Why Siemens Hearing Aids Became Signia
The Short Answer (In One Minute)
Siemens hearing aids became Signia because Siemens sold its hearing-aid business to new owners, and the new company needed a brand it could fully own and control—instead of relying on the Siemens name long-term. Siemens announced the sale of its audiology business to EQT and the Strüngmann family in November 2014. Later, under the new company identity (Sivantos), the premium hearing-aid brand Signia was introduced around spring 2016, with a period where devices were even co-branded (Signia + Siemens) during the transition.
What changed and what stayed the same
The Change:
- The ownership (Siemens no longer owned the hearing-aid unit).
- The brand name on the products (Siemens → Signia).
What stayed the same (for most people):
- The engineering DNA and product direction didn’t suddenly “reset overnight.” The new company carried forward technology and expertise that had been built under Siemens.
The key dates at a glance
- Nov 6, 2014: Siemens announced it would sell Siemens Audiology Solutions to EQT and the Strüngmann family.
- Early 2015: The business operations moved under the new ownership (commonly referenced as the Siemens hearing division being incorporated into Sivantos around this period).
- Spring 2016: Signia was introduced as a new premium brand, initially with a co-branding strategy (Signia + Siemens).
- 2019: Sivantos and Widex completed their merger to form WS Audiology, which includes Signia among its brands.
A Quick Backstory: Siemens and Hearing Technology
If you’ve ever seen someone react emotionally to the name “Siemens” in hearing aids, it’s not random. Big legacy names do something powerful: they make people feel safe.
Siemens spent decades building recognition in electronics, healthcare technology, and engineering culture. So when a hearing aid carried the Siemens name, buyers often assumed:
“Okay, this is serious engineering. This is not a mystery product.”
Why the Siemens name mattered in hearing care
In healthcare, trust is a currency. A hearing aid isn’t just a gadget—it’s something you wear on your body, rely on daily, and invest real money into. The Siemens label gave many customers a shortcut to confidence.
Brand trust vs. product innovation
Here’s the catch: brand trust helps you open the door, but innovation keeps you inside the room.
A company can have great tech but still decide, strategically, to sell a division. And that’s exactly the kind of business move that can trigger a rebrand later.
The Big Turning Point: Siemens Sold the Hearing-Aid Business
This is the “plot twist” that explains everything.
On November 6, 2014, Siemens announced it was selling Siemens Audiology Solutions to the investment company EQT and the Strüngmann family (as co-investor).
Who bought it and why
EQT is a major investment firm. The Strüngmann family is known for major healthcare investments. The simplest way to understand this is:
- Siemens decided to exit ownership of the hearing-aid business.
- The new owners wanted to run and grow it independently.
What “spin-off” really means in business
A spin-off/sale is like this: the team, factories, R&D, and products don’t vanish. They move into a new company structure with new owners, new goals, and often… a new name.
Why big companies sell strong divisions sometimes
This sounds weird at first: “If it’s good, why sell it?”
But big corporations constantly rebalance:
- focus on core segments,
- simplify operations,
- or pursue capital for other priorities.
Selling doesn’t automatically mean the division was failing. It can be a strategic reshuffle.
From Siemens Audiology to Sivantos: The Transitional Identity
After the acquisition was finalized, the newly owned Siemens hearing instrument division became known as Sivantos.
Why the company name changed first
Companies have two “names” in play:
- the corporate group name (who owns, who manages), and
- the product brand name (what customers see on the box).
It’s common to change the corporate identity first—because ownership has changed—while keeping product branding stable temporarily to avoid shocking the market.
What happened to the Siemens-branded hearing aids
In the short run, Siemens-branded hearing aids didn’t just evaporate from clinics. Real-world healthcare markets move slowly: stocks, warranties, counseling scripts, and patient familiarity all matter.
This is why the next step—Signia—was handled carefully.
So Why Create the Signia Brand?
Here’s the heart of your question.
After the sale, the company could not depend on “Siemens” forever as a product brand. Even if customers loved it, the name belongs to Siemens AG, and continued use typically requires agreements, timelines, and strategic constraints.
Owning your brand vs. renting someone else’s name
Think of it like this:
Using “Siemens” after the sale is like living in a nice apartment that your parents own. You may enjoy it—but it’s not yours. You want the freedom to renovate, expand, and plan long-term without asking permission.
A brand you own gives you:
- independence,
- consistent global marketing,
- and long-term control.
The licensing reality behind famous brand names
When ownership changes, brand usage can become complicated:
- licensing fees,
- co-branding windows,
- legal limitations,
- and brand strategy conflicts.
So the company introduced Signia as a premium brand under its own control, while still reassuring Siemens-loyal customers during the transition.
A simple analogy: moving out of your parents’ house
Signia wasn’t “breaking up” with Siemens technology. It was moving out of the Siemens brand house.
Same skills, same ambition—new name on the doorbell.
Co-Branding Phase: “Signia + Siemens” on the Same Device
One of the smartest moves in this story is the co-branding phase.
When Sivantos introduced Signia, it stated that in the mid-term the hearing aids would be co-branded—Signia on one side and Siemens on the other—while preparing for “complete brand autonomy.”
Why co-branding is used during rebrands
Co-branding is basically a bridge.
It says:
“Hey, we know you trust the old name. We’re not ripping it away overnight. Here’s the new name—right next to it—so your brain can connect the dots.”
How this reduced confusion for clinics and patients
Clinics deal with:
- patient counseling,
- aftercare follow-ups,
- spare parts and accessories,
- and product comparisons.
