After losing his voice to cancer, founder builds "glasses for voice"

Zieliński lost his voice to cancer years ago while a student at the University of Warsaw. People with his condition have traditionally relied on handheld speaking devices that sound flat and robotic, or on surgically implanted voice prostheses that require ongoing maintenance to prevent complications, he told TechCrunch. He went on to complete a PhD focused on bionic systems for laryngectomees — people who have had their larynxes removed — and, while working on his thesis, set out to build a non-invasive device, requiring no surgery, that would let people like him speak with emotion, laugh, shout, and even sing.

In 2023, Zieliński launched Uhura Bionics, a startup selected as one of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s Battlefield 200, a group of early-stage companies chosen to showcase their products at the conference next month. The company offers two wearable devices: a more basic model and a high-end version called Whitney, named after singer Whitney Houston. Zieliński says he hopes laryngectomees will use Whitney the way people with poor eyesight use glasses.

“I’m satisfied with what I’ve built because you added the emotional layer,” he said, in a voice that carries plenty of intonation, though with a slight electronic undertone.

The next step in Uhura’s development is adding higher-pitched voice options for women, as well as personalization features so users don’t all sound alike. For now, the company sells its products as wellness devices, meaning users pay out of pocket — $500 for the basic option and $1,500 for Whitney — but Uhura is in the process of getting them classified as Class I medical devices, the lowest-risk category, in Europe and, later, the U.S. That classification would allow for partial reimbursement through health insurance.

Zieliński estimates the market size for devices serving laryngectomees at about $2 billion, but says it could be larger if Uhura expands to serve people with other speech disorders. The company competes with medical device maker Atos Medical and startups like Laronix.

Zieliński will demonstrate Whitney’s capabilities at TechCrunch Disrupt as well as at SF Tech Week in October, where he plans to sing onstage with the device’s help.

Why it matters

A non-invasive alternative to surgical voice prostheses, priced as an out-of-pocket wellness device today but pursuing medical-device classification, points to a broader path for consumer hardware to reach patients faster than the traditional medical-device approval track allows.