Hance.AI

This website uses cookies to enhance your experience, analyze our traffic, and for customization. For more details, see our Privacy Policy. By declining, we'll only use one cookie to respect your preference to not be tracked.AcceptDecline /* Hide timestamp for specific blog post */ .hs-content-id-298674840824 .hance-blog-post__timestamp { display: none !important; } After several years of building audio enhancement technology, HANCE is closing its doors. This is not the outcome we set out for, and not one we wanted. But it is the reality we now face. HANCE was founded with a clear mission: to push the boundaries of audio enhancement. We proved that it worked. Our technology was trusted in mission-critical environments. It performed in demanding professional settings. We built partnerships with some of the biggest names in the tech industry. But building exceptional technology is not enough. The strategic direction we pursued over the past years required more time than we had. Licensing to hardware manufacturers is a long game. Even with a strong pipeline, great partnerships and genuine interest, it takes years before meaningful revenue comes in. We were not able to secure the funding or short-term revenue needed to see that strategy through. While we made great effort over the last few months adapting to this reality, our runway ran out. To our customers, partners, and everyone who believed in what we were building: Thank you! Your trust meant everything. We are in touch with our customers and doing what we can to assist through this transition. For any inquiries, please contact Kristoffer Merker at kristoffer@hance.ai or +47 400 45 559. Thank you for being part of this journey. The HANCE Team Related posts Previous Producing training sets for Extract: Dialogue by Acon Digital Peder Jørgensen This article summarises the extensive experimental work we have done to develop and build a data training set for Acon Digital’s Extract:Dialogue an... HANCE 2.0: Realtime Stem Separation - Hello, Music Industry Sebastian Storvik HANCE Audio Engine v2.0.1 is now live - and with it, realtime stem separation made effortless. Deep learning for audio applications Stian Aagedal Here at HANCE, we focus on the use of deep learning combined with digital signal processing. Our goal is to create solutions based on... Introducing HANCE 26: Our Latest Speech Processing Models Kristoffer HANCE 26: The Audio Algorithm Designed for Real-World Complexity MKBHD Showcases HANCE and Acon Digital’s Extract: Dialogue Erling Hoff We partnered with Acon Digital on Extract:Dialogue, which caught the attention of Ellis Rovin at the popular MKBHD YouTube channel, which, at the... Remix: The Next Step in Real-Time Audio Processing by Acon Digital and HANCE Erling Hoff Acon Digital and HANCE have partnered to launch Remix. This audio plugin operates on the HANCE Audio Engine, a cross-platform library with an easy... Producing training sets for Extract: Dialogue by Acon Digital Peder Jørgensen This article summarises the extensive experimental work we have done to develop and build a data training set for Acon Digital’s Extract:Dialogue an... HANCE 2.0: Realtime Stem Separation - Hello, Music Industry Sebastian Storvik HANCE Audio Engine v2.0.1 is now live - and with it, realtime stem separation made effortless. Deep learning for audio applications Stian Aagedal Here at HANCE, we focus on the use of deep learning combined with digital signal processing. Our goal is to create solutions based on... Introducing HANCE 26: Our Latest Speech Processing Models Kristoffer HANCE 26: The Audio Algorithm Designed for Real-World Complexity MKBHD Showcases HANCE and Acon Digital’s Extract: Dialogue Erling Hoff We partnered with Acon Digital on Extract:Dialogue, which caught the attention of Ellis Rovin at the popular MKBHD YouTube channel, which, at the... Remix: The Next Step in Real-Time Audio Processing by Acon Digital and HANCE Erling Hoff Acon Digital and HANCE have partnered to launch Remix. This audio plugin operates on the HANCE Audio Engine, a cross-platform library with an easy... Producing training sets for Extract: Dialogue by Acon Digital Peder Jørgensen This article summarises the extensive experimental work we have done to develop and build a data training set for Acon Digital’s Extract:Dialogue an... HANCE 2.0: Realtime Stem Separation - Hello, Music Industry Sebastian Storvik HANCE Audio Engine v2.0.1 is now live - and with it, realtime stem separation made effortless. Deep learning for audio applications Stian Aagedal Here at HANCE, we focus on the use of deep learning combined with digital signal processing. Our goal is to create solutions based on... Next123456 Contact us --- This website uses cookies to enhance your experience, analyze our traffic, and for customization. For more details, see our Privacy Policy. By declining, we'll only use one cookie to respect your preference to not be tracked.AcceptDecline The story behind HANCE Developed from scratch to be fast, user-friendly, adaptable, and easy to deploy, the HANCE Audio Engine is the result of years of expertise in audio processing and machine learning. Advanced audio and machine learning technologies Acon Digital and Soundly engineers collaborated to create the fastest, and most adaptable audio enhancement algorithms available. 2024 RECRUIT & RELEASE Building Teams & Products Joote Michal Hika is now leading HANCE as CEO. In the beginning of 2024 a core team of executives is now in place, and the company is doing further recruitments where resources are needed. The Stem Separation model is released, and existing models are receiving continuous updates. Notably, we can now do Noise Removal with a model size of 253 kB. HANCE has signed contracts with SyncDNA and Woid, while several new deals are in the sales pipeline. 