The Shape Sensing Company

What The Shape Sensing Company does

The Shape Sensing Company (TSSC) is a private Austin-based company founded in 2020 that develops fiber optic 3D shape sensing platforms for minimally invasive medical devices. Its technology uses Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) with distributed Fiber Bragg Gratings to deliver continuous, full-length 3D reconstruction of flexible instruments — providing up to 8,000 six-degree-of-freedom measurements along a 1.25-meter sensor at 150-micron resolution and minimum 60 fps refresh rate with 30ms hardware latency. The flagship Pathfinder Shape Sensing Platform, launched in 2021, and a Generation 2 prototype introduced in 2024 with sub-millimeter accuracy, are sold as embedded components into partner devices across endovascular, structural heart, endoscopy, electrophysiology, robotic surgery, and orthopedic segments.

TSSC operates an OEM/embedded go-to-market under a structured three-phase engagement (Evaluate, Integrate, Scale), partnering with medical device companies, CDMOs, and well-funded medical-device startups while partners retain responsibility for clinical workflow, regulatory clearance, and commercialization. The company monetizes through licensing/royalty arrangements, engineering and integration services, and long-term production supply of sensors and systems, with quote-based, multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company originates from NASA technology, maintains 1-10 employees, and is supported by a series of accelerator affiliations (MedTech Innovator 2024, JLABS residency, UT Austin Texas Venture Labs), angel financing through Angel Capital Association / Mid Atlantic Bio Angels members, and several industry recognitions including the 2023 Luis Villalobos Award and Top 100 Robotics Companies 2025.

Leadership was reset in January 2024 with the appointment of medtech veteran Ryan DeBoer as CEO, complemented by an Advisory Board that includes vascular-surgery expert Dr. Dennis Gable. Revenue and funding totals are not publicly disclosed beyond approximately $3.7M identified across a 2020 seed and a 2022 round, consistent with a company still in pre-commercial or early commercial scale.

Name

The Shape Sensing Company

Legal name

The Shape Sensing Company

Website

https://shapesensing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shape Sensing Company (TSSC) is an Austin-based OEM/embedded supplier of fiber optic 3D shape sensing platforms that medical device companies integrate into flexible instruments for minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures across vascular, endoscopic, electrophysiology, and surgical robotics applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Optic Shape Sensing Medical Devices

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Surgical Navigation, Robotics & Patient-Matched Instrumentation (Ortho/Spine) (HLAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Connected Medical Devices & Wearables (Sensors, Patches, Implantables) (HLACAPAB), Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Fiber optic shape sensing
• Medical device sensors
• Surgical navigation platform
• Robotic surgery technology
• Minimally invasive devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. OEM/Embedded Shape Sensing Platform: TSSC provides an integrated platform of sensors, systems, and software designed to embed full-length shape awareness directly into medical devices. Partners integrate TSSC's technology into their products, with TSSC providing the sensing foundation through sensors, systems, and software, while partners lead clinical workflow, regulatory clearance, and commercialization.
2. Engineering and Integration Services: Provides technical collaboration and engineering support during platform integration phases including Evaluate, Integrate, and Scale stages. Supports sensor and platform integration with ongoing technical support throughout development.
3. Production Supply: Long-term production supply of fiber optic sensors and systems for partners as they scale commercialization of devices with embedded shape sensing technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Shape Sensing Company (TSSC) provides an integrated fiber optic shape sensing platform comprising embeddable sensors, high-speed interrogation systems, and integration software/SDKs. The platform enables medical device companies to embed real-time, full-length 3D shape awareness directly into flexible minimally invasive and robotic surgical instruments. TSSC partners with OEMs and CDMOs through a three-phase Evaluate-Integrate-Scale engagement model, supplying the sensing foundation while partners handle device design, clinical workflow, regulatory clearance, and commercialization.

