For decades, swimming coaches have relied on one inefficient training method: shouting from the pool deck and hoping their instructions make it through the water.

For swimmer and entrepreneur Dmitri Voloshin, that wasn't good enough.

While preparing for a triathlon, he experienced the same frustration every swimmer knows — hearing only fragments of his coach's feedback. Instead of accepting it as part of the sport, he asked a simple question:

What if swimmers could hear their coach underwater, in real time?

That question became SONR.

Born from the R&D team at Simpals, the Moldova-founded startup developed an underwater communication system that allows coaches to speak directly to swimmers while they train. Using bone-conduction technology, swimmers hear instructions through lightweight receivers worn under a swimming cap or attached to their goggles. Even better, a single transmitter can broadcast to an unlimited number of swimmers, making it ideal for both individual athletes and entire teams.

But the SONR team soon realized their technology could solve another problem.

Swimming can be repetitive and lonely—especially during long solo sessions. So they expanded beyond coaching and built an underwater music player designed for recreational swimmers. Their recently launched second-generation device delivers better sound quality, longer battery life and an improved user experience, bringing music to a place where it was once nearly impossible to enjoy.

The market responded.

Today, SONR has shipped more than 23,000 devices to customers across 67 countries, becoming one of the global pioneers in underwater audio technology and proving that world-class hardware products can be built from Moldova.

Now, the company is entering its next chapter.

SONR is currently raising investment to accelerate product development and expand into new markets. While many investors are focused on AI and software, the team believes hardware deserves just as much attention.

"We come with a product that already works, manufacturing capabilities, real customers and proven traction," says Tatiana Cotliuba, CEO at SONR Inc. "We're not starting from zero. And while everyone is chasing hype, many profitable hardware companies are being overlooked."

SONR's journey is a reminder that great startups don't always begin with a breakthrough technology—they often begin with a real problem experienced by real people.

Sometimes, all it takes is one swimmer who got tired of not being heard.

About SONR

SONR is a sports technology company specialising in underwater audio devices for swimmers and coaches. Using bone conduction technology, SONR's products enable real-time communication between coaches and athletes and deliver music to recreational swimmers in a waterproof, hands-free format. The company has shipped over 23,000 devices across 67 countries and is backed by the Simpals group of companies, founded in Moldova.