Dear Business partner,

Looking back at the year 2009, it is safe to say that this has been an

excellent year for ExSilent. By strongly expanding our customer base to

over twenty countries, introducing new products, opening our US office

and (again) more than doubling the size of the staff in our new Amsterdam

office - this year has been far from boring!

With all these new partners and colleagues it’s a privilege and a pleasure

to move forward towards an exciting period. The continuous expansion

of ExSilent’s innovation and R&D programmes will lead to multiple new

product launches at both AAA in April, and EUHA in October 2010.

A new and extensive line of marketing materials will accompany all these

new products.

All these products and support materials are intended to support you to

tap into the (on average) 75% of the hearing impaired population that

is currently unserved by our industry. The ExSilent Q, with a first buyer

audience in their late 50’s, has helped us indicate the path to reaching those

new age groups.

Together with you we hope to attract even more younger customers with a

combination of innovative design, appealing marketing and strong service.

We look forward to let them hear with you!

Yours sincerely,

Mark J.A. Kaal

Managing Director

ExSilent BV

President & CEO ExSilent USA

ExSilent | 3

4 | ExSilent

ExSilent | 5

IndexPrologue 3

History 6

Our philosophy 8

Our products 12

Q products 14

Qleaf products 16

Consumer products 18

Qstyle 20

Qprotect 22

The aspects of a solid partnership 24

ExSilentfounded

Startingof the wirelessproject

DutchDesignAwardsnomination

Introductionof ExSilentin selectedcountries andmarket research

Full launchof the ExSilent Q

Opening ofExSilent USA

ISO 13485 certi�cation

ExSilent exports to25 countriesaround the world and more are to be addedduring 2010

6 | ExSilent

Founded in 2005, ExSilent is a young

and dynamic company. We already

achieved some remarkable milestones

and established our name early on in

the hearing healthcare industry.

Back in 2005, the company started off in

Amsterdam as a design company with the

emphasis on developing modular invisible hearing

aids. ExSilent was supported by a venture capital

company right from the very beginning, and

therefore ExSilent had the capability to think out

of the box with this project.

During 2006, ExSilent started its wireless project

and was sourcing technology partners, which were

found in the Technical University in Delft and TNO,

a well known Dutch research organization.

After the fi rst fi eld tests with the Q modular CIC

hearing aid, ExSilent was nominated for the Dutch

Design Award and explored the options of the

product launch. One of the aspects of this fi eld

test i.e. was to gain more insight in the infl uence of

humidity on the device. This particular fi eldtest was

undertaken in the Caribbean.

Early 2008, ExSilent increasingly recognized

the potential of the Q, and step-by-step we began

introducing the company and the Q in selected

countries. Market research at local level was

executed in Asia and Latin America,

The history of ExSilent so far.

ExSilentfounded

Startingof the wirelessproject

DutchDesignAwardsnomination

Introductionof ExSilentin selectedcountries andmarket research

Full launchof the ExSilent Q

Opening ofExSilent USA

ISO 13485 certi�cation

ExSilent exports to25 countriesaround the world and more are to be addedduring 2010

ExSilent | 7

whereas business relationships started to come

alive in Europe.

After collecting and analyzing all the retrieved

market data, ExSilent prepared itself for a full launch

of the Q in 2009, which meant participating in major

events like the AudiologyNow! conference in the

USA and the IFOS congress in Sao Paulo, Brasil.

The success of these participations has led to an

ExSilent subsidiary in the USA, which is already in full

operation from it Plymouth, Minnesota base.

In the meanwhile ISO 13485 certifi cation was

achieved, and the R&D team doubled in manpower

to secure future product development.

By the end of 2009 ExSilent exported to 25 countries

around the globe, with more countries to be added

during the fi rst half of 2010. The company has also

evolved productwise by introducing the Qstyle, our

in-ear headphones and fi rst consumer product, and

the Qleaf, a 30% smaller version of the current Q

hearing aid.

