\u201cAbout a decade ago, my grandfather was suffering from dementia and cognitive decline,\u201d founder and CEO Chris Ellis told Refresh Miami. As he tried to understand what was happening, he began looking into research around hearing loss. What he found surprised him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started doing some information gathering and found studies relating untreated hearing loss to a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ellis watched the pattern unfold firsthand. His grandfather, who had spent years working around loud machinery as a hydraulics engineer in the Air Force and in the airline industry, slowly lost his hearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou start losing your hearing. You get frustrated, so then you start to isolate yourself,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cYou\u2019re not getting the social connections, and then the cognitive stuff starts to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/audiocardio-founder.png\")
AudioCardio founder and CEO Chris Ellis<\/p>\n
That experience pushed him to look for a different approach to hearing care. Ellis later teamed up with a scientist from South Korea who had been working on hearing technologies, and together they launched AudioCardio in 2018. The company released its first product in 2021.<\/p>\n
Instead of relying on traditional hearing aids, AudioCardio focuses on using sound itself as therapy. The company\u2019s technology delivers specific frequencies designed to retrain the brain\u2019s auditory system.<\/p>\n
The first product was a mobile app called AudioCardio, which Ellis describes as a widely accessible entry point.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think of the mobile app like your daily vitamin,\u201d he said. \u201cAnyone can access it if they have a smartphone and an internet connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, the company expanded into clinical tools as its research progressed and regulatory approvals came through. AudioCardio now offers three main products: the mobile app, an AI-based diagnostic platform, and a clinician-operated therapy system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe measure 67 frequency bands,\u201d Ellis explained. \u201cA conventional test measures six frequency bands. So we\u2019re getting a far more comprehensive view of a person\u2019s hearing profile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clinicians can then generate a personalized sound therapy file based on that data. Patients listen to it for about an hour a day for several weeks. The treatment is designed to be passive.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou actually can\u2019t hear the sound,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cWe play it just below the audible level. Once you set it, you can go for a walk, check email, or even fall asleep while it\u2019s playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Ellis initially expected the product to appeal mostly to older adults, the user base has turned out to be much broader. The company is seeing growing interest from younger users as well as musicians. \u201cMore than 40 percent of musicians have ringing ears,\u201d Ellis said.<\/p>\n
AudioCardio has raised about $1.5 million from a private investment group and is piloting its technology in clinics across several cities, including Miami. Ellis expects the company to expand clinic partnerships across South Florida over the next year.<\/p>\n
For Ellis, Miami has become a natural base for the company and a growing number of its eight employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of finance is moving here. A lot of tech talent is moving here,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is just the beginning for Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:<\/p>\n
I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.<\/p>\n ![\"Riley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4q0a7418-1.jpeg\")
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