For a patient with hearing aids, the challenge often begins after the device is fitted. The world doesn't suddenly become clear. Background noise, crowded rooms, and the brain's own lag in processing new auditory signals can make the expensive hardware feel ineffective, leading to frustration and, in a significant number of cases, returns. Neurotone AI is building its business on that post-fitting gap, selling digital rehabilitation tools directly to audiologists and hearing care professionals to help patients adapt [Neurotone support, 2024]. Its wedge is a combination of evidence-based training protocols and a pragmatic, one-time licensing model that aims to become a staple in the clinician's toolkit.
The company's flagship product, LACE AI Pro, is the evolution of a program with a long clinical tail. Its predecessor, LACE (Listening and Communication Enhancement), is supported by more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and over a decade of clinical trials, a fact the company emphasizes to bridge the gap between novel AI claims and established medical practice [The Audiology Place, 2026]. The AI layer is presented as a personalization engine, adapting exercises in real-time to a user's performance to improve auditory comprehension, especially in noisy environments. In October 2024, Neurotone AI launched Tinnitus Pro, a companion application that integrates sound therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, and clinician monitoring tools into a single platform [PRWeb, Oct 2024]. The development involved notable clinical advisors including Dr. Robert Sweetow and Dr. Nancy Tye-Murray, lending further academic weight to the launch [The Hearing Review, 2024].
The bet on the clinician's desktop
Neurotone AI's strategy bypasses the direct-to-consumer health app frenzy entirely. Its customers are exclusively licensed hearing professionals, a focused B2B approach that aligns with the regulated nature of auditory care. The company sells lifetime licenses to these clinics, with Tinnitus Pro, for example, offered at a $499 one-time fee per patient [Perplexity Sonar, 2024]. This model contrasts sharply with the subscription SaaS norms of digital health, betting instead on simplicity and permanence. For a clinic, the product becomes a fixed-cost tool they can prescribe repeatedly, with no recurring revenue obligation to the vendor. The bet is that this frictionless pricing, coupled with clinically validated content, will drive adoption deep into a niche but essential professional network.
Building on a foundation of clinical credibility
The leadership and advisory structure appears designed to reinforce this clinical focus. Co-founder and CEO Rick Carlson provides the operational helm, while co-founder and COO Dr. Miles Aaron adds a clinical doctorate to the founding team [PRWeb, Oct 2024] [Hearing Health & Technology Matters, 2025]. The involvement of Dr. Nancy Tye-Murray, a well-published researcher in auditory rehabilitation, as an affiliate further signals an intent to stay grounded in peer-reviewed science [LinkedIn, 2026]. The company's backers include a mix of regional and thematic funds like the Charlotte Angel Fund and Temprano Techvestors, though the total funding amount and specific round details remain undisclosed in the public record [Crunchbase, 2024].
| Role | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Founder & CEO | Rick Carlson | CEO since March 2022 [Clay.earth / LinkedIn, 2026]. |
| Co-Founder & COO | Dr. Miles Aaron | Holds a clinical doctorate [Dr. Cliff Show YouTube, 2026]. |
| Clinical Affiliate | Dr. Nancy Tye-Murray, PhD | Published researcher in auditory training [LinkedIn, 2026]. |
| Clinical Advisor | Dr. Robert Sweetow | Contributed to Tinnitus Pro development [The Hearing Review, 2024]. |
The competitive and commercial landscape
Operating in a specialized corridor of digital health brings distinct advantages and challenges. The primary advantage is a clear, professional buyer with a defined need: improving patient outcomes and reducing costly hearing aid returns. The regulatory context is also clearer, as the tools are sold as aids to a licensed practitioner rather than as standalone diagnostics or treatments requiring direct FDA clearance. However, the market is finite and sales cycles can be long, reliant on convincing busy clinic owners of a tool's return on investment. Furthermore, the lifetime license model, while simple, places the entire burden of growth on new customer acquisition and market expansion, forgoing the recurring revenue engine that investors in digital health often prize.
The company's near-term trajectory will likely hinge on a few key motions:
- Clinical validation. Continued publication of outcomes data using the new AI-powered versions will be crucial for adoption in a evidence-driven field.
- Clinic penetration. Moving from early-adopter audiologists to broader networks will test the sales motion and the real-world utility of the lifetime license price point.
- Product integration. The success of the newer Tinnitus Pro launch and its potential synergy with the established LACE AI Pro platform could create a more comprehensive auditory care suite.
For the roughly 48 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss, and the millions more who experience chronic tinnitus, the standard of care today often feels incomplete [estimated]. A hearing aid fitting is a technical correction, but the brain's rehabilitation is a separate, slower process. Traditionally, this has been managed through in-person therapy sessions or generic take-home exercises, resources that are scarce and not always personalized. Neurotone AI is attempting to codify and scale that rehabilitative step, placing a digital therapist in the patient's pocket, but always with the clinician kept in the loop. The final measure of its ambition won't be its AI model, but whether it can demonstrably improve the daily listening experience for the patient sitting in the audiologist's chair.
Sources
- [Neurotone support, 2024] What is Lace AI Pro? Who is Neurotone AI? | https://support.neurotone.com/what-is-lace-ai-pro-who-is-neurotone-ai
- [The Audiology Place, 2026] LACE (predecessor to LACE AI Pro) supported by more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and 10+ clinical trials | https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/organizations/neurotone-ai-acquires-amptify-to-advance-auditory-training
- [PRWeb, Oct 2024] Neurotone AI Launches Tinnitus Pro: The Next Revolution in Tinnitus Treatment | https://www.prweb.com/releases/neurotone-ai-launches-tinnitus-pro-the-next-revolution-in-tinnitus-treatment-302616530.html
- [The Hearing Review, 2024] Neurotone AI Launches Tinnitus Pro | https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/tinnitus/tinnitus-therapy/neurotone-ai-launches-tinnitus-pro
- [Perplexity Sonar, 2024] Neurotone AI develops AI-powered digital auditory rehabilitation platforms | Snippet on pricing and model.
- [Hearing Health & Technology Matters, 2025] Dr. Miles Aaron confirmed as co-founder and COO | https://hearinghealthmatters.org
- [LinkedIn, 2026] Nancy Tye-Murray, PhD - Neurotone AI | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-tye-murray-phd-57664035/
- [Crunchbase, 2024] Neurotone AI - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/neurotone-ai
- [Clay.earth / LinkedIn, 2026] Rick Carlson has served as CEO of Neurotone AI since March 2022 | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickcarlson
- [Dr. Cliff Show YouTube, 2026] LACE AI Pro Explained: Neurotone AI Auditory Training for Hearing in Noise | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezCGn0fZYF4