Teenage Engineering CEO Says the Company Will Stop Making Synthesizers

Teenage Engineering founder and CEO Jesper Kouthoofd has revealed in an interview with Highsnobiety that the company intends to stop making synthesizers. The decision includes the legendary OP-1, which launched in 2011 and put the company on the map.

According to Kouthoofd, he told his team about the plan last fall during a company reorganization. Staff were initially bewildered by the idea. He explained that he has concluded the products themselves are not the business, and that the company can be much more than a device maker.

More than music gear

Teenage Engineering is not only a maker of music equipment but also a sought-after design firm. It has worked with Ikea, Nothing and Playdate, among others. Still, nearly everything it builds itself is focused on music or audio, including the OP-1, OP-XY, EP-133 and TP-7.

That is why the reported decision to leave the market raises questions. The Verge describes the move as confusing, given how closely the company's own hardware is tied to music and audio.

Teenage Engineering did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment. It remains unclear when and how the end of synthesizer production would take place.