The history of ExSilent so far.

8 | ExSilent

Our philo sophy

We like to see ourselves as an

innovative company, built on

experienced professionals.

As a young & independent R&D

company, we design next generation

hearing aids and audio applications.

We’ve brought together a world of knowledge, with

backgrounds in design, software-development,

audio-engineering, hearing aids and so much more.

Our aim is to help solve some of the notorious

problems of hearing aids in general and CIC’s in

particular. After starting small, we are now rapidly

expanding in partnerships and globalization.

Not only do we constantly improve our existing

designs; we make every eff ort to present you with

the latest technologies and newest applications.

Due to our in-house knowledge and cooperation

with hands-on Academics, more and more major

companies decide to rely on ExSilent’s products,

service and technical support.

“We work together with strategic partners in the hearing aid industry, the Academic world andnumerous specialists worldwide”

As more and more young people become hearing

impaired, we felt we had to consider their needs in

our new designs.

We have therefore developed a total new approach

to the younger hearing-impaired person. For the

majority this younger group is reluctant to purchase

hearing aids of any kind, and chooses to live

with their occasional problem until it becomes a

signifi cant issue throughout their daily live.

These younger persons will be served now by a

range of multifunctional consumer products, which

will become available not only at retail stores and

many more places, but also through the internet.

ExSilent | 9

Our philo sophy

All of these consumer products are based on

amplification, multifunctionality and a modern and

attractive design.

The above mentioned products cannot but lead to

the increasing awareness that a significant part of

day-to-day communication is simply missing. This

can be solved by fitting one of ExSilent’s medical

products like the Q or Qleaf, world’s smallest

modular CIC hearing aids.

Future Outlook

The changes in the hearing healthcare industry,

combined with the untapped market of people

with hearing problems in certain specific sound

environments, lead to the current solutions.

In addition, we have several more innovative

products in the pipeline! ExSilent is developing the

hearing instruments of tomorrow in order to fulfill

the needs of the problems mentioned above.

These creative solutions either cover, but are not

limited to, the issues of better speech enhancement

in noise, or the wireless connectivity to external

electronic devices.

Together with our industrial and technological

partners, we also strive to develop new algorithms

and functional designed devices to create more

acceptance with the general public.

“A hearing aid should not look like a hearing aid”

Based on our belief: “a hearing aid should not look

like a hearing aid” and “a hearing aid should do more

then just amplify”, our way forward will be in this

direction. We are convinced to be able to offer you

the future of communication! We look forward to the

future, as we are confident ExSilent will remain the

leading company when it comes to next generation

technology and design. We will never cease to create

and innovate.

10 | ExSilent

We look forward to hearing with you.

ExSilent | 11

With the continuing determination, passion and focus of the people at ExSilent, we

strive to turn our philosophy into innovative products. These products can be divided

in medical devices on the one hand and consumer products on the other hand.

12 | ExSilent

Our products

ExSilent | 13

Hearing aids in common are recognized as medical

devices, whereas consumer products typically

can be bought outside of the audiology clinics or

hearing aid centers.

Following our ideas about innovative and

fashionable hearing aids, ExSilent carries nowadays

two product lines, the Q modular CIC and the Qleaf,

also a modular CIC but approximately 30% smaller

in size. With both of these products we predict that

physical placement should be possible in 85% of all

external ear canals of human beings.

With the differentiation of technology into two

sound-processing strategies, it is possible to

rehabilitate the majority of all sensoneural hearing

losses. Either using the commonly used WDRC

algorithm or the novel NeuroCompensator®

algorithm, the result of these fittings should always

lead to a satisfaction of the end-user which simply

exceeds the expectations.

“With both of these products we predict that physical placement should be possible in 85% of all external ear canals of human beings.”

Our other product line does consist of “over the

counter” products, either sold by an audiology clinic

or hearing aid center as assistive listening devices

or accessories, or by retail companies of all kind

as additional products to their existing product

portfolio.

