{"id":15359,"date":"2024-07-22T14:34:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1408683"},"modified":"2024-07-22T14:34:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:34:09","slug":"dutch-founder-raises-1m-for-app-he-built-for-his-deaf-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=15359","title":{"rendered":"Dutch founder raises $1M for app he built for his deaf parents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span>Growing up, Jari <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span> was a full-time interpreter. Both of his parents are deaf, and from a young age he helped them communicate in a world largely oblivious to the struggles of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/health-topics\/hearing-loss#tab=tab_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span>430 million people<\/span><\/a><span> suffering from disabling hearing loss.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWhile my parents could lip-read, their hearing disability made group conversations almost impossible,\u201d <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span> told TNW. Even family Christmas gatherings were a struggle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s what drove <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span> to found Speaksee: so people suffering from hearing loss could carry an interpreter in their pocket, everywhere they go.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408687 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/speaksee-deaf-app.jpg\" alt=\"speaksee-deaf-app\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\"><figcaption>Credit: Speaksee<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408687 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/speaksee-deaf-app.jpg\" alt=\"speaksee-deaf-app\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>The young entrepreneur\u2019s initial goal was straightforward: he wanted to help his dad take part in work meetings. But all the speech-to-text <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/software\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">software<\/a> available was inadequate. Everything on the market was either too bulky, inaccurate, or impractical, says <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span>. His mum and dad agreed.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\" readability=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/conference\/tickets?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=global_tnw_media_event-registration_retargeting_launch_2025-tnw-conference-amsterdam_TNW\" data-event-category=\"Article\" data-event-action=\"In Article Block\" data-event-label=\"TNW Conference 2025 - Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 - Save the date!\" target=\"_blank\" readability=\"7\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference 2025 &#8211; Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 &#8211; Save the date!<\/p>\n<p>As we wrapped up our incredible 2024 edition, we&#8217;re pleased to announce our return to Amsterdam NDSM in 2025. Registration now!<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Eventually, the Erasmus University graduate came up with an AI-powered speech-to-text software and microphone kit that he \u2014 and his parents \u2014 believed could do the trick. In 2017, <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span> teamed up with systems engineer Marcel van der Ven and founded Speaksee to bring it to market.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How does Speaksee work?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span>Speaksee\u2019s microphone kit is specifically designed to create live subtitles of group conversations for people suffering from hearing loss. During an interaction, the user hands out individual microphones to the members of the group, who clip the small devices to their collar.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408686 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/Speaksee-microphone.jpg\" alt=\"speaksee microphone \" width=\"1640\" height=\"1069\"><figcaption>Credit: Speaksee<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1408686 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/07\/Speaksee-microphone.jpg\" alt=\"speaksee microphone \" width=\"1640\" height=\"1069\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span>Each microphone is equipped with beam-forming technology, which isolates the speech from background noise, improving accuracy. The audio is then sent to a charging dock. This station doesn\u2019t just charge the microphones but also processes the audio and transmits to a smartphone app, where it appears as transcribed text.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>All of this happens in real-time, allowing someone with hearing loss to read what\u2019s being said. Each member of the group is colour-coded in the app, so the reader knows who\u2019s saying what. The software also works with video conferencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Speaksee <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> works in over 40 languages. The kit currently supports three microphones, but the company is working on expanding that to nine in order to support conversations with larger groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Scaling up<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span>Today, Speaksee announced it has secured <\/span><span>$1mn in fresh funding to scale up and tackle new markets. This brings its total raised so far to $4mn. The startup currently operates in the Netherlands but plans to branch out to the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Germany.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The hardest part about expansion, says <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span>, is securing government support. \u201cUnderstandably, people don\u2019t have to pay out of pocket for something like this,\u201d he said. \u201cThey expect it to be subsidised.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Recently, the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) approved Speaksee for reimbursement. This means that the government will cover the costs of the microphone kit for any employee in the Netherlands. The UK has also fully approved all Speaksee products for government funding through the Access to Work and Disabled Students Allowance funds.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cGovernment support is a real game-changer,\u201d said the founder. \u201cIt makes this life-changing technology within reach of so many more people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Speaksee is already used by several Dutch companies including KPN, Rabobank, and PwC. The Dutch government has also adopted the technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Back at home, <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span>\u2019s parents use Speaksee everyday. His father says he wouldn\u2019t be able to function at work anymore without it. <\/span><span>Conversations around the table have changed for good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cChristmas dinners have become demo day,\u201d laughed <\/span><span>Hazelebach<\/span><span>. \u201cEach year we test out new features and the whole family gives their feedback.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis year they will try out the kit using nine microphones \u2014 I\u2019m looking forward to that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/dutch-founder-startup-speaksee-deaf-app\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing up, Jari Hazelebach was a full-time interpreter. Both of his parents are deaf, and from a young age he helped them communicate in a world largely oblivious to the struggles of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}