Teenage Engineering’s CEO says it’ll stop making synths

Skip to main contentThe end could be nigh for the iconic OP-1 according to a Highsnobiety interview.The end could be nigh for the iconic OP-1 according to a Highsnobiety interview.by Oct 7, 2026, 9:19 PM UTCPhoto by Terrence O’Brien / The VergeTerrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.Teenage Engineering founder and CEO Jesper Kouthoofd told Highsnobiety that it plans to stop making synths. And yes, that includes the iconic OP-1, which put the company on the map. TE isn’t just a music gear maker; it’s also a sought-after design firm. It’s collaborated with Ikea, Nothing, and Playdate, among others. But almost everything the company makes itself — the OP-1, the OP-XY, EP-133, TP-7, et cetera — is music or audio-focused. Which makes the supposed decision to abandon the market all the more confusing.Here’s the relevant quote from Highsnobiety:Kouthoofd tells me that, as part of a reorganization last fall, he announced to his team he is planning to stop making synthesizers altogether. The OP-1 is no exception. Launched in 2011, it put Teenage Engineering on the map and has been central to its success ever since.“Everyone was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ But I’ve come to the conclusion that, for us, the products aren’t the business,” Kouthoofd says. “We can be so much more than that.”Teenage Engineering did not immediately return a request for comment.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O'BrienThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.