Optics11
Optics11 develops fiber-optic interferometric sensing systems for harsh environments, serving energy grid operators (transformer partial discharge monitoring) and naval/defence customers (seabed monitoring and towed arrays) across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Optics11 does
Optics11 is a Dutch deeptech company founded in 2011 as a spin-off from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, developing fiber-optic interferometric sensing systems for harsh and mission-critical environments. The company operates two primary product platforms. In underwater security, OptiBarrier provides a passive fiber-optic hydrophone grid for persistent 24/7 seabed monitoring of harbors, wind farms, pipelines and cables with detection range exceeding 100 km, while OptiArray is a thin-line all-optical towed array for submarines and unmanned vessels in anti-submarine warfare applications. In energy, OptiFender delivers fiber-optic partial discharge monitoring for high-voltage transformers with centimeter-level localization, complemented by the ExpertHub factory acceptance testing add-on (Lite, Pro, Ultra tiers) and the I4 Series FBG interrogators (I4G, I4W, I4-16) that underpin the sensing chain. All products leverage passive sensors with no wet-end electronics and intrinsic EMI immunity, enabling operation in high-voltage and covert defence settings.
Optics11 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optics11
- Legal name
- Optics11
- Website
- https://optics11.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Optics11 develops fiber-optic interferometric sensing systems for harsh environments, serving energy grid operators (transformer partial discharge monitoring) and naval/defence customers (seabed monitoring and towed arrays) across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optics11 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber-Optic Sensing Systems
- NAICS
- Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing (335921)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)
Keywords
Where Optics11 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Optics11 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Fiber-Optic Sensing Hardware: Sale of fiber-optic sensing equipment including OptiBarrier, OptiArray, OptiFender systems, and FBG interrogators. Hardware includes sensors, interrogators, and integration components.
- Monitoring Software and Analytics: Software solutions including OptiFender Windows-based suite for PD visualization, ExpertHub for factory acceptance testing, and partner software integration for detection and classification.
- Expert Services and Support: PD expert analysis, maintenance service support, and technical consulting for installation and integration of fiber-optic monitoring systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | ExpertHub Lite - Budget-friendly spot checks for smaller assets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | ExpertHub Pro - Balanced choice for mid-sized assets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | ExpertHub Ultra - Mission-critical assets requiring highest accuracy |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Optics11 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optics11 develops and manufactures advanced fiber-optic sensing systems for harsh environments, serving two primary verticals. The Underwater Security portfolio includes OptiBarrier (passive fiber-optic hydrophone networks for persistent seabed surveillance around critical offshore infrastructure) and OptiArray (thin-line all-optical towed arrays for submarines and unmanned vessels). The Energy portfolio centers on OptiFender, a fiber-optic partial discharge monitoring system for high-voltage transformers, supported by I4 Series FBG Interrogators and the ExpertHub Factory Acceptance Testing platform.
Product overview
Optics11 offers a portfolio of advanced fiber-optic sensing products for underwater security and energy infrastructure monitoring. The core underwater security portfolio includes OptiBarrier (modular seabed surveillance curtain for persistent 24/7 threat detection) and OptiArray (thin-line optical towed arrays for submarines and unmanned vessels). The energy portfolio centers on OptiFender, a partial discharge monitoring system with ExpertHub as a FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) add-on module. Supporting infrastructure includes the I4 Series FBG Interrogators (I4G, I4W, I4-16) for optical signal processing. The company was founded in 2011 as a Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam spin-off and acquired FAZ technology from Fugro in 2019 to add FBG sensing capabilities. In 2023, the company split into Optics11 (fiber optic sensing) and Optics11 Life (life science applications) to focus on distinct markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OptiFender: Fiber-optic partial discharge monitoring system for transformers and high-voltage electrical systems, providing early fault detection and precise localization
- OptiBarrier
- OptiArray
- OptimAE
- NovaFAZ
- ExpertHub
Products and services
- OptiBarrier Modular fiber-optic seabed curtain creating a persistent early-warning grid around harbors, wind farms, pipelines, and cables. Delivers immediate over-the-horizon threat detection 24/7 with passive sensors, no wet-end electronics, and intrinsic EMI immunity. Used by naval forces and critical infrastructure operators for underwater security.
- OptiArray Towed Arrays Thin-line, low-drag, all-optical towed array for submarines and unmanned vessels (USVs, UUVs, XLUUVs). Provides high-sensitivity passive anti-submarine warfare capability with compact, low-power design that scales to large channel counts and is immune to EMI. Streaming clean real-time acoustic data for detection and classification.
- OptiFender Partial Discharge Monitoring Advanced partial discharge monitoring system using passive fiber-optic sensors for early fault detection in transformers and high-voltage electrical systems. Pinpoints PD sources with centimeter-level accuracy (up to 15 cm) and enables predictive maintenance for transmission and distribution system operators.
- OptiFender ExpertHub Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) solution for rapid partial discharge localization during transformer manufacturing. Pinpoints PD defects in hours with one-pass 3D localization using up to 32 sensors. Available in three tiers (Lite, Pro, Ultra) tailored for different asset sizes and accuracy requirements.