2024 2023 Technology, team, and reach HANCE's Growth & Impact HANCE is experiencing growth and has two main objectives: advancing technology and establishing strong partnerships. A significant milestone was our conversation with Joote Michal Hika at a startup and AI event, which led to Joote becoming our Chief Commercial Officer. We are expanding our team and forming valuable partnerships to progress in the industry. We are seeking professionals who share our mission and can contribute to our tech initiatives. This growth demonstrates our ongoing success and highlights our commitment to innovative audio technology. We are continuously improving HANCE's reach and capabilities by participating in prominent industry events and implementing a focused hiring strategy. HANCE is undergoing a transformation into a comprehensive suite of audio solutions. Industries worldwide are taking notice, and our services are currently being deployed successfully in countless sectors. 2023 To the market Introducing the HANCE Audio Engine The highly advanced HANCE Audio Engine was finally released in 2023, after years of diligent development. Its cutting-edge audio processing technology and machine learning algorithms make it a standout product in the market. One of the standout features of the HANCE Audio Engine is its extreme CPU-efficiency, which allows it to run smoothly on small and lightweight processors. Additionally, it was specifically designed to be trainable and adaptable to individual use cases, making it a versatile solution for a wide range of industries. Companies across various sectors have shown a strong interest in HANCE, and it is available as APIs for C++, Python, and HTTP, with more languages on the horizon. 2023 2021 Getting attention Developing partnerships The founders of HANCE established connections with individuals and organizations to get feedback on the real-world use of their audio engine. This feedback was crucial in helping them improve their product and ensure that it met the needs of their users. By gathering this feedback and testing their system in real-world situations, HANCE could confidently move forward with their product, knowing that it had been tested and refined. 2021 HANCE is born Formally established HANCE as a company The founders' shared passion and expertise made it possible for them to recognize a market for realtime and lightweight audio enhancement algorithms. As a result, they established HANCE as a company. Their mission was to develop an extremely lightweight and CPU-efficient audio engine that could be trained to tackle various audio-related challenges within a wide range of industries. They settled on the name "HANCE," derived from "enhance," as it perfectly captures the company's focus on improving audio quality. 2021 2020 Acon + Soundly Collaborating on core technology The collaboration between Acon Digital and Soundly was initiated when Acon Digital saw the need for additional data to further improve their already top-notch algorithms. Fortunately, Soundly could provide the necessary data through its massive sound library. As part of this collaboration, Acon Digital's audio processing tools were also used within Soundly as in-house audio processing tools and for audio processing tasks within the Soundly application. This partnership allowed both companies to improve their products and offer even better solutions to their users. 2019 NAMM First meeting The first time Peder and Erling from Soundly met Stian from Acon Digital was at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, Los Angeles. Together they discussed their shared interest in audio processing and machine learning, and soon they began brainstorming ideas for what would become HANCE. 2019 Meet the HANCE team We all have a strong passion for sound engineering and audio processing. Collectively, we have worked in this field for over 100 years. Stian Aagedal Dir. of Audio & Co-founder In 2002, Stian Aagedal graduated from Karlsruhe University in Germany with a degree in computer science. He owns and runs the audio software company Acon Digital AS with over 30 years of experience in signal processing. At HANCE, Stian is responsible for improving HANCE's algorithms to increase their efficiency, speed, and quality. Email Peder Jørgensen Dir. of Sound Design & Co-founder As a sound effects and software professional, Peder Jørgensen founded the sound effects company Soundly AS in 2016. Now, Soundly has established itself as a leading player in the sound effects industry on a national and international scale. The training data for HANCE's algorithms is largely derived from Soundly's large sound database. His responsibilities include acquiring new training data and managing the server component of HANCE's web solution. Email Erling Hoff Web dev & marketing, Co-founder Erling Hoff graduated from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) as a sound engineer and has extensive experience in the sound industry. Besides founding Hoff Mastering, he served as an audio technology professor and developed SleepStream, a popular iPhone app. Additionally, Erling Hoff has extensive experience in web development and marketing, which he oversees at HANCE. Email Joote Michal Hika CEO & Co-founder Joote brings expertise in business development, product innovation, and strategic partnerships, specifically within the tech and AI startup sectors. Joote has previously co-founded 2 other AI startups and worked with in a range of startups the last 10 years. In his role at HANCE, Joote directs