The news
- Eargo and South Africa’s hearX have merged in a deal to form LXE Hearing. The newly formed company has also received $100 million from Patient Square Capital.
- The merger aims to improve global access to affordable, high-quality hearing solutions.
- LXE Hearing combines Eargo’s tech innovation with hearX’s accessibility-focused model.
US-based Eargo and South African healthtech pioneer hearX have finalised a merger, birthing a new entity — LXE Hearing. This union marks a significant moment for Africa’s healthtech sector, positioning an African-born innovation at the heart of a global solution for one of the world’s most overlooked health challenges — hearing loss.
hearX, founded in 2015 by Nic Klopper, gained attention for creating Lexie, a hearing aid brand that combines quality with affordability, reaching consumers directly through online and retail partnerships.
The startup’s early mission was clear: tackle the global hearing crisis by developing solutions that could be deployed on smartphones, lowering the barrier to access to diagnostics and treatment.
Eargo, on the other hand, has built a name for itself in the US with sleek, nearly invisible hearing aids sold through a direct-to-consumer model. With both companies now aligned under the LXE Hearing banner, their combined offerings promise a powerful mix of tech-enabled products, remote care, and scalable distribution that can reach millions globally.
“The merger between Lexie and Eargo is founded on our shared mission to create hearing health solutions for everyone, everywhere,” said Klopper, who will lead the new company.
“Eargo’s cutting-edge design, emphasis on clinical quality, and customer-first approach to service perfectly complement hearX’s suite of Bose-powered products and its award-winning mobile app. Together, we are going to revolutionise hearing aids and hearing health.”
The newly formed LXE Hearing will continue offering the Lexie B2 Plus hearing aids, which were developed in collaboration with Bose, and Eargo’s own hearing devices. The merger is expected to streamline customer experiences, integrate product lines, and improve operational efficiencies to drive growth across new and existing markets.
For Africa’s healthtech ecosystem, this merger isn’t just a corporate milestone — it’s a signal that homegrown startups can scale globally and lead in specialised markets.
It also continues a rising trend of African-founded companies entering significant mergers. Just last year, South African tech group Reunert merged two of its subsidiaries to form a digital powerhouse, while the Wasoko-MaxAB deal was described as Africa’s largest tech merger.
hearX’s journey from a university spin-out to the architect of a global hearing health brand embodies the innovation potential rooted in Africa. It’s also a case study for how local solutions, when properly executed and scaled, can tackle global problems.
