Optics11

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.

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

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

• Fiber-optic sensing systems
• Underwater acoustic monitoring
• Partial discharge monitoring
• Seabed surveillance systems
• Towed array sonar

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Expert Services and Support: PD expert analysis, maintenance service support, and technical consulting for installation and integration of fiber-optic monitoring systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fraunhofer Digital Ocean LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Deployment 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 TaucherminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2026Partner for offshore deployment activities at Rostock test center, providing diving and marine installation services.
• SeaSecminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2026Collaborative partner for offshore deployment and security solutions at the Rostock test center installation.
• Partner Software CompaniescoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/optics_11
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@optics1142
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/optics11

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Optics11