Facts

Demant at a glance

We operate globally with a local presence through our companies in more than 30 countries and through trusted distributors in more than 130 countries. This way, we combine the best of two worlds: centralised and standardised processes that value local presence and initiatives.

Adding to our global orientation is a local presence. As a company represented in many countries, we act as a good citizen in the community. Besides from expected compliance with rules and regulations, this good citizenship includes the ambition that our employees and products contribute positively to the development of the community.

Market

Demant covers four business activities: traditional hearing instruments, hearing implants, diagnostic instruments and personal communication.

We are the only company in the world that covers these four areas, and we harvest significant synergies from this unique position. Synergies that will help millions of people experience the joy of hearing for many years to come. Just as the Demant family envisioned it when they founded and developed the company during the twentieth century.

With our approach to hearing healthcare and our complete product range, Demant, our customers and partners are fully equipped to help people with various kinds of hearing loss connect with the world and live their lives to the fullest.

Our unique position is a great advantage in a market that is growing. The hearing healthcare market represents a wholesale value of USD 6.5 billion per year, with Europe and North America being by far the largest markets.

Global tracking of hearing loss, e.g. MarkeTrak, EuroTrak and JapanTrak, shows that around 1 in 10 people over the age of 50 is living with a hearing loss. Approximately 15 million hearing aids and 85,000 hearing implants are sold every year, and the annual market growth is 4-6% in units, largely driven by the underlying demographic development, which is growing approx. 5% in value annually.

Revenue

13,937 MDKK

In 2018, we generated 13,937 DKK million in revenue. Our largest markets are Europe and North America.
Business Focus

4 areas

Demant focuses on four areas: Hearing Devices, Hearing Implants, Diagnostic Instruments and Personal Communication.
Workforce

>14,000

During 2018, the Group had and average number of full-time employees of 14,250.
Ownership

56%

Demant A/S is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen. William Demant Foundation is the sole owner of the investment company, William Demant Invest, who holds the majority shares of Demant A/S.

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Ownership structure

William Demant Foundation is the majority owner of Demant A/S through the investment company William Demant Invest A/S. In addition to Demant, William Demant Invest holds significant positions in the medtech companies Össur hf., Vision RT and Vitrolife AB, as well as the real estate company Jeudan A/S and the wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 1 in the North Sea off the German coast. Össur is listed in Iceland and Copenhagen, Vitrolife in Stockholm and Jeudan in Copenhagen.

William Demant Foundation

William Demant Foundation is a commercial foundation whose main purpose is to secure and expand the commercial activities of Demant A/S and William Demant Invest and to donate money to charitable causes.

Demant was founded in 1904. Back then, Hans demant had a good reason for doing so: His wife Camilla suffered from a severe hearing loss, and Hans was determined to help her and others in a similar situation. From personal experience, Hans Demant knew about the complex psychological problems that people often experience when they have difficulty communicating.

In 1910, after his father passed away, William Demant took over the business and quickly proved to be an energetic businessman. He was both a visionary and personally engaged in treatment of hearing loss, and in 1957, he created William Demants og Hustru Ida Emilies Fond. The foundation was established to ensure that the company would continue as a business based on humanistic philosophy. Today, this foundation is known as William Demant Foundation.

William Demant Foundation's statutes declare that income must be used to support the needs of people with hearing loss as well as relevant organisations. The Foundation’s income derives from its investment under William Demant Invest.

William Demant Foundation sponsors social and educational programmes, publications, conferences, cultural activities and campaigns for researchers, hearing care professionals and the general public.

If you would like to read more about William Demant Foundation and its activities please visit www.williamdemantfoundation.com

Eriksholm Research Centre

Eriksholm Research Centre pursues audiological discoveries with the potential to significantly enhance end-user benefits in future hearing care. Research is carried out in close collaboration with academic research institutions, clinicians and people with hearing loss. Being part of Oticon ensures that the scientific insights are applied in solutions which empower people with hearing loss.

Eriksholm Research Centre is located in Elsinore, 50 km from Demant's headquarter. The location away from the company´s headquarter facilitates the mind-set and working environment necessary for carrying out good long-term and in-depth research, but at the same time, there is a constant flow of people and ideas between Eriksholm and the headquarter.

A very broad spread of topics is being investigated at Eriksholm, well organised under three strategic, mega-trend inspired research themes: Cognitive Hearing Science, Social Hearing Science, and Augmented Hearing Science.

A strong culture of scientific enquiry characterises Eriksholm

Eriksholm engages in close collaboration with academic research groups from all over the world, and the vast majority of Eriksholm's research is published and presented at academic conferences. This reflects the fact that the researchers at Eriksholm are more concerned with understanding and discovery than with direct product development. Nevertheless, knowledge gained at Eriksholm feeds strongly into the innovations made in product development teams at the headquarter.

A strong culture of scientific enquiry characterises Eriksholm. Questions are never too complicated to ask. The atmosphere is one of individual learning and challenge, but with a strong team spirit. Research staff disciplines include audiology, psychoacoustics, acoustics, signal processing and anthropology.

In addition to the permanent staff, Eriksholm always has a number of MSc or PhD students.