strategy, sales, partnerships, finance, and operations. Email Erlend Aune CTO & Co-founder Erlend Aune is a machine learning expert with a doctorate in Statistical Learning from NTNU. His extensive experience includes leading machine learning efforts at Exabel and Amedia, as well as leading collaborative research between industry and academia. Erlend holds an Associate Professor position at NTNU, which allows him to engage in innovative partnerships that drive advancements in the field. Email Yrjan Tangenes Product Director Yrjan Tangenes has been working within music technology for most of his career. Having founded several startups with backers within international music industry. Yrjan recently worked with the artist Kygo, running his lifestyle-brand X by Kygo. Email Add your content here. Add your content here. Meet the founders of HANCE We all have a strong passion for sound engineering and audio processing. Collectively, we have worked in this field for over 50 years. Stian Aagedal Founder In 2002, Stian Aagedal graduated from Karlsruhe University in Germany with a degree in computer science. He owns and runs the audio software company Acon Digital AS with over 30 years of experience in signal processing. At HANCE, Stian is responsible for improving HANCE's algorithms to increase their efficiency, speed, and quality. Email Peder Jørgensen Founder As a sound effects and software professional, Peder Jørgensen founded the sound effects company Soundly AS in 2016. Now, Soundly has established itself as a leading player in the sound effects industry on a national and international scale. The training data for HANCE's algorithms is largely derived from Soundly's large sound database. His responsibilities include acquiring new training data and managing the server component of HANCE's web solution. Email Erling Hoff Web dev & marketing Erling Hoff graduated from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) as a sound engineer and has extensive experience in the sound industry. Besides founding Hoff Mastering, he served as an audio technology professor and developed SleepStream, a popular iPhone app. Additionally, Erling Hoff has extensive experience in web development and marketing, which he oversees at HANCE. Email Joote Michal Hika CEO Joote brings expertise in business development, product innovation, and strategic partnerships, specifically within the tech and AI startup sectors. In his role at HANCE, Joote directs strategy, sales, finance, and operational elements. Beyond HANCE, he is the co-founder and managing partner at BalderX, a venture studio that focuses on nurturing and establishing AI-driven startups. Email Our partners HANCE provides audio enhancement services to a diverse range of partners, including businesses, non-profits, government agencies, academic institutions, and individuals. Previous Next Contact us --- This website uses cookies to enhance your experience, analyze our traffic, and for customization. For more details, see our Privacy Policy. By declining, we'll only use one cookie to respect your preference to not be tracked.AcceptDecline 404 Page not found We can't find the page you were looking for. Go to home page --- This website uses cookies to enhance your experience, analyze our traffic, and for customization. For more details, see our Privacy Policy. By declining, we'll only use one cookie to respect your preference to not be tracked.AcceptDecline The HANCE BlogWe're slicing through the noise to bring you sharp insights on AI-driven audio enhancement. Expect clarity, not clutter, in every post. HANCE is closing Kristoffer Jan 22, 2026 4:20:58 PM Read more Introducing HANCE 26: Our Latest Speech Processing Models Kristoffer Nov 12, 2025 4:03:39 PM HANCE 26: The Audio Algorithm Designed for Real-World Complexity Read more HANCE and Intel® join forces in a strategic collaboration Erling Hoff Jun 17, 2025 4:44:33 PM Oslo, Norway – June 17th, 2025 – HANCE, a rising innovator in AI-driven audio enhancement, is proud ... Read more Why data safety is a competitive edge in AI Sebastian Storvik Jun 13, 2024 10:54:48 AM In recent years, with the growth of the artificial intelligence industry, people have shown concern ... Read more HANCE 2.0: Realtime Stem Separation - Hello, Music Industry Sebastian Storvik Apr 23, 2024 4:10:45 PM HANCE Audio Engine v2.0.1 is now live - and with it, realtime stem separation made effortless. Read more Producing training sets for Extract: Dialogue by Acon Digital Peder Jørgensen Nov 27, 2023 1:16:54 PM This article summarises the extensive experimental work we have done to develop and build a data tra... Read more Phase aware source separation – overcoming the limitations of the ideal time-frequency magnitude masking Stian Aagedal Nov 27, 2023 11:00:40 AM Spectrogram-based methods for source separation using neural networks typically estimate a separatio... Read more Remix: The Next Step in Real-Time Audio Processing by Acon Digital and HANCE Erling Hoff Nov 27, 2023 10:29:26 AM Acon Digital and HANCE have partnered to launch Remix. This audio plugin operates on the HANCE Audio... Read more MKBHD Showcases HANCE and Acon Digital’s Extract: Dialogue Erling Hoff Nov 27, 2023 9:57:22 AM We partnered with Acon Digital on Extract:Dialogue, which caught the attention of Ellis Rovin at the... Read more Deep learning for audio applications Stian Aagedal Jun 7, 2023 11:50:00 AM Here at HANCE, we focus on the use of deep learning combined with digital signal processing. Our goa... Read more Receive our newsletterDon't miss out on new blog posts, the latest updates, exciting developments, and insider insights on the cutting-edge advancements revolutionizing audio technology.Sign up Contact us