As 2025 comes to a close, we at Brandenburg Labs are taking a moment to reflect on a year defined by meaningful milestones, collaborations, and steady progress toward our mission: creating truly lifelike, immersive audio experiences over headphones.
From product milestones and research achievements to international recognition and team growth, this year has reinforced our belief that immersive audio is not only the future, but a future we are actively shaping.
Okeanos Pro Reaches Its First Customers
One of the most significant milestones of 2025 was the delivery of Okeanos Pro to its first customers worldwide. Designed as a professional, headphone-based system for immersive audio monitoring, Okeanos Pro enables engineers, educators, and researchers to experience true multichannel sound without the need for loudspeaker setups.
Okeanos Pro features up to 16 virtual loudspeakers that simulate real loudspeakers, fully immersing users in a rich audio environment. This groundbreaking technology provides audio engineers with the ability to experience their content as if they were surrounded by actual loudspeakers, supporting all currently available multi-channel formats, and allowing switching within seconds. The system integrates seamlessly with studio hardware via standard Audio over IP (AoIP) connectivity solutions, such as Dante and Ravenna.
Institutions such as HTWK Leipzig and SAE Institute Zurich, integrated Okeanos Pro into their music production and educational programs, opening new possibilities for spatial audio training, mixing, and experimentation. These first shipments marked an important transition from research-driven development to real-world application.
New Feature Development: Directivity Transfer Function (DTF)
Throughout the year, we continued to expand Okeanos Pro’s capabilities. A major addition in 2025 was the introduction of the Directivity Transfer Function (DTF).
With the new DTF feature, Okeanos Pro can more accurately represent the unique studio design of audio professionals, providing a more accurate simulation and enhanced immersion. Moreover, users benefit from the possibility to evaluate different loudspeakers virtually and simulate unique directivity patterns. Brandenburg Labs’ new directivity transfer function offers a library of pre-made DTFs. Additionally, users are able to record and edit the DTF of a loudspeaker at six cardinal positions, i.e. front, back, left, right, top, and bottom. Points between the cardinal positions are interpolated at 10 degrees intervals, providing 360 degrees of coverage.
MULTIPARTIES: Research Project Successfully Concluded
This year, we successfully concluded MULTIPARTIES, a multi-year research project focused on developing realistic spatial audio for virtual communication. Together with Consensive GmbH and the Technical University of Ilmenau, we presented a well-received final demonstration and event in Weimar, Germany. The project showcased an XR-based 3D communication system designed to enable realistic online meetings and a convincing sense of co-presence between participants across distances.
The findings mark an important step toward realistic online communication and will flow into the further development of future technologies by all project partners. At Brandenburg Labs, the results will be incorporated into the further development of advanced headphone products in the Okeanos series.
Recognition and Awards
SXSW Expo 2025 Innovation Award – Finalist
With its debut at SXSW Expo 2025, Brandenburg Labs was named one of five finalists for the SXSW Innovation Award in the Audio Experience category. This nomination highlighted the innovative strength of our groundbreaking product, Okeanos Pro, and placed us among some of the most forward-thinking companies in immersive audio. While we didn’t take home the Innovation Award, being recognized as a finalist was an honor in itself.
As part of SXSW Expo 2025 in Austin, Texas, attendees had the chance to experience Okeanos Pro firsthand and explore how our advanced headphone-based system simulates virtual multi-channel loudspeaker systems through headphones with unparalleled realism. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the impact of our innovation on the professional audio landscape.
Innovationspreis Thüringen 2025 – Nomination
In November, Brandenburg Labs was honored to participate in the Innovationspreis Thüringen 2025 award ceremony in Weimar. With our Deep Dive Audio technology, we were shortlisted as finalists in the category “Digitales & Medien.” Although we did not receive the award, the nomination represents a strong validation of our work and its relevance within Thuringia’s innovation ecosystem.
HackerNoon: Best Startup in Thuringia
Brandenburg Labs was also named Best Startup in Thuringia, Germany, as part of HackerNoon’s global, community-driven online campaign “Startups of the Year 2024.” The initiative recognizes outstanding startups across more than 100 industries worldwide.
This recognition demonstrates that innovation is not limited to major metropolitan hubs. We see the award as an encouragement to advance its pioneering solutions in the audio sector and set new standards in the technology industry.
Honoring a Pioneer: Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Brandenburg
Our founder and CEO, Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Brandenburg, widely known as the co-inventor of the MP3 format, received the Bayerischer Verfassungsorden, in December. During a distinguished ceremony at the Bavarian State Parliament in Munich, his lifelong contributions to audio technology were honored. The laudatory speech highlighted his tireless curiosity, passion for rethinking how we hear, and unwavering dedication to advancing technological boundaries. This recognition is both a personal honor and a continued source of inspiration for all of us at Brandenburg Labs as we further develop Deep Dive Audio.
A Growing, International Team
Behind every milestone of 2025 stands a diverse and talented team. Throughout the year, our international group of researchers, engineers, and creative minds continued to grow, strengthening our foundation for the next phase of innovation. Their expertise, curiosity, and collaboration remain at the heart of everything we do.
As we move into 2026, we are preparing for an important next step: the introduction of our first headphone product for high-end and audiophile home users. Building on our research, professional tools, and immersive audio expertise.
None of the achievements would have been possible without the trust, collaboration, and encouragement of our partners, customers, research collaborators, and community.
From all of us at Brandenburg Labs, we wish you a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, inspiration, and meaningful moments, and a successful, innovative year ahead.