NextInput
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
NextInput firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextInput
- Legal name
- NextInput, Inc.
- Website
- https://nextinput.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextInput industry classification
Industry- Product category
- MEMS Force Sensors
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs (HDAHAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO), Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO)
Keywords
Where NextInput is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
NextInput business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- MEMS Force Sensors: Sale of proprietary MEMS-based force sensors (FT-4000, FT-7000, DF-8000 families) to OEM customers for integration into their products
- Analog ASICs: Sale of AF-3000 and AF-3068 analog front-end ICs that interface force sensors with microcontrollers
- Turnkey Modules: Sale of EZ-Module turnkey solutions combining sensors, AFE, and software for simplified customer adoption in automotive and industrial applications
- IR Sensing Solutions: Sale of digital IR sensor portfolio for proximity detection and touchless applications in TWS, smartphones, personal care, automotive and IoT
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Development Kit (Just Bond-It™) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
NextInput product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextInput designs, develops and sells proprietary MEMS-based force sensing solutions — including discrete force sensors, analog front-end ICs, integrated digital force sensors, and turnkey force-sensing modules — that enable OEMs to replace mechanical buttons with solid-state, waterproof, high-reliability human-machine interfaces in mobile, wearable, automotive, consumer, industrial, medical and IoT products. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of sensor chips and ASICs to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
Product overview
NextInput provides a comprehensive portfolio of MEMS-based force-sensing solutions under the ForceTouch and ForceGauge brands. The product line includes multiple sensor families (FT-4000, FT-5000, FT-7000, FT-8000, DF-8000) and supporting Analog Front-End ICs (AF-3000, AF-3068), plus the NX-10000 software-defined button solution and digital IR sensor portfolio. The portfolio spans from discrete force sensors (FT-4000/7000 families) to fully integrated digital solutions (DF-8600) and turnkey modules (EZ-Module), enabling applications across Mobile, Automotive, Consumer, Industrial, Medical, and IoT markets. The company also offers Just Bond-It development kits for rapid prototyping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ForceTouch: MEMS-based force sensing technology enabling 1D, 2D, and 3D touch experience in consumer, industrial and automotive markets.
- ForceGauge
Products and services
- FT-4000 Family Force Sensors MEMS force sensor family optimized for indirect force-sensing applications where the sensor sits at the perimeter of the touch area (e.g., LCD displays). Features 1.33mm x 1.33mm x 0.57mm footprint. Sold to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers for mobile, automotive, consumer and industrial integration.
- FT-7000 Family Force Sensors MEMS force sensor family optimized for applications where the sensor is directly applied to a touch interface surface such as glass, OLED display, leather, plastic or metal. Ultra-small 1.33mm x 1.33mm x 0.22mm height with no pre-load required. Sold to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers for mobile, wearable, automotive and consumer integration.
- FT-4500 Series Automotive-Grade Force Sensors MEMS force sensors in chip-scale package that were the world's first to achieve AEC-Q100 automotive qualification. Includes FT-4500B (Grade 3: -40C to +85C) and FT-4500C (Grade 2: -40C to +105C) variants. Targeted at automotive applications including steering wheel, center console, infotainment, climate, door locks, seats, mirrors and remote keyless entry.
- DF-8600 Series Digital Force Sensor World's first digital force sensor in 1.77mm² CSP integrating a precision MEMS force sensor and an ultra-low power DSP. Achieves a 76% footprint reduction versus the smallest discrete solution. Targets mechanical-button replacement and capacitive-touch displacement in mobile, automotive and IoT applications.
- EZ-Module Turnkey Force-Sensing Module World's smallest micropower turnkey force-sensing module that combines sensor, AFE and software to simplify customer adoption in automotive and industrial markets. Attaches to any touch surface and offers a wide dynamic range from grams to kilograms.
- NX-10000 Software-Defined Button Solution Patent-pending software-defined button solution for mobile platforms that uses intent recognition to eliminate false positives and deliver a robust virtual button interface. Determines user intent and exact input location. Targeted at smartphone OEMs replacing physical side buttons.
- FT-7800 ForceGauge Sensor Third-generation high-sensitivity ForceGauge MEMS force sensor providing 100x higher sensitivity than metal strain gauges and 20x higher sensitivity than printed-ink devices. Targeted at consumer electronics, automotive and industrial applications.
- Digital IR Sensor Portfolio Entry product line into infrared sensing for proximity detection and touchless/gesture-based controls. Ultra-low 20µA active current consumption with 0.75mm³ volume, providing 83% lower power and 25% smaller size than competing IR sensors. Targeted at TWS, smartphones, personal care, automotive and IoT.
