Mike Thoeny discusses the importance of collaboration to deliver on the promise of next-generation mobility.
USound GmbH is a fast-growing audio company that develops advanced audio systems for personal applications based on MEMS technology.
Business objective
USound, an Austrian start-up founded in 2012, developed a micro electro- mechanical system (MEMS) prototype for miniaturized speakers which gives users an immersive 3D-audio experience. Having built several prototypes in-house, USound was ready to commercialize its product and needed a manufacturing partner to help scale production.
Solution
USound met with our specialists in technology, design, engineering and manufacturing during their very first Product Innovation Workshop at our site in Althofen. At this meeting, the teams planned the way forward for high volume production of the MEMS speakers.
We analyzed the product prototypes and jointly adjusted the design to simplify the manufacturing process and make sure there would be no problems when it came to industrialization. Once the fully automated assembly line was constructed and successfully tested, the USound speakers went into production.
Outcome
With our support, USound doubled their output from 10,000 units a month to 20,000, with plans to increase production to more than 500,000 units in 2019 and more than one million in 2020. In addition to manufacturing, we took on USound’s inbound components supply chain and bill of materials. And work is underway for us to begin managing USound’s outbound logistics to original design manufacture (ODM) customers in China and other locations across the world.

Flex has enabled us to produce high-quality, high-volume products and distribute them to our end customers, allowing us to concentrate on research and development as well as on sales and marketing.Ferruccio Bottoni, Co-founder and Managing Director at USound