The archive · Hardware & Devices · Product decision · 2025–2026
Sonify bets masking noise at the wall beats white noise; Kickstarter-funded Shield
Wall-mounted adaptive sound-masking system that blocks neighbor noise at its source; $10K Kickstarter goal hit in under a day, deliveries from August 2026.
Sonify
What the business is
Sonify builds the Shield, an adaptive sound-masking system: surface-mounted exciters turn walls, windows and ceilings into barriers that block neighbor and street noise at its source.
Starting capital：Kickstarter crowdfunding: $10,000 goal funded in under a day; about €136,000 reported within days by Bright, with first units from August 2026.
How it started
Sonify began when co-founders Mandeep, a former Lockheed Martin component-qualification engineer, and Samad Tagoe, a former ExxonMobil engineer, moved into an apartment where noise came from every direction and found nothing on the market adequate. They developed the Shield over 1,000+ nights of real-world testing and were selected for Techstars' Fall 2025 accelerator (Build in Tulsa), which the company cites as a 0.6% acceptance rate.
What happened
The Kickstarter campaign for Shield passed its $10,000 goal in under a day; iXBT reported more than 200 backers and over $47,000 at publication in early May 2026, and Bright reported about €136,000 after a few days. The system learns recurring noise patterns — such as an upstairs neighbor at 6 a.m. — and pre-masks; early units were planned for August 2026 at a $199 backer price versus $299 retail.
How it ended up
Shipping first Kickstarter units from August 2026 as of September 2026, with retail planned at $299 and shipping to the US, Australia, Canada and the UK.
Background
Sonify's bet is that the best way to block noise in a room is to stop it where it enters: surface-mounted exciters turn walls, windows and ceilings into adaptive sound shields that match a masking signal to the intruding frequency, at roughly half the volume of a white-noise machine. The company was founded after co-founders Mandeep (ex-Lockheed Martin) and Samad Tagoe (ex-ExxonMobil) moved into an apartment noisy from every direction and found existing products inadequate.
The wedge was 1,000+ nights of real-world testing and privacy by design: all sound analysis happens on-device, with no recordings uploaded, even at an 18% higher unit cost. Sonify was selected for Techstars' Fall 2025 accelerator (Build in Tulsa), which the company cites as a 0.6% acceptance rate, then validated demand with a Kickstarter campaign that passed its $10,000 goal in under a day.
As of September 2026, first units are shipping to backers from August 2026 at $199 (versus a planned $299 retail), with the system shipping to the US, Australia, Canada and the UK. The company is still at the very start of its run: the bet is funded and in customers' hands, but retail scale is unproven.
What has to be true
- White-noise machines fight every frequency at once and must be loud; masking at the source needs roughly half the volume, per the company's testing.
- Kickstarter funded tooling and proved purchase intent: a $10,000 goal passed in under a day, with six-figure euro totals reported within days (Bright).
- On-device processing removed the privacy objection to a listening device in the bedroom — even though it raised unit cost by 18%.
- Techstars selection gave early credibility, but the campaign itself — not the accelerator badge — was the real proof of demand.
What can be applied
Instead of fighting noise with louder white noise, Sonify masked it at the surface where it enters at half the volume — a product thesis validated cheaply on Kickstarter before building inventory.
Aftermath
As of September 2026, Sonify is shipping first Kickstarter units (from August 2026) and preparing a $299 retail launch for the base kit; shipping covers the US, Australia, Canada and the UK. One base station covers one room with up to eight exciters, and the founders continue managing hardware development and factory relationships directly with manufacturing partners in China.
Sources
- Meet the Startups Joining Techstars' Fall 2025 Accelerator Programs
- Превращает окно в цифровой акустический барьер. Sonify Shield сорвал кассу на Kickstarter
- Dit apparaat blokkeert 's nachts de herrie van je buren
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