Hance to showcase its kilobyte-sized AI audio software at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.

Hance: Innovating Audio Processing for High-Stakes Environments

Picture yourself as a Formula One driver, speeding down the track at 200 miles per hour. Suddenly, your engineer’s voice crackles through your radio, but you can’t decipher the message. Racing against time, there’s no room for miscommunication. Enter Norwegian startup Hance, with groundbreaking audio-processing technology that’s changing how we experience sound in high-pressure situations.

Revolutionizing Communication with Efficient Audio Solutions

Hance is setting new benchmarks in audio-processing with quick, compact software that has already garnered interest from significant players like Intel and Riedel Communications, the official radio supplier for F1. Hance has been selected as one of 200 startups to showcase its solutions at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, scheduled from October 27 to 29 in San Francisco.

A Team with Rich Industry Experience

Hance operates with a diverse team of just around 10 employees, each bringing a wealth of experience from the audio industry. Among them, co-founder Stian Aagedal serves as CEO of Acon Digital, a well-known audio editing software company, and Peder Jørgensen leads Soundly, a renowned sound effects library.

Harnessing AI to Transform Audio Processing

As artificial intelligence continues to gain traction, Aagedal, Jørgensen, and their teammates capitalized on AI’s capabilities across the audio-processing spectrum, particularly in noise reduction and sound isolation. Their journey began a few years ago when they started training models using high-fidelity recordings from Soundly, ranging from roaring F1 cars to Icelandic volcanoes.

Innovative Models Reducing Size without Compromising Quality

The Hance processing models have been refined to a mere 242 kB, a feat that allows real-time functionality on devices instead of relying on cloud processing. This innovation saves both time and energy. According to Hance, their models efficiently separate sounds, eliminate noise, echo, and reverb, while enhancing speech intelligibility with just 10 milliseconds of latency.

Versatile Applications Across Industries

While various companies provide audio-processing solutions, Hance stands out with its lightweight, energy-efficient models capable of real-time processing on devices of all sizes. This functionality is not only ideal for radios used in F1 and FIFA but also holds significant promise for applications in law enforcement and defense, as discussed by CEO Joote Hika in a TechCrunch interview.

Strategic Partnerships to Propel Growth

With Intel as a partner, Hance’s prospects are expanding exponentially. Their collaboration involves adapting Hance’s models to work with different versions of Intel chips, including the latest “neural processing units.” The startup is also in discussions with additional chip manufacturers and an undisclosed smartphone producer, revealing a myriad of future possibilities for their technology.

Focus on Research and Development for Competitive Edge

Hika emphasizes that the startup’s collaborations with industry leaders are expected to last several years and will remain non-exclusive. This strategy not only enhances scalability but also ensures that Hance remains a key player in the market. Despite bringing on their first Chief Commercial Officer, Hika asserts that the company’s primary focus will still be on rapid research and development. “We’re prioritizing AI-capable talent to maintain our nimbleness,” he said.

Competitive Advantages and Future Endeavors

Hika is optimistic about Hance’s position in the market, acknowledging their current advantage but reiterating the importance of maintaining and advancing it. “To stay ahead of our competitors, we must keep pushing forward,” he stressed.

Join Us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

If you’re intrigued by Hance and eager to discover insights from many other innovative startups, join us at Disrupt in San Francisco from October 27 to 29. You’ll have the opportunity to hear pitches and network with guest speakers across four stages.

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