
ORA Graphene Audio
Engineers advanced Graphene-based nano-materials for high performance loudspeakers and headphones.
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CAD3.0m | Seed | ||
Total Funding | 000k |
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ORA Graphene Audio, a Montreal-based materials science company founded in 2016, is focused on commercializing advanced graphene-based nanomaterials for the audio industry. The company originated from a conversation between brothers Dr. Robert-Eric Gaskell, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in sound engineering at McGill University, and his brother Peter, a Ph.D. student working with graphene for electric vehicle batteries. This led to the development of their core technology, GrapheneQ™, a proprietary nanocomposite material. The founding team includes Robert-Eric Gaskell, Ari Pinkas, and Kaiwen Hu, who brought together expertise in sound engineering, business development, and materials science. The initial research was backed by the Montreal-based incubator TandemLaunch, which recognized the value of the team's graphene expertise.
The company's business model is primarily business-to-business (B2B), developing and supplying its GrapheneQ material to global manufacturers of consumer electronics. ORA engages in joint-development partnerships with established brands to integrate its technology into their products, such as premium gaming headphones. A strategic partnership with Merry Electronics, a major Taiwanese manufacturer, was formed to produce the first off-the-shelf GrapheneQ headphone drivers, making the technology more accessible to a wider range of manufacturers. While the company initially launched a direct-to-consumer headphone via a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $1 million, its current strategy is focused on being a component supplier.
ORA's core product is GrapheneQ™, a patented loudspeaker membrane material composed of over 95% graphene flakes arranged in a laminate structure. This unique formulation provides high stiffness and low density, addressing longstanding challenges in loudspeaker design. Unlike pure graphene, which is difficult and expensive to produce at scale, GrapheneQ is manufactured using a scalable process involving graphene oxide, which makes it commercially viable. The key benefits of GrapheneQ membranes are a significant improvement in sound fidelity by reducing distortion, enhanced energy efficiency that can extend the battery life of wireless devices by up to 70%, and the ability to produce greater volume from smaller speakers.
Financially, ORA Graphene Audio has secured funding through various rounds. After initial support from TandemLaunch, the company raised $2.47 million in a Seed round in June 2021, with investors including Ecofuel Fund, BoxOne Ventures, and New York Angels. This funding was intended to build on their foundational technology and expand into broader markets beyond audio. The company has also been awarded grants from entities like Sustainable Development Technology Canada to explore new applications for its graphene technology.
Keywords: GrapheneQ, graphene audio, loudspeaker technology, nanomaterials, audio components, sound engineering, speaker membranes, high-fidelity audio, acoustic materials, audio drivers, consumer electronics components, materials science, advanced composites, Robert-Eric Gaskell, Ari Pinkas, Kaiwen Hu, headphone technology, energy-efficient speakers, distortion reduction, audio transducer, B2B audio solutions, Merry Electronics partnership