These consumer products will consist of a line of

stylish add-ons and can also be used as standalone

products. All of these products are developed

or being developed with the common idea of

improving the quality of the personal daily sound

experience.

Through innovation ExSilent enhances the ease of

use when it comes to amplification, sound quality,

hearing protection and wireless connectivity in

many different ways.

The next pages will give you a more in-depth

overview of existing and future products.

Our ‘Q’ products

14 | ExSilent

We proudly present you the Q,

world’s smallest standard fi tted CIC

hearing aid. The ExSilent Q is a new

type of CIC (Completely In the Canal)

hearing aid. It fi ts perfectly in your ear,

becoming virtually invisible.

The Q is one of world’s most innovative CIC’s

available. The modular design of the Q makes it

unnecessary to make any ear impressions or custom

designed earpieces. Instead, the Q is inserted in the

ear with a patented soft tip: a highly fl exible hypo

allergenic soft tip that comes in various sizes, thus

enabling the Q to fi t in practically all ears, on the spot.

The same soft tips come with an innovative built-in

cerumen protection system, making it impossible

for cerumen to penetrate and damage the receiver.

Cerumen entering the Q is collected in the soft tip,

which can easily be cleaned or disposed of and

replaced. No sophisticated fi lter systems are needed,

it’s that easy. Because the concha stays empty, wind

noise is reduced and directional hearing is improved.

“High-quality components and the advanced digital microchip ensure high sound quality.”

High-quality components and the advanced digital

microchip ensure high sound quality. The design

of the soft tip and the use of high-quality materials

enable prolonged comfort while wearing. The

possibility to choose a standard solution means that

you can test the Q on the spot without having to

spend extra visits to your dispenser for customizing.

The Q comes in diff erent confi gurations:

Q with 4 channels, 6 bands includes also adaptive

noise reduction, adaptive feedback management

and 4 programmable programs for diff erent sound

environments.

Q8 with 8 channels, 12 bands which also include

adaptive noise reduction, adaptive feedback

management and 4 programmable programs for

diff erent sound environments. It also comes with

datalogging; a feature which stores your daily usage

and can be analyzed during examinations.

ExSilent | 15

16 | ExSilent

In a world of fast product development

ExSilent has yet again raised the bar for

itself and is proud to present an even

smaller modular CIC product: the Qleaf.

We listened to our customers, who were already

very enthusiastic about the Q. They asked us to look

into the possibility of developing an even smaller

product, which would fit the even smallest outer ear

canals in the world.

“Particularly both size and shape of the Qleaf make this device suitable for all those ‘difficult’ ears, without compromising on the specifications at all.”

We took up the challenge and found a solution. And

so the smallest modular CIC in the world became

even smaller. During the design process we studied

thousands of outer ear canals from people all around

the globe, and we came to the conclusion that shape

was a highly important factor. And this is how the

Qleaf eventually came to be. Particularly both size

and shape of the Qleaf make this device suitable for

all those ‘difficult’ ears, without compromising on the

specifications at all.

By placing the battery compartment in the middle

of the device, there is a natural separation between

the microphone and the receiver, which results in

a decreased risk of internal feedback. The already

familiar unique softtip was also redesigned and

shaped to the curve of the Qleaf, which lead to a

more natural positioning of the device. We did not

change the reliable cerumen protection and the

Qleaf is therefore both as reliable and as comfortable

to wear as the Q.

Qleafproducts

ExSilent | 17

“We did not change the reliable cerumen protection and the Qleaf is therefore both as reliable and as comfortable to wear as the Q.”

The Qleaf comes, just like its larger brother, in 2

configurations which can be programmed by using

an industry standard connector:

Qleaf with 4 channels, 8 bands, adaptive noise

reduction and adaptive feedback manager.

