Multitone Electronics plc is a British company, founded in 1931. Initially a manufacturer of

hearing aid A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers ...

s, before becoming a pioneer in the development of

pager A pager, also known as a beeper or bleeper, is a Wireless communication, wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays Alphanumericals, alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response p ...

s (bleepers). Multitone now makes wireless voice and messaging systems. Multitone Electronics is a British company, founded by

Joseph Poliakoff Joseph Lazarevich Poliakoff (; 24 April 1873 – 24 November 1959) was a Ukrainian-born British telephone and sound engineer and inventor, particularly of hearing aids. Poliakoff was a Ukrainian who experienced first-hand the communist revoluti ...

in London in 1931, with a £500 loan from Henry Myer, his lawyer. Joseph Poliakoff was a Russian-born telephone and sound engineer and inventor. The first offices were in White Lion Street, Angel Islington, London. Notable customers for the company's hearing aids included

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

. Joseph Poliakoff's son,

Alexander Poliakoff Alexander Poliakoff (; 20 August 1910 – 26 July 1996) was a Russian-born British electronics engineer, inventor and businessman, and the chairman of Multitone Electronics for over 40 years. Poliakoff was born in 1910 at his parents' country ...

(1910–1996), a Russian-born British electronics engineer, inventor and businessman, was the chairman of Multitone Electronics for over 40 years. He retired in 1977 and sold the company to Hong Kong-based Champion Technology. Multitone Electronics is a subsidiary of Hong Kong listed company Champion Technology Holdings since 1993.

References

{{Reflist British companies established in 1931 Companies based in Basingstoke