The Accidental Entrepreneurs

The founders, Jagath (right) and Navajith (left), formative years were filled with experiences that ignited a passion for building things and fueled an unwavering interest in engineering and innovation. 

While the idea of starting their own company seemed unimaginable just a month before its incorporation, looking back, it seems like a natural progression of their lifelong interests.

 

HiFi speakers: A Source of Inspiration

One of Navajith's earliest memories is of listening to music on a high-quality Japanese home theatre system set up by his father. 

The rich, full sound that came out of those speakers left an indelible mark, fostering a discerning ear for music from a young age and shaping his dreams of one day creating his own exceptional audio experience.

 

Passion for Exploration and Experimentation

Alongside his passion towards music, Navajith was also deeply immersed in the maker’s world tinkering with electronics. 

He was a curious kid who was always fascinated by how things worked, and growing up, he spent countless hours ripping apart and tinkering with household electronics. 

Fed up by the mess, his dad gifted him an Electronics Learning Lab for his twelfth birthday. It was like Christmas morning and he couldn't wait to start experimenting and building! 

This gift proved to be a pivotal moment, igniting a spark for innovation and provide the resources to explore the world of electronics through hands-on learning.

 

 

A Shared Passion

While electronics remained a passion, Navajith opted for mechanical engineering in college to explore new concepts and continued to learn electronics by himself through the internet. 

Navajith's path eventually led him to Sahyadri College of Engineering, Mangalore, where he met Jagath, who shared his passion towards music, innovation and creating an impact through technology. 

Together, they joined the "Dreamers" team, a group started by college seniors, where they found support for their ideas and a platform to showcase their projects at national events.

 

Finding the Perfect pair of headphones

While pursuing their bachelors in engineering, the duo were on the lookout for their perfect pair of headphones that provided a life-like and immersive experience. 

Moreover, a headphone that’s effective for their diverse musical tastes and needs ranging from movies to gaming. 

To their disappointment, they couldn't find one. Also, they couldn’t see any Indian innovations and products developed and made in India.

 

The Eureka Moment: Hybrid Driver Technology

During their 4 years of engineering, Navajith and Jagath were deeply engaged in research projects on hearing implants and communication systems for helmets which helped them explore ways to reproduce sound through the body (skin and bone) instead of relying solely on ears.

 

 

In a serendipitous turn of events during a fine weekend in 2019, their journey took an unexpected yet exciting turn as they developed the technology to reproduce sound through air bone and skin. 

Out of curiosity, they integrated newfound technology to experience sound through the body into a regular headphone.

A defining moment occurred during the phase, triggering a nostalgic flashback to childhood days spent immersed in the captivating sounds of the HiFi system. 

Genesis of Sonic Lamb Headphones

Excited by their discovery, they 3D-printed headphone prototypes for personal use. As friends and fellow audio enthusiasts tried these prototypes, they were captivated by the experience and expressed a desire to own their own pair. 

Word of the innovative product spread quickly, and the team began setting up demo kiosks at high-footfall events. This allowed people to try the headphones firsthand and provide valuable feedback. 

 

The overwhelmingly positive response from these demonstrations confirmed that the team had something extraordinary on their hands. 

They also secured the patents on the technology and decided to make the headphones available to all music lovers.

 

Designed, Engineered & Made in India

From 2019 to 2022, the duo worked on the product and industrial design along with refining the hybrid driver technology to build the Sonic Lamb headphone. 

They developed over 15 versions of prototype to perfect the product while testing their products with people and benchmarking Sonic Lamb against leading premium headphones. 

 

Tested and Tuned in Denmark

Sonic Lamb is one of the seven start-ups globally selected for the SoundTech accelerator program by Sound Hub in Denmark. 

Sound Hub Denmark is an international audio technology innovation centre located at Struer (known as the ‘City of Sound’) and co-founded and supported by Bang & Olufsen and Harman Lifestyle along with Aalborg University and Struer Municipality.

This program has allowed Sonic Lamb to test and validate the mechanical, electronics and acoustics of Sonic Lamb headphones.

 

 

Additionally, Sonic Lambs was tuned using the state-of-the-art headphone measurement system from GRAS with the guidance of Peter Petersen, CEO of Sound Hub Denmark and former CTO of Bang & Olufsen.

 

 

Our promise of Eargasmic Experience 

Eargasmic experience according to us is the ultimate listening experience and pleasure to the ears. We believe this is possible when we create the perfect conduit between people and music. Sound is not just heard but also a part of it is felt and perceived by our body and we intend to reproduce that experience as well. Eargasmic to us is not sensual but it stems from many life experiences like euphoria and nostalgia. It is not just top-notch audio quality but also the impact and influence of getting lost in music and the way this connection transforms, heals,motivates and gives immense pleasure.

 

Supported by

Our team

Rapture Audio Labs is a young and small but fast-growing team. Currently,  it’s a team of  10 who juggle multiple hats to get everything done along with 3 advisors and several mentors on board 

 

 

Awards and Recognitions

Together, Navajith and Jagath are the co-founders of Rapture Innovations and are recipients of several awards and recognitions, including the 'Best Young Innovations Award 2015' conferred by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, former Union Minister for Science and Technology, and the 'Gold Award 2018' conferred by Dr. Harkesh Mittal (NSTEDB).

SoundTech Accelerator Program: Sonic Lamb was selected as one of just seven startups, and the only one from outside Europe, to participate in the prestigious SoundTech accelerator program by Soundhub Denmark. This program is the world's first and largest international sound technology and innovation hub, supported by renowned audio brands like Bang & Olufsen, Harman, and other reputable acoustic companies.

Elevate 100 Program: The Government of Karnataka recognized Sonic Lamb as one of the top 100 startups in 2022. This program identifies and supports the top 100 startups in the state, showcasing Sonic Lamb's potential and innovative contributions to the industry.

Nidhi Prayas Program: Sonic Lamb was acknowledged as one of the top 75 promising startups in India by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under the Nidhi Prayas program.

Patent Grants: Sonic Lamb's innovative audio technology has been granted a patent in India, and the company is in the process of obtaining patents in 26 other countries.

Strong Support Network: Sonic Lamb is supported by a strong network of investors and mentors, including Deshpande Startups, Hubli, National Institute of Design (NDBI-NID), Ahmedabad, T-Hub, and a group of angel investors and mentors from the world's top tech and audio companies, including Google, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Bose, and B&O.