DENVER, Colo. — The pandemic has had many of us in virtual meetings and on cell phones most of the day. And, it might have us listening to music or podcasts in between calls as an escape. So suddenly, a good earpiece is an essential part of life. You're in good company this week with Buderflys.
People are on the move, multi-tasking, and working remotely more than ever. That's why earbuds and headphones have become so popular.
"I use them all day for Zoom calls because those are back-to-back-to-back these days," says Buderflys founder Shea Gerhardt. "But then if I'm doing the dishes, or if I'm commuting somewhere, or riding my bike, or hiking, or even skiing, too."
Buderflys is a Denver-based start-up going after a high-end sector in the personal speaker market.
"We are going after the spoken word industry, which no one else in the space is going after," says Gerhardt. "We're wholeheartedly going after this curious mind audience. So, these are people doing Zoom calls all day. They're listening to audio books and podcasts."
Gerhardt says the earbud industry saw 70% growth year-over-year. But, not all earbuds are built the same.
"It turns out, that the top complaint in the earbud industry is fit," says Gerhardt. "They either hurt after a while of wearing them, they fall out, or they don't fit at all."
So, she designed Buderflys to be constantly molding and flexing with your ear to be comfortable over long periods of time.
"The biggest advantage to our earbuds is that they squish all day long," says Gerhardt. "They never have a hard state."
The end result is also an earpiece that is also crystal clear.
"We are using a high-end speaker that no one uses in this price point range," says Gerhardt. "It came from the hearing aid industry."
And, she envisions a day when earbuds become the only fully integrated equipment you'll need.
"I see a world where the earbud will become so sophisticated because of the technology, and because of the components inside, that you will no longer have to carry around a phone," she says.
So, you can listen and learn, and work and play, at a level best fit for you.
Buderflys just wrapped up a round of funding that included a grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade for $250-thousand.
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