Qleaf8 with 8 channels, 12 bands, adaptive noise

reduction, adaptive feedback manager and data

logging.

For a more efficient and precise fitting of the Qleaf

we have developed an innovative option called IRIS;

the Individual Resonance Improvement Shifter. With

this option the gain compared to the individual ear

canal resonance peak can be optimized by several

decibels, and therefore increase speech intelligibility.

0.25 0.5 1 2 4 8-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

Frequency (KHz)

dB

Individual ear canal resonance peak

Optimized ear canal resonance peak

Individual Resonance Improvement Shifter (IRIS)

18 | ExSilent

What these products have in common is the quality

improvement of sound through a low level of

amplification, multifunctionality, and innovative and

modern design. Also wired and wireless connectivity

to external existing electronic devices was a

requirement within the scope of the several projects.

The basic thought behind setting up a parallel

product strategy is the time delay. People wait on

average 6 to 8 years before addressing their hearing

impairment. Imagine the possibility to decrease the

age of first time users with several years. If we are

able to change the attitude of this group and make

them appreciate the solutions we can offer for their

hearing problems in difficult sound environments,

we will experience a major breakthrough in lowering

the age of first time wearers.

ExSilent offers non-medical products, which will

improve the sound quality in daily life, at shop

level and at an affordable price. By doing so we not

only establish our brand name on a much broader

platform, we will also become the preferred choice

at a medical device level should the satisfied

Consumer productsIt is our vast philosophy to expand the current hearing healthcare market with our

innovative hearing aids, and with this new productline we truly offer a novelty in

the hearing aid world. Our product portfolio is extensive and continuously

developing. What we offer are consumer orientated products, which can be sold

“over the counter” in both the audiology clinic and hearing aid centers, as other

retail companies outside the audiology world.

customer decide to switch to a professionally

fitted hearing solution. We are able to offer lifetime

solutions for individuals from the day they purchase

an ExSilent product at an earlier stage in life.

To reach as many people as possible we provide

a complete marketing package, including instore

material, to attract the interest of a potential

customer who is interested in ALD’s (assistive

listening devices) or is looking for a more individual

sound experience. We are also very much aware

that we live in a wireless world, and we are therefore

developing several wireless solutions to increase the

ease of use and comfort.

Needless to say ExSilent supports its philosophy

by building a strong Ecommerce strategy in

cooperation with its partners, as we believe the

main customer for these non-medical products

will browse the web for available solutions. It is our

intention to launch the ExSilent consumer website

with webshop in the very near future.

ExSilent | 19

20 | ExSilent

In addition to our hearing aid,

we have recently developed the

Qstyle. The current iPod generation

has high demands when it comes

to the quality of listening. Qstyle is

an in-ear type of headphones, which

fi ts as snugly in your ears as our

Q hearing aid. This gives you the

ultimate sound-experience!

Because the Qsound fi ts so snugly, you’ll hardly

notice you’re wearing it. Whether you use it to

listen to your favorite Hip Hop during a workout,

or whether you’re sitting back enjoying some easy

listening- the Qstyle caters for all your audio needs!

Acoustics

Due to the deep fi tting and vibration-absorbing

material, the Qstyle isolates all outside noises. The

tips are made of silicone, to maximize comfort and

avoid dislodging. This excellent quality of sound will

at the same time prevent you from turning up the

volume and damaging your hearing.

Compatible

Compatibility is a key-point in choosing the perfect

pair of in-ear headphones. Qstyle can be used

with most mp3 players, cell phones and personal

computers. A pair of Qstyle in-ear headphones

will bring you excellent sound quality for your entire

range of audio devices.

Personality

What you wear determines your style, and so

does your music. Don’t let your headphones be an

exception! Qstyle is a stylish and miniature design,

suitable for just about anyone. Looks combined with

comfort make these headphones a pleasure to wear

for longer periods of time.

