Hemideina

About Hemideina

Hemideina, a Melbourne-based medical technology company, is focused on developing an alternative treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss. The company was established in 2017 by research scientists Dr. Kate Lomas and Dr. Elizabeth Williams. The concept for their technology originated from Dr. Lomas's PhD research into the auditory system of the *hemideina crassidens*, a New Zealand insect capable of hearing within the same frequency range as humans. This biological inspiration led to a fundamental redesign of the traditional cochlear implant.

The founders' scientific backgrounds are central to the company's foundation. Dr. Lomas, a biologist, discovered that the insect's hearing organ is significantly smaller and simpler than the human equivalent, which sparked the idea for a new device. Dr. Williams holds a PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and has a background in materials science and commercialization from her time at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, where the two co-founders met. Their journey began after winning Australia's MedTech's Got Talent competition in February 2017, which provided initial seed funding to build prototypes.

Hemideina's core product under development is the Hera Wireless Implant System. It targets a market of over 60 million people globally with severe-to-profound hearing loss, a segment the company notes is significantly underserved by current cochlear implant technology. The business model hinges on the commercialization of this device, a process funded through a combination of equity financing and government grants. The company has successfully raised significant capital, including a $10 million Series A round in October 2021, to advance product development toward pre-clinical and human trials.

The Hera system consists of two main parts: a small, in-ear external sound processor and an implantable receiver that stimulates the cochlea. Unlike digital signal processing in conventional implants, Hemideina's device uses a mechanical signal processing system designed to capture and preserve more sound information, aiming for a more natural sound experience. Key features include its miniature and discreet design, which sits in the ear canal without the external headpiece and magnets typical of traditional cochlear implants. This design utilizes the ear's natural contours for directionality, which may improve hearing in noisy environments and filter out ambient noise. The company anticipates this will enhance music enjoyment and tonal language perception. The technology is still in development and not yet available for sale.