Product overview

The Shape Sensing Company offers an integrated platform of fiber optic shape sensing technology comprising three core layers: embeddable fiber optic sensors, system-level interrogation hardware, and software interfaces/SDKs. The flagship product is the Pathfinder Shape Sensing Platform, which provides real-time 3D shape reconstruction with 60 fps refresh rate and 30ms latency. The platform enables full-length device awareness for navigation, feedback control, and autonomous intervention in minimally invasive surgical and robotic procedures. The company also develops successive generations of its core technology, with the Generation 2 prototype system offering improved accuracy specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pathfinder Shape Sensing Platform TSSC's flagship hardware-software platform that performs real-time reconstruction and display of the 3D shape of flexible optical fibers integrated into medical devices. Provides a minimum 60 fps refresh rate and maximum 30 ms hardware latency, supporting 3D shape, twist, bending, strain, temperature, force, and pressure measurements for surgical guidance, robotic feedback control, and intelligent procedural workflows. Sold as a desktop unit for laboratory environments with real-time shape display and Ethernet streaming capabilities.
• Shape Sensing Platform — Sensors Embeddable fiber optic sensors engineered for integration into flexible medical devices. Measure the entire device shape continuously from within, tracking bending, twisting, and navigation through anatomy without reliance on external tracking or intermittent imaging. Designed for OEM embedding into catheters, endoscopes, electrophysiology devices, and robotic surgical instruments.
• Shape Sensing Platform — Systems System-level hardware that performs high-speed optical interrogation and shape reconstruction by interfacing with embedded fiber optic sensors and converting optical signals into real-time shape data. Designed for integration into partner clinical systems and capital equipment, with automatic temperature compensation for clinical environments.
• Shape Sensing Platform — Software Software interfaces and SDKs that deliver real-time, full-length shape data into partner visualization, navigation, and control systems. Supports low-latency data streaming for guidance, robotic feedback control, and intelligent procedural workflows within partner medical device platforms.
• Generation 2 Fiber Optic Shape Sensing System Prototype second-generation fiber optic shape sensing system with improved hardware and processing algorithms. Delivers enhanced twist sensitivity enabling sub-centimeter accuracy over sensor lengths exceeding one meter, even in tortuous shapes. Status: prototype.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generation 2 system demonstrated mean absolute error of 0.60mm and maximum error of 2.49mm, compared to 1.9mm and 12.25mm respectively for Generation 1
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MedTech InnovatorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2024TSSC was selected to join the MedTech Innovator Accelerator 2024 cohort, the largest and most respected accelerator of medical technology companies. This provides access to industry mentorship, potential partnerships, and investor networks.
• Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2024TSSC became a resident company within the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS ecosystem. This partnership represents a significant leap forward in the company's development and provides access to JLABS' resources, mentorship, and network within the healthcare and medical technology space.
• UT Austin Texas Venture LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2024TSSC was accepted into the John Brumley Texas Venture Labs Spring 2024 accelerator cohort at UT Austin's McCombs School of Business. The accelerator provides mentorship, resources, and network access for early-stage companies.
• Medical Device Companies (Undisclosed)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTSSC partners with medical device companies developing instruments and systems for minimally invasive procedures. Typical partners include teams working on endovascular and structural heart devices, endoscopy and bronchoscopy platforms, electrophysiology and cardiac mapping systems, and robotic and computer-assisted interventional platforms. Partners build differentiated products and view shape sensing as a foundational capability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Luna Innovations: Develops fiber optic sensing and measurement technologies including shape and strain sensing for medical and industrial applications. Most direct technology peer given overlapping OFDR/FBG-based distributed fiber optic sensing capabilities.
• FISO Technologies (HBK FiberSensing): Fiber optic sensor manufacturer (now part of HBK) producing FBG-based sensors for medical, energy, and structural applications. Adjacent fiber optic sensing peer with overlapping core technology.

Broad incumbents

• Medtronic (StealthStation): Operates the StealthStation surgical navigation platform using electromagnetic tracking for neurosurgery, spine, and ENT. Competes in the same surgical navigation market that TSSC's shape sensing platform addresses via a different technical approach.
• Brainlab: Provides surgical navigation, planning, and augmented reality platforms across neurosurgery, spine, ENT, and interventional radiology. Broad incumbent with overlapping navigation use cases where TSSC's shape sensing could displace EM-based tracking.
• Intuitive Surgical: Da Vinci surgical robotics leader and a logical OEM partner for TSSC's shape sensing platform. TSSC explicitly targets robotic-assisted surgery as a primary use case for closed-loop feedback control.
• Stryker (Mako): Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery platform is a logical integration target for TSSC's orthopedic and spine shape sensing capabilities. Both address surgical navigation with overlapping robotic-assisted use cases.
• Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon / Auris Health): Through Ethicon and Auris Health (Monarch platform), J&J is a major surgical robotics and endoscopy player. TSSC's JLABS residency positions it within J&J's ecosystem as a potential enabling technology supplier.
• Philips (Interventional Guidance): Philips' interventional guidance and imaging platforms compete in the same endovascular and electrophysiology navigation workflows where TSSC's shape sensing offers a radiation-free alternative.
• Siemens Healthineers: Provides interventional imaging and navigation systems for cardiology and vascular procedures. Represents incumbent imaging-based navigation workflows that shape sensing could augment or replace.

Emerging players

• OmniGuide Holdings: Develops fiber optic-based surgical tools and CO2 laser systems for minimally invasive surgery. Adjacent emerging player using fiber optic technology in medical interventions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-shape-sensing-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Shape Sensing Company