Advantages for the consumer:

• Noise isolating in-the-ear headphones,

designed by a hearing aid instrument

manufacturer, with maximum emphasis

on optimum sound experience

• Deep and comfortable fi tting soft tips in

three available sizes, are a pleasure to wear for

longer periods of time during the day without

any irritation

• Extra protection fi lter against cerumen

and moisture

ExSilent | 21

Qstyle

In environments with high noise

levels where communication is of

key importance, ExSilent introduces

an adequate solution for improved

communication and ear protection.

The Qprotect provides optimum

isolation in combination with controlled

sound reproduction in the ear canal.

Most people these days are aware of the risks

involved when exposed to loud sounds, either

in professional or recreational activities. Surveys

showed that despite this knowledge, most

individuals don’t wear adequate hearing protection.

The main reasons for not wearing hearing protection

include:

• General discomfort while wearing hearing

protection

• Not being able to monitor important sounds

• Communication difficulties

The ExSilent solution

The ExSilent Qprotect is a modulair device. Its

housing is similair to that of the Q and also fits

completely in the ear canal (CIC module). The

specially designed soft tips make it very comfortable

to wear. The Qprotect device isolates the ear from

incoming sounds while reproducing sounds and

conversations at the normal level.

When a loud sound appears, the Qprotect

attenuates the sound to safe levels. The sound

isolating softtips will dampen the incoming sound

levels by approximately 25 dB. When the loud sound

has faded and levels are normal again, the in-ear

monitor will reproduce the incoming sound at the

same level as before.

The ExSilent Qprotect offers a great solution for

users who need hearing protection against noise

in either the workspace or during recreational

activities.

Advantages for the consumer:

• Ear protection for loud sounds

• Conversations and other common sounds are

perceived at the normal level

• Not visible

• Comfortable to wear because of the hyper

allergenic, highly flexible soft tips, which are

available in various sizes to fit in any ear

• The Qprotect can be adjusted to personal

preferences with specially designed software

• Because the device is CIC, it is no problem to wear

glasses, safety helmets etc.

• Easy to use

• No need to make ear impressions

• One pair of devices is usable by several persons,

by only changing the soft tips

• No problem listening to music the normal way,

also with earphones

• Easy portable because of the small size of

the device

Qprotect

22 | ExSilent

ExSilent | 23

The aspects of a solid partnership

ExSilent, as a young and dynamic company, strives to be a future oriented and

solid partner. The way we think is different and innovative. We are currently in the

process of rapidly expanding our business all over the world. This expansion

emanates from our unique products, knowledge and willingness to understand

each individual local market.

24 | ExSilent

A few advantages

• Small and flexible company

• Integrated R&D department with

extraordinary competences

• Training and education program

• Novel future developments

• High quality, fashionable products

Another important aspect in doing business with

us, is our capability to think with you and share

knowledge and ideas on how to increase the

business together, without limiting oneself to the

conventional buyer/seller principle. We will always

look for solutions, instead of emphasizing problems.

ExSilent is able to support you with the products,

arguments, know-how and tools to effortlessly

convince your customers!

Our partners

North America

• Hear At Last - Canada

• VitaSound - Canada

South America

• Audifonos Garcia - Paraguay

• Audioprotesico - Colombia

• AudiOptica - Uruguay

• Auritone - Argentina

• CATB - Brazil

• Cualitek - Costa Rica

Europe

• Audio-Optica - Romania

• CRAI - Italy

• Duyses - Turkey

• Geers - Poland

• Hearing Health Care - Ireland

• Hörsam - Sweden

• iNewDeal - France

• Intouch Solutions - United Kingdom

• Trinitie - The Netherlands

The aspects of a solid partnership

ExSilent | 25

Qis for everyone

w w w . e x s i l e n t . c o m

Herengracht 520

1017 CC Amsterdam

The Netherlands

t. +31 (0)20 675 1004

f. +31 (0)20 675 9048

info@exsilent.com

sales@exsilent.com