Sensibel
sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company that designs and sells optical MEMS microphones based on interferometry-based laser sensing, serving OEMs in consumer electronics, professional audio, automotive, wearables, and industrial sensing with its SBM100B-series and evaluation kits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sensibel does
sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-technology company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Oslo that commercializes ultra-high-sensitivity MEMS microphones built on a patented optical sensing architecture. Rather than the capacitive readout used by conventional MEMS microphones, sensiBel measures diaphragm displacement via interferometry-based laser optical sensing, pairing a laser and photodetector to deliver 80dB SNR, 132dB dynamic range, and a 146dB SPL acoustic overload point in a miniature MEMS package — specifications the company positions as studio-quality audio capture for compact devices.
The core product is the SBM100B-series optical MEMS microphone, which supports I2S, PDM, and TDM digital interfaces and 24-bit native audio. sensiBel has extended the platform with an automotive A2B microphone module and an SBM100B AES-3 pro-audio variant, and sells AURORA and POLARIS evaluation kits to accelerate customer design-in. Revenue is generated through direct B2B hardware sales to OEMs and equipment manufacturers across consumer electronics, professional audio, wearables, automotive, microphone arrays, and industrial sound detection; evaluation kits are the primary near-term revenue mechanism while the company ramps into volume manufacturing through partners AAC Technologies (assembly/test) and Silex Microsystems (high-volume MEMS production).
The company is privately held and venture-backed, with cumulative disclosed funding of roughly EUR 26 million across rounds from 2018 through 2024, including a EUR 7 million round in February 2024 led by Sennheiser — the German pro-audio company — alongside Investinor, SINTEF Venture, Skagerak Capital, TRUMPF Venture, and MP Pensjon. sensiBel has received the EDN 2025 Product of the Year award and a Best of CES 2026 award, and operates with 11–50 employees focused on R&D, design-in support, and manufacturing scale-up.
Sensibel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sensibel
- Legal name
- sensiBel
- Website
- https://sensibeltech.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company that designs and sells optical MEMS microphones based on interferometry-based laser sensing, serving OEMs in consumer electronics, professional audio, automotive, wearables, and industrial sensing with its SBM100B-series and evaluation kits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sensibel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- MEMS Microphones
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microphones & Acoustic MEMS (MEMS Mics/Ultrasonic Transducers) (HDAHALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs (HDAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Sensibel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sensibel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Optical MEMS Microphone Hardware Sales: sensiBel generates revenue from the sale of its optical MEMS microphones, specifically the SBM100B-series products. The company sells both finished microphone components and evaluation/development kits to enable customer design-in.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Sensibel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
sensiBel designs, develops, and commercializes ultra-high-sensitivity MEMS microphones based on a patented optical MEMS technology using interferometry-based laser optical sensing. Its flagship SBM100B-series delivers studio-quality audio (80dB SNR, 132dB dynamic range, 146dB SPL AOP, native 24-bit audio) in miniature form factors, complemented by AURORA and POLARIS evaluation kits and specialized modules for pro audio and automotive applications.
Product overview
sensiBel offers a portfolio of studio-quality optical MEMS microphones based on patented interferometry-based laser optical sensing technology. The core product is the SBM100B-series microphone, supported by AURORA and POLARIS evaluation kits for development. The company also develops specialized modules including an automotive audio bus (A2B) MEMS module and AES-3 professional audio variant. All products leverage the same optical MEMS technology platform providing superior noise performance compared to conventional capacitive MEMS microphones.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SBM100B-series Optical MEMS Microphone Studio-quality optical MEMS microphone component delivering 80dB SNR, 132dB dynamic range, and 146dB SPL acoustic overload point with 24-bit audio and flexible I2S/PDM/TDM digital interfaces. Sold to OEMs and manufacturers designing premium audio capture into consumer electronics, pro audio equipment, wearables, microphone arrays, and industrial sensing devices.
- AURORA Evaluation Kit Evaluation kit built around the SBM100B optical MEMS microphone, designed to enable product design-in and accelerate application development for OEM and developer customers.
- POLARIS Evaluation Kit Evaluation kit built around the SBM100B optical MEMS microphone, providing a development platform for OEM and developer customers to test and integrate optical MEMS audio capture.
- A2B Automotive MEMS Microphone Module Automotive audio bus (A2B) MEMS microphone module offering 80dB signal-to-noise ratio and 146dB acoustic overload point. Targeted at automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers for in-car communication, voice assistants, and cabin audio monitoring.
