A New Place to Belong for Hearing Implant Users Worldwide: MED-EL Unveils the Hearpeers Community

February 25, 2026 – Innsbruck, Austria: Some of the most important questions cannot be answered by a brochure or a doctor’s appointment. What does a hearing implant feel like? How does life change afterwards? And who do you ask when you want an honest answer? For many people on the hearing implant journey, the most valuable insights come from those who have already lived it – openly, honestly, and in plain, human words. 
On International Cochlear Implant Day, MED‑EL introduces the Hearpeers Community, a global online space connecting hearing implant candidates and users at every stage of the journey.

• A new global space where hearing implant journeys connect and support each other.
• Real people. Real experiences. Real support that matters.
• Because no one understands hearing implants like those who live with them every day.

For many people, hearing loss is about far more than hearing alone – it can affect confidence, relationships, independence, and emotional wellbeing. Choosing a hearing implant can be a life‑changing decision, often accompanied by uncertainty, fear, and countless everyday questions. While medical professionals play a crucial role, there is something uniquely comforting about speaking with someone who has already walked the same path. “Nothing beats asking real users for advice, and no one understands your concerns and enthusiasm better than people who have been through the process themselves,” says Annette, a Hearpeers Mentor from Denmark.

A Community Built on Shared Experience

The Hearpeers Community was created to bring people together around these shared experiences. It is MED‑EL’s dedicated space for hearing implant candidates, recipients, and Hearpeers Mentors to exchange stories, ask questions, and support one another – openly, honestly, and safely. “The decision for a hearing implant is rarely just technical – it is deeply personal,” says Patrick D’Haese, Corporate Director of Awareness and Public Affairs at MED‑EL. “The Hearpeers Community creates space for people to learn from each other, feel understood, and realize they are not alone on this journey.”
The idea grew naturally from years of Hearpeers events around the world, where people connected instantly over shared experiences. Time and again, MED‑EL saw how quickly connections formed when people with hearing implants met face to face. Conversations continued long after events ended, friendships grew across borders, and a global network quietly took shape. The Hearpeers Community is the digital home for this growing global network.

A Safe Space You Can Trust

Unlike open social media platforms, the Hearpeers Community is a private, closed space designed specifically for the hearing implant community. It operates independently of advertising‑driven social networks and built within the MED‑EL environment, ensuring high standards of data protection, trust, and transparency. There are no ads, no algorithms competing for attention – just people, conversations, and meaningful connection.

Supporting Every Step of the Hearing Implant Journey

The Hearpeers Community is open to hearing implant candidates and MED‑EL recipients around the world. After joining, members are welcomed by their local MED‑EL or Hearpeers contact and invited into local and global community groups where they can meet others in similar situations.
Candidates can connect directly with Hearpeers Mentors – experienced users, partners, or parents – who volunteer their time to answer questions, share personal insights, and offer reassurance during the decision‑making process. Recipients can exchange tips, celebrate milestones, and support one another through rehabilitation and everyday life with a hearing implant. From emotional encouragement to practical advice – like navigating sports, travel, or daily routines – peer‑to‑peer connection plays a vital role in hearing health.

Growing Organically, Driven by People

The Hearpeers Community already includes more than 500 registered users, even before any official promotion. This organic growth reflects the strong desire among hearing implant users and candidates to connect in a space created specifically for them.
The wider Hearpeers network brings together over 200 Mentors from 45 countries, speaking more than 33 languages – a powerful reminder that while hearing journeys are deeply personal, they are also shared across cultures and borders.
The platform is currently available in English, Spanish, and German, with additional languages planned.

Looking Ahead

The Hearpeers Community will continue to grow and evolve, guided by the voices and experiences of its members. New features and formats will be shaped by what the community finds most meaningful – always with the goal of making people feel supported, understood, and less alone on their journey.
On International Cochlear Implant Day, MED‑EL celebrates not only the technology that enables hearing, but also the people, stories, and connections that make hearing journeys truly life‑changing.

Explore the Hearpeers Community and discover how shared experiences connect, support, and inspire hearing implant users around the world.

About Hearpeers

MED-EL, a world-leading hearing implant company based in Innsbruck, launched the global Hearpeers project in 2015. It was created as an international community for people connected by the hearing implant journey and to provide support and guidance for hearing implant users or candidates.
At the heart of the Hearpeers project are Hearpeers Mentors – trained volunteers who are MED-EL hearing implant users or family members. Eager to help others on their journey to hearing, these Mentors share their experiences and answer non-medical questions about life with a hearing implant. They offer unique and personal insights – because no one understands the journey better than someone who has lived it. What began in 2015 with just a handful of Mentors has grown into a vibrant network spanning over 45 countries, with hundreds of dedicated Hearpeers Mentors.

About MED-EL

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first employees. To date, MED-EL has more than 3,100 employees from around 90 nations and 30 locations worldwide.
The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 140 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com 

CEO

Doz. DI Dr DDr med. h.c. Ingeborg Hochmair

Press Contact

PR & Corporate Communications
MED-EL Medical Electronics
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6020 Innsbruck
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