Uhura Bionics launches $1,500 Whitney voice wearable at Disrupt 2026

Uhura Bionics is selling a non-invasive wearable called Whitney for $1,500 to people who have lost their voice boxes, founder Konrad Zieliński told TechCrunch.

The Warsaw-based startup, which Zieliński launched in 2023, sells two devices for laryngectomees—people whose larynxes have been removed. Whitney is the high-end unit. A basic model lists at $500. Both ship today as wellness devices, so every buyer pays out of pocket.

Why build a new device?

Laryngectomees have long relied on handheld speaking aids that sound flat and robotic, or on surgically implanted voice prostheses that require ongoing maintenance to prevent complications, Zieliński said.

He set out to build a non-invasive alternative during his PhD work on bionic systems for laryngectomees at the University of Warsaw. The thesis aimed at one specific outcome: a wearable that lets users speak with emotion, laugh, shout, and even sing.

What does Whitney actually do?

Whitney is named after singer Whitney Houston. The device sits on the face and produces speech with intonation, laughter, shouting, and song—without surgery. Zieliński compares the use case to eyeglasses: a wearable users put on every day and forget about. Planned updates add higher-pitched voice options for women and personalization features so users do not all sound alike.

Who is the founder?

Zieliński lost his own voice to cancer while still a student at the University of Warsaw. He finished his doctorate on bionic systems for laryngectomees and built Whitney to solve his own problem. He runs the company from Warsaw and pitches the device himself, demonstrating Whitney in his own altered voice.

"I'm satisfied with what I've built because you added the emotional layer," Zieliński said, speaking in a voice that indeed carries plenty of intonation, though with a slight electronic undertone.

How big is the prize?

Zieliński sizes the addressable market for laryngectomee devices at roughly $2 billion. He sees room to grow if Uhura branches into other speech disorders. For now, the company targets only people who have had their larynxes removed.

Competitors include Atos Medical, an established medical-device company with products already on the market, and Laronix, an early-stage rival also working on modern voice alternatives.

What is the regulatory path?

Uhura is filing for Class I medical-device classification, the lowest-risk category, in Europe first and then in the U.S. The designation would unlock partial reimbursement through health insurance. Until approval lands, the $1,500 Whitney and $500 basic device remain cash purchases with no insurance offset.

What's next on the calendar?

Uhura will demo Whitney at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 after earning a spot in the Battlefield 200, a cohort of early-stage exhibitors chosen to showcase products at the conference next month. Zieliński also plans to sing onstage with Whitney at SF Tech Week in October, putting the device in front of investors and clinicians.

What is at stake for Uhura?

The Class I application in Europe, followed by a U.S. filing, will determine whether Uhura can shift Whitney from a cash-pay niche product to a reimbursed medical device. Success would turn a personal PhD project into a direct challenger to Atos Medical and Laronix in a $2 billion market.