Amplifon's history

A lifetime of experience. A world of difference.

Our true successes are the millions of people who have had their quality of life improved by what we do, and the way we do it.

Amplifon's history

In the 1940's, the development of the transistor revolutionised electronics, bringing us the transistor radio and the first electronic hearing aids.

Among the pioneers in this new development was Englishman Algernon Charles Holland, who founded Amplifon in Milan, Italy in 1950 to distribute and fit hearing aids throughout the region.

The company grew quickly and between 1950 and 1970 helped many thousands of people with hearing loss to improve their hearing and reconnect with the world around them.

Always at the forefront of technical innovation and customer care, in 1971 Amplifon established the Centre for Research and Studies (CRS). The Centre is a not-for-profit foundation to support scientific and clinical research programmes into hearing loss. To this day, the Centre provides services to ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialists, GPs, paediatricians, neurologists and hearing aid specialists worldwide.

By the 1990s we'd helped millions of people with hearing loss and become a widely trusted name.

Meanwhile, the development of the microchip meant that hearing aids could be made smaller and less obtrusive, with more scope to fine tune and personalise them for individual needs. In 1996, Amplifon began fitting the first fully digital hearing aids.

In 2006 Amplifon acquired The Ultravox Group - an established and trusted brand in the UK since 1961.

Today Amplifon has more than 9,200 specialist centres in over 25 countries around the world staffed with our highly qualified professionals. Our success is global. But it's also very personal and individual.

Amplifon Brave Britons Award

Find out more about how our awards highlight members of the public who have shown – like our founder, Charles Holland, – acts of courage, bravery and incredible selflessness, showing them to be ‘The Best of British’.

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