redemption, with configurable transmission ranges from a few inches to more than 30 feet and operation in environments with limited or no connectivity. A Tone Service API accompanies the SDK. LISNR also offers Quest, a gamified customer engagement and loyalty platform added through the acquisition of Arden Labs, which layers personalized offers, rewards and gamified mechanics onto proximity events at store entrances, in aisles and at checkout.

The company positions its technology across the customer journey — at home, in transit and in store — and markets solutions to retail, finance, mobility, education technology and live events. In financial services, LISNR describes use cases spanning peer-to-peer transfers, peer-to-merchant in-store payments and merchant-to-peer refunds and reward credits, with offline transaction support requiring data synchronization once every 24 hours. The company states it holds 131 patents, which it describes as the largest IP portfolio in its industry and roughly six times the peer average.

Earlier in its history, LISNR operated a consumer mobile application that delivered exclusive artist content to listeners when a LISNR-enabled music track was played, reflecting an initial focus on audio as an engagement and advertising platform for brands.

Founding story

Co-founder Rodney Williams launched LISNR with the premise that sound is the most accessible and secure medium for transmitting data, aiming to change how consumers interact with audio as both an engagement platform and an advertising model for brands. Before LISNR he spent more than four years at Procter & Gamble in brand management, digital and point-of-entry media roles, where he was the first marketer issued a digital patent and was awarded three P&G patents, preceded by two years in business development at Lockheed Martin and more than four years leading a collegiate digital agency. He holds an M.B.A. from Howard University plus a master's in integrated marketing communications, a B.A. in economics and a B.B.A. in finance, and was named to AdAge's 40 marketers under 40 in 2013. CNBC lists the founders as Rodney Williams, Chris Ostoich and Josh Glick.

Business model

LISNR licenses its technology to businesses, which integrate the Radius ultrasonic SDK and Tone Service API, and the Quest engagement platform, directly into their own consumer applications. The company emphasizes that no specialized hardware is required, allowing customers to deploy on existing devices with speakers and microphones.

LISNR provides its Radius SDK, Tone Service API and Quest platform to business customers for integration into their consumer applications; specific pricing terms are not disclosed.

Traction

CNBC reported in 2019 that LISNR customers included Ticketmaster, Visa, Intel, Flywheel and RideYellow, and that the company was on pace to power more than 100 million devices by the end of that year. A late-2018 partnership with RideYellow was to deploy ultrasonic connection and payment across taxis on the RideYellow app in southern California and several Florida cities. As of its About page, the company reported 131 patents and more than $43 million raised since inception.

Latest developments

LISNR has integrated the Quest gamified engagement platform following its acquisition of Arden Labs and markets it alongside Radius across retail, finance, mobility and education technology. The company describes its forward focus as connecting digital data with physical context for retail media, broadcast engagement and AI assistants.