- SBM100B AES-3 AES-3 variant of the SBM100B optical MEMS microphone with native 24-bit audio support and 132dB dynamic range, targeting professional audio markets including studio recording, broadcast, and live sound.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80dB SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) - 15-20dB better than leading capacitive MEMS microphones
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sensibel
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Sensibel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sensibel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- mh acousticscoresensiBel's optical MEMS microphone technology has been integrated into mh acoustics' newest Ambisonics microphone product, enhancing the audio quality of their spatial audio capture devices.
- Silex MicrosystemscoresensiBel aligned with Silex Microsystems for high-volume production of its studio-quality MEMS microphone. This partnership supports scaling manufacturing capabilities for the SBM100B product family.
- AAC TechnologiescoresensiBel partnered with AAC Technologies as its assembly and test manufacturing scaling partner to support volume production of the SBM100B optical MEMS microphone family.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sensibel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Sennheiser: Sennheiser is both sensiBel's lead strategic investor (EUR 7M round) and a flagship pro-audio OEM customer using its microphones. Comparable as a downstream audio-capture brand partner rather than a component competitor.
- Silex Microsystems: Silex Microsystems is sensiBel's high-volume MEMS foundry partner and also a pure-play MEMS foundry serving other microphone and sensor companies. Comparable as an enabling manufacturing partner within the same MEMS supply chain.
Direct peers
- Sonion: Sonion manufactures miniature MEMS and electret microphones for hearing health, pro audio, and wearables. It competes directly with sensiBel in the premium miniature microphone segment sensiBel targets with the SBM100B.
- STMicroelectronics: STMicro manufactures MEMS microphones sold into smartphones, wearables, and industrial customers globally. As an integrated device manufacturer with high-volume fab, it competes directly with sensiBel on performance/cost in mainstream consumer sockets.
- Infineon Technologies (XENSIV MEMS microphones): Infineon's XENSIV MEMS microphone portfolio competes head-to-head in consumer, automotive, and industrial audio capture. Its strong automotive footprint and large-scale fab make it a primary direct competitor in the same sockets sensiBel is targeting.
- Knowles Electronics: Knowles is the dominant incumbent in MEMS microphones for consumer, automotive, and hearing-health applications. It is the primary direct competitor sensiBel must displace in OEM sockets, with comparable product categories and customer base.
- Goertek: Goertek is one of the world's largest MEMS microphone manufacturers, deeply embedded with smartphone and TWS OEMs in APAC. It competes directly with sensiBel on scale and price in high-volume consumer electronics sockets.
- AAC Technologies: AAC Technologies is both sensiBel's manufacturing partner and a direct competitor in MEMS microphones, multi-mic arrays, and automotive audio modules. Comparable product range and customer base across consumer and automotive.
- BSE (Best Sound Electronics): BSE is a Korean MEMS microphone supplier serving smartphone and TWS customers globally. It is a direct competitor in the same value tier that sensiBel's optical MEMS is positioned to disrupt.
Emerging players
- Vesper Technologies (Qualcomm): Vesper (now part of Qualcomm) developed piezoelectric MEMS microphones targeting low-power always-listening applications. It is an emerging competitor with partial overlap in the MEMS mic innovation tier sensiBel occupies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sensibel social profiles
Digital presenceSensibel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sensibel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Sensibel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sensibel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sensibel
What does Sensibel do?
sensiBel designs, develops, and commercializes ultra-high-sensitivity MEMS microphones based on a patented optical MEMS technology using interferometry-based laser optical sensing. Its flagship SBM100B-series delivers studio-quality audio (80dB SNR, 132dB dynamic range, 146dB SPL AOP, native 24-bit audio) in miniature form factors, complemented by AURORA and POLARIS evaluation kits and specialized modules for pro audio and automotive applications.
Is Sensibel a public or private company?
Sensibel is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sensibel founded?
Sensibel was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sensibel based?
Sensibel is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Sensibel make money?
One revenue line is on record: optical MEMS Microphone Hardware Sales.
Who are Sensibel's main competitors?
Others on record are Sennheiser and Silex Microsystems. Direct peers are Sonion, STMicroelectronics, Infineon Technologies (XENSIV MEMS microphones), Knowles Electronics, Goertek, AAC Technologies and BSE (Best Sound Electronics). Vesper Technologies (Qualcomm) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sensibel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sensibel.
What industry is Sensibel in?
Sensibel's product category is MEMS Microphones. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAH, Microphones & Acoustic MEMS (MEMS Mics/Ultrasonic Transducers), with a secondary code of HDAHAAAG, Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs. Its NAICS code is 334310 and its SIC code is 3823.