British tech company Kokoon is no stranger to Kickstarter fundraising. Its first campaign, for electroencephalography (EEG) headphones designed for better sleep, raised close to $2M in two months back in 2015. The product, which is now being sold commercially, is a set of headphones that included EEG sensors to monitor sleep and adjust audio output, such as music or binaural beats, accordingly. The headphones are also meant to be worn throughout the night, with a patented shallow profile and passive air venting. These technologies were described in two patent applications, one filed in 2015 (issued in 2019) for the headphones and another filed in 2016 for the EEG sensors.
Kokoon recently launched another Kickstarter for smart earbuds for better sleep with an initial fundraising goal of $26,000 in one month. The campaign, which offers discounted first editions of the new product to backers, has already raised $300,000 in pledges within the first day. The new earphones include photoplethysmography, which is an optical method of sensing blood flow and heart rate. These technologies have not yet been mentioned in any published patent applications from Kokoon but may give an indication for future portfolio development. Other companies with sleep headphones include Bose and Samsung. Patents are an important component of commercial movement, and you can keep track of companies big and small on the Magic Number® Consumer Sleep Patent Radian®.
