Hearing Aid Manufacturers
The Major Hearing Aid Manufacturers
Starkey is the only American-owned global hearing aid manufacturer.  It was founded by Bill Austin in 1967, initially as a single-site hearing aid repair business, acquiring Starkey Laboratories, a small mould manufacturing company, three years later.  The business received a major shot in the arm when President Ronald Reagan started using their aids in the early 1980s.  Since then, their 'customers' have included five US presidents and two popes.  Today Starkey employ around 5000 people worldwide and report an annual turnover of almost $1 billion.
Traditionally, Starkey have been best known for their custom 'in-the-ear' hearing aids, being especially adept at producing small-but-powerful CIC models.  This talent for squeezing big functionality into a small package continued with the introduction of their Soundlens iic (the smallest, most discreet type of in-the-ear hearing aid), still the only iic to offer wireless functions.  For many years they were also famed for industry-leading feedback control (an electronic means of stopping hearing aids from whistling during use).  It's probably fair to say that they allowed other manufacturers to take the lead in development and innovation for a spell, but more recently they have really caught the eye with their flagship Livio AI aid, which - mated with the Thrive smartphone app - incorporates imaginative features such as heart monitor, pedometer, fall detection and language translator, among others.
The history of Danish manufacturer, GN ReSound is rather convoluted, but essentially goes back to 1943 when the company was founded under the name Danavox (which still partially survives in the public sector of the hearing aid market).  It was acquired in 1977 by the telecommunications giant GN Store Nord and is now one of the big names in hearing aid technology, operating in over 80 countries worldwide.
Their recent history has been marked by an impressive commitment to development and innovation, and they have racked up a formidable list of industry 'firsts'.  They invented Wide Dynamic Range Compression, a way of controlling amplified sound to maximise speech clarity while maintaining sound comfort.  They also developed Digital Feedback Suppression - an electronic means of managing the output of hearing aids to prevent unwanted whistling during use, which in turn helped them to revolutionise the hearing aid world with the introduction of the first 'open fit' hearing aid, the ReSound Air.  They also won the race to bring 2.4 GHz technology to market, allowing them to create the first 'made for iPhone' hearing aid, the ReSound LiNX.  Their latest model range - 'Omnia' - mated with their Smart 3D app, aims specifically to address the biggest problem for those with hearing problems: background noise.  It is among the most advanced instruments available, and plans for further development continue in the area of connectivity.
Phonak can trace their roots back to 1947 in Zurich.  Today the company is headquartered in the Swiss city of Stafa and is probably the most recognisable name under the Sonova Holdings umbrella, which also includes Canadian manufacturer Unitron as well as some smaller hearing aid brands. 
They have always traded on quality and technical development, spending huge budgets on research.  They were the first manufacturer to develop a hearing aid with wireless features and are particularly notable today for their Roger wireless accessories.  Together with Unitron, they are the biggest supplier of hearing aids in the world and operate in over 90 countries.
For some reason, Denmark is disproportionately represented in the hearing aid world and Oticon is one of the industry's biggest names.  It was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, driven by his quest to find a way of alleviating his wife's hearing impairment.  He started by importing hearing assistive devices from the USA. 
His son William took over the business on his father's death and, with the Second World War creating supply problems, he began making his own components, eventually producing his first home-grown hearing device in 1940.  The company expanded globally throughout the 50s and 60s and is now the second largest manufacturer of hearing aids in the world, employing over 3000 people.  Their recent technical focus has tended to be on faster processors that can handle changing sound environments more effectively, and their 'More' model, incorporating the so-called 'Deep Neural Network', could prove to be the closest thing to a revolution in hearing aid technology in the last 20 years.  Their latest model range, 'Real' builds on this technology and is considered by many audiologists to be the best solution currently available for dealing with background noise.  Their UK headquarters are located in Hamilton, Lanarkshire.
Unitron is the other big-name manufacturer owned by the Swiss group, Sonova.  The company started life as a small TV and radio sales and service business, founded in Canada by three German partners in 1964.  Spotting a gap in the Canadian market, they decided to turn their hand to hearing aids and gradually built up a bank of expertise, establishing a reputation in particular as the go-to brand for power aids. 
Having been acquired by Sonova in 2000, the company now shares much of its hardware expertise with sister company Phonak, but it still retains a large research and development facility at its headquarters in Ontario where it develops its own sound-processing strategies, as well as its own distinctive visual style: the company has won numerous design awards for its products.  It has become common among audiologists to view Unitron - unfairly, in my humble opinion - as the Cinderella of the Sonova group, always playing second fiddle to Phonak.  However, it's latest Blu products offer direct smartphone connectivity, cutting edge sound processing and rank alongside the best hearing aids currently available.
Yet another Danish manufacturer!  Established in 1956 by Erik Westermann and Christian Topholm, it remains in the hands of their descendants today.  Widex has developed an interesting company culture over the years.  Choosing very much to plough its own furrow, it always seems to come up with unexpected and innovative ideas.  In 1995, it became the first manufacturer to offer a completely digital in-the-ear hearing aid.
They developed the award-winning CAMISHA system (Computer Aided Manufacture of Individual Shells for Hearing Aids), a technology using 3D laser modelling to make custom hearing aids that's now used by every manufacturer.  Their Evoke range of hearing aids was also the first to incorporate machine learning technology to optimise performance in a variety of listening environments, and they have built on this innovation in their latest 'Moment' range. The instinct to innovate continues with their most recent project: fuel cell (rather than battery)-powered hearing aids, which could potentially revolutionise the market.
The unique sound quality of Widex hearing aids is the stuff of audiological folklore.  Many practitioners promote as sacred wisdom the view that, once a patient has used Widex aids, they'll settle for nothing else.  You'll even occasionally hear Widex referred to as 'The Rolex of Hearing Aids'.  I'm not sure they stand quite that far above their competitors.  Nothing is perfect, and the issue of feedback management was a huge fly in the Widex ointment for many years, though they assure me this has now been addressed.  It is, however, undeniable that they have a deserved reputation for the quality and reliablity of their products.  It will also be interesting to see what comes of their recent merger with Singapore-based manufacturer, Sivantos.  This has created a giant conglomerate - WS Audiology - with an annual turnover of EUR 1.7 billion, over 10,000 employees covering more than 125 countries, and a stated ambition to be the de facto innovation leader in the industry.
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