# Otolith Labs

> Otolith Labs is a Washington, D.C. medical device company building the first wearable to treat vertigo, motion sickness and virtual-reality sickness. Its patented non-invasive Vestibular Resonance Therapy (nVRT) uses precisely tuned bone-conduction vibrations to interact with the motion sensors of the inner ear, quieting the faulty balance signals that cause dizziness. The head-worn OtoBand has been tested on hundreds of subjects, carries an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and is pursuing FDA clearance through the De Novo pathway.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- **Founders:** Sam Owen (Founder & Board Member), Jon Akers (Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer), Didier Depireux (Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer)
- **Team size:** ~15 employees
- **Products:** OtoBand, nVRT (non-invasive Vestibular Resonance Therapy)
- **Notable:** Received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation on June 24, 2021, Closed a $20M Series A financing led by Morningside Ventures (September 2022), Tested on 600+ subjects with zero reportable serious device-related adverse events

## Products & services

- **OtoBand** — A head-worn, non-invasive wearable medical device that a patient places on the head and activates to relieve the symptoms of chronic vertigo. Currently in its 5th-generation prototype and pursuing FDA clearance.
- **nVRT (non-invasive Vestibular Resonance Therapy)** — Patented core technology that uses bone conduction to deliver precisely tuned waveforms to the inner ear's vestibular system, masking or suppressing the faulty balance signals that cause vertigo. Also referred to as nVSM (non-invasive Vestibular System Masking).

## Achievements

- Received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation on June 24, 2021
- Closed a $20M Series A financing led by Morningside Ventures (September 2022)
- Tested on 600+ subjects with zero reportable serious device-related adverse events
- Won the NASA iTech 2020 Cycle 1 competition (one of three winning teams)
- Won CES 'Ignite the Night' pitch competition in 2020
- Technology validated by Jaguar Land Rover (2018) for motion sickness
- ISO 13485 certification for quality management systems from BSI
- MedTech Innovator top-50 startup and Execution Award finalist
- Published peer-reviewed research (Frontiers, 2025) on reducing cybersickness from virtual reality

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — Published peer-reviewed research in Frontiers demonstrating the technology's effectiveness against cybersickness from virtual reality.
- **2024-10** — Attended AAO 2024 and the Barany Society Meeting; joined VeDA's Industry Advisory Council.
- **2024-05** — Appointed Kevin Franck, PhD, MBA as Chief Clinical Officer.
- **2024-02** — Named Dan Wagner as a senior commercial leader and added Raphael Michel to the Board of Directors.

## Links

- Website: https://otolithlabs.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otolith-labs
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/OtolithLabs
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/otolithlabs

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/otolith-labs
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-18