- I4 Series FBG Interrogators FBG interrogators offering precision, noise-floor, and accuracy for fiber optic sensing projects. Includes I4G (4-channel flagship), I4W (economy 4-channel), and I4-16 (16-channel high-reliability) models with scan-by-scan calibration using gas reference cell, dynamic gain adjustment, ultra-low flat noise floor, and smart peak-tracking algorithm. Used in energy, structural health monitoring, and research applications.
- OptimAE World's first high-end fiber optic acoustic emission system, later adapted for partial discharge monitoring applications.
- NovaFAZ SHM Monitoring System Structural Health Monitoring system providing real-time actionable data in any condition for civil assets, with exceptional measurement stability and long-term data reliability. Based on FAZ technology acquired from Fugro in 2019.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fault resolution time reduced from months to hours with OptiFender
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Optics11
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Optics11 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Optics11 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fraunhofer Digital Ocean LabcoreDeployment of OptiBarrier Offshore Test Center at Fraunhofer facility in Rostock, Germany. Provides real offshore environment for continuous testing, data collection, and system development with remote access for partners.
- Baltic TaucherminorPartner for offshore deployment activities at Rostock test center, providing diving and marine installation services.
- SeaSecminorCollaborative partner for offshore deployment and security solutions at the Rostock test center installation.
- Partner Software CompaniescoreSoftware partners across Europe developing acoustic processing capabilities for OptiBarrier data. Partners provide detection, identification, classification, and command-and-control integration.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Optics11 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sonardyne: UK-based underwater acoustic and positioning specialist serving defense, energy, and scientific markets with hydrophones, transponders, and seabed monitoring systems. Direct overlap with Optics11's OptiBarrier seabed surveillance and OptiArray towed array offerings to naval and offshore operators.
- Exail (formerly iXblue): French company producing fiber-optic gyroscopes, inertial navigation, and photonics-based sensing for defense, maritime, and energy markets. Comparable to Optics11 in applying fiber-optic interferometry to harsh-environment sensing and towed array applications.
- evoLogics: German underwater acoustic systems provider offering broadband modems, sonar, and hydroacoustic sensing. Comparable to Optics11's OptiBarrier for underwater security and seabed monitoring in European defense and offshore markets.
- Ultra Maritime: Subsidiary of Ultra Electronics focused on sonar systems, towed arrays, and underwater sensing for naval customers worldwide. Directly comparable to Optics11's OptiArray towed array for anti-submarine warfare on submarines and unmanned vessels.
- Qualitrol: Specialist in transformer monitoring, partial discharge detection, and asset health solutions for utilities and OEMs. Directly comparable to Optics11's OptiFender and ExpertHub product lines serving TSOs and DSOs.
Emerging players
- Doble Engineering: Provider of diagnostic testing instruments and monitoring solutions for the electric power industry, including partial discharge analysis. Comparable to OptiFender for transformer condition monitoring and predictive maintenance workflows.
Broad incumbents
- Thales: Global defense and aerospace prime with a major sonar and underwater systems business (BlueScan, CAPTAS towed arrays). Serves the same naval and critical infrastructure customers Optics11 targets, while also being a listed Optics11 customer/partner, representing both competitive overlap and a key account.
- L3Harris Technologies: Large US defense electronics prime producing sonar systems, towed arrays, and undersea sensing solutions for navies globally. Broad incumbent serving the same anti-submarine warfare and seabed surveillance markets as Optics11.
- Hitachi Energy: Global grid equipment and transformer manufacturer with a growing portfolio of digital monitoring and asset health solutions. Comparable to Optics11 in selling transformer monitoring to European TSOs and DSOs, though within a much broader product portfolio.
Others
- Brugg Cables: Swiss manufacturer of high-voltage and submarine power cables supplying European utilities and grid operators. Listed as an Optics11 customer/logo partner; relevant as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the subsea and grid infrastructure market Optics11 monitors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Optics11 social profiles
Digital presenceOptics11 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Optics11 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optics11 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Optics11 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Optics11 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optics11 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Optics11
What does Optics11 do?
Optics11 develops and manufactures advanced fiber-optic sensing systems for harsh environments, serving two primary verticals. The Underwater Security portfolio includes OptiBarrier (passive fiber-optic hydrophone networks for persistent seabed surveillance around critical offshore infrastructure) and OptiArray (thin-line all-optical towed arrays for submarines and unmanned vessels). The Energy portfolio centers on OptiFender, a fiber-optic partial discharge monitoring system for high-voltage transformers, supported by I4 Series FBG Interrogators and the ExpertHub Factory Acceptance Testing platform.
Is Optics11 a public or private company?
Optics11 is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Optics11 founded?
Optics11 was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Optics11 based?
Optics11 is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Optics11 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fiber-Optic Sensing Hardware is the primary driver. The others are monitoring Software and Analytics and expert Services and Support.
Who are Optics11's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sonardyne, Exail (formerly iXblue), evoLogics, Ultra Maritime and Qualitrol. Doble Engineering is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Thales, L3Harris Technologies and Hitachi Energy. Brugg Cables is listed as an others.
Does Optics11 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optics11.
What industry is Optics11 in?
Optics11's product category is Fiber-Optic Sensing Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAM, Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules), with a secondary code of IMAGAJAF, Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors). Its NAICS code is 335921 and its SIC code is 3827.