Co-branding reduces the “Wait… is this a different company?” panic.
Did the Technology Change When the Name Changed?
This is the question customers ask with their eyebrows before they ask with their mouth.
The simple truth: a brand name change is not automatically a technology downgrade. In fact, sources describing the transition emphasize that Signia devices continued to use technology developed under Siemens, even though they were now sold under the Signia name.
R&D continuity and engineering teams
When a business is sold, it often retains:
- engineering teams,
- patents and product platforms,
- manufacturing processes,
- supplier relationships,
- and clinical expertise.
So from a user perspective, the “feel” of the product line can remain consistent even when the label changes.
What users typically notice (and what they don’t)
Users usually notice:
- sound clarity changes from new chip generations,
- feedback control improvements,
- Bluetooth/app experiences,
- battery life differences.
Users usually don’t notice:
- corporate ownership structures,
- internal org charts,
- or the legal mechanics of branding.
What WS Audiology Has to Do With It
Now we zoom out again, because the story didn’t stop at Signia.
Sivantos later merged with Widex, and the combined company operates as WS Audiology (formed in 2019).
Sivantos + Widex = WS Audiology
WS Audiology was formed through the combination of Sivantos and Widex, and it operates a portfolio of hearing-aid brands that includes Signia (and Widex, among others).
Where Signia sits in today’s brand portfolio
In plain terms:
- Signia is one of the major brands under WS Audiology today.
- The company structure has evolved, but Signia remains the brand identity that replaced Siemens-branded hearing aids in the market.
What This Means for Buyers and Existing Siemens Users
Okay, enough corporate history—what should a real buyer do with this information?
Repairs, accessories, and compatibility
If someone owns older Siemens devices, their biggest concerns are usually:
- “Can I still get service?”
- “Will my accessories work?”
- “Can I find parts?”
The practical answer is: support depends on model generation, local distributor policies, and availability—not just the name on the casing. Brand transitions like this are designed to keep continuity rather than break it abruptly, especially during the co-branding period.
Software, apps, and future support
Modern hearing aids are increasingly software-driven:
- fitting software for audiologists,
- smartphone apps,
- firmware updates.
So if you’re buying today, the best question is not “Is it Siemens or Signia?”
It’s: “Which platform, which support channel, and which aftercare plan am I getting?”
Practical buying checklist
Before purchasing:
- Ask for the exact model name and generation.
- Confirm warranty terms and local service centers.
- Ask about accessories (chargers, TV streamers, domes, receivers).
- Check app compatibility (Android/iPhone requirements).
- Confirm your clinic’s aftercare schedule (fine-tuning matters more than most people realize).
Common Myths (Cleared Up)
Myth 1: “Siemens stopped making hearing aids”
The more accurate version is: Siemens sold the hearing-aid business, and the products continued under new ownership and branding.
Myth 2: “Signia is a completely different company”
Signia was introduced by the company that acquired the Siemens hearing-aid business (Sivantos), as a new premium brand identity.
Myth 3: “Quality dropped after the rename”
A rename doesn’t automatically change quality. Product quality trends depend on R&D, manufacturing, clinical fitting, and support—things that typically evolve across product generations, not flip overnight because a logo changed.
How to Explain This Simply to a Customer (Clinic Script)
If you run a clinic (or you’re a student preparing a talk), this is the part that saves you time.
One-sentence explanation
“Siemens sold its hearing-aid division, and the new company launched Signia as the new brand name for its premium hearing aids.”
30-second explanation
“Siemens used to own the hearing-aid business, but it was sold to new owners around 2014–2015. After that, the company introduced Signia as its premium hearing-aid brand, first alongside the Siemens name for a transition period, then moving fully to Signia.”
How to answer the top 3 objections
- “Is Signia original Siemens?”
“It’s the continuation of the former Siemens hearing-aid division under a new brand name.” - “Will it be reliable?”
“Reliability depends on the specific model and fitting, but the brand transition was planned and supported, not sudden.” - “Why did they change the name at all?”
“Because after the sale, the company needed a brand it fully owned for the long term.”
Final Thoughts: A Name Change, Not a Mission Change
The Siemens-to-Signia story sounds dramatic until you see it clearly: it’s mainly a business and branding evolution.
- Siemens sold the hearing-aid unit.
- The new company identity became Sivantos.
- Signia launched as the premium hearing-aid brand, with a co-branding bridge to reduce confusion.
- Later, the company merged into WS Audiology, where Signia remains a key brand today.
So if you’re explaining this in class or writing it for SEO: frame it as ownership change → brand autonomy → smooth transition. That storyline is accurate, easy to understand, and it answers the real question behind the question.
FAQs
1) Are Siemens and Signia the same?
They’re not the same company name today, but Signia is the premium brand that continued from the former Siemens hearing-aid business after Siemens sold the division.
2) When did Siemens become Signia?
The sale was announced in November 2014, and Signia was introduced around spring 2016, with a co-branding transition period.
3) Is Signia owned by Siemens today?
Signia is part of the WS Audiology brand portfolio (WS Audiology formed in 2019).
4) Will my old Siemens accessories work with Signia?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no—compatibility depends on the model generation and accessory type. The safest approach is to match accessories by platform/model, not by the old vs. new brand name alone. (Brand transitions were designed to reduce disruption.)
5) Is Signia a premium brand or budget brand?
Signia was introduced as Sivantos’ premium brand line.
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