- AF-3068 Analog Front-End IC Ultra-low power, high-SNR single-channel analog front-end ASIC (1.16mm x 1.16mm x 0.475mm) with sensor duty-cycle control and I2C interface. Designed to work with a broad range of industry sensors, including all NextInput force sensors, and sold to OEMs to interface force sensors with microcontrollers.
- Just Bond-It Development Kit Peel-and-stick development kit comprising an application-specific flex PCB with a NextInput force sensor and analog front-end. Enables rapid OEM evaluation of force-sensing on metal, plastic, glass and wood interfaces via the company's website Dev Kit request form.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10-100 million cycle lifespan vs 200,000-500,000 for mechanical buttons
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use NextInput
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NextInput technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature9 records
NextInput partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NextInput competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Synaptics: Synaptics is a direct peer in human-machine interface sensing, offering capacitive touch, force, and fingerprint solutions for smartphones, PCs, and automotive displays — directly overlapping with NextInput's mobile and automotive HMI focus.
- Goodix Technology: Goodix is a leading Chinese fabless supplier of fingerprint, touch, and in-display force sensing solutions for smartphones — directly competing with NextInput's ForceTouch technology in the same Chinese OEM sockets (Xiaomi, Meizu).
Broad incumbents
- STMicroelectronics: STMicroelectronics is a broad-line MEMS sensor and automotive semiconductor incumbent offering accelerometers, gyroscopes, and touch/force solutions — overlapping with NextInput's industrial, automotive, and consumer HMI footprint.
- Microchip Technology: Microchip's capacitive touch and proximity sensing controllers (including mTouch solutions) compete with NextInput's MEMS force sensing approach across industrial, medical, and consumer button-replacement use cases.
- Qorvo: Qorvo acquired NextInput in May 2021 and operates it as the Sensor Fusion business unit. As a Tier-1 RF semiconductor incumbent, Qorvo now houses and scales NextInput's MEMS force sensing technology across its mobile and automotive customer base.
- Texas Instruments: TI offers FDC (capacitance-to-digital) converters, haptic drivers, and analog front-end ICs used in HMI applications — directly comparable to NextInput's AF-3000/AF-3068 analog front-end family and broader force-sensing signal chain.
- Bosch Sensortec: Bosch Sensortec is one of the largest MEMS sensor manufacturers globally, serving automotive, consumer, and IoT with accelerometers, pressure sensors, and environmental sensors — directly comparable as a high-volume MEMS incumbent in NextInput's target end markets.
- TDK InvenSense: TDK InvenSense is a major MEMS sensor supplier (accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones) — NextInput CEO Ali Foughi previously served as VP at InvenSense. Comparable as a broad MEMS incumbent now overlapping in automotive and consumer MEMS portfolios.
- NXP Semiconductors: NXP is a major automotive semiconductor supplier whose touch and HMI controllers (including capacitive solutions for steering wheels and consoles) compete with NextInput's automotive force sensing portfolio.
Emerging players
- Cirrus Logic: Cirrus Logic is a mixed-signal semiconductor supplier with strength in low-power audio and haptics for mobile and TWS — adjacent to NextInput's AF-3000/AF-3068 analog front-ends and TWS button-replacement use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NextInput social profiles
Digital presenceNextInput compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
NextInput financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextInput leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NextInput funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextInput 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 NextInput
What does NextInput do?
NextInput designs, develops and sells proprietary MEMS-based force sensing solutions — including discrete force sensors, analog front-end ICs, integrated digital force sensors, and turnkey force-sensing modules — that enable OEMs to replace mechanical buttons with solid-state, waterproof, high-reliability human-machine interfaces in mobile, wearable, automotive, consumer, industrial, medical and IoT products. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of sensor chips and ASICs to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
Is NextInput a public or private company?
NextInput is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was NextInput founded?
NextInput was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NextInput based?
NextInput is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does NextInput make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. MEMS Force Sensors are the primary driver. The others are analog ASICs, turnkey Modules and IR Sensing Solutions.
Who are NextInput's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Synaptics and Goodix Technology. Broad incumbents are STMicroelectronics, Microchip Technology, Qorvo, Texas Instruments, Bosch Sensortec, TDK InvenSense and NXP Semiconductors. Cirrus Logic is listed as an emerging player.
Does NextInput have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextInput.
What industry is NextInput in?
NextInput's product category is MEMS Force Sensors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAAAG, Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs, with a secondary code of HDAHALAO, Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.