Chirp Microsystems
Chirp Microsystems develops MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensors for proximity, presence, and distance measurement in IoT, robotics, smart home, AR/VR, and accessibility applications. Acquired by TDK Corporation in 2017, the technology now operates as the TDK SmartSonic product line within InvenSense.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chirp Microsystems does
Chirp Microsystems, founded in 2013 in Berkeley, California, developed MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors that enable proximity, presence, and distance measurement for IoT, robotics, AR/VR, smart home, and consumer electronics applications. The company's technology centered on miniaturized ultrasonic transducers paired with an integrated digital signal processor (DSP) ASIC, packaged in compact 3.5x3.5mm and 5.17x2.68mm LGA form factors. Key products included the CH101 (range 4cm-120cm), CH201 (long-range millimeter accuracy), and the ICU-series (ICU-10201, ICU-20201, ICU-30201) extending range up to 9.5 meters. The technology differentiated from optical ToF solutions through approximately 1000x lower power consumption (microamps vs. milliamps), immunity to lighting conditions, and centimeter-to-millimeter accuracy across diverse surface types.
Chirp was acquired by InvenSense prior to TDK Corporation's approximately $1.3 billion acquisition of InvenSense in 2017. The technology now operates within TDK's SmartSonic ultrasonic sensor portfolio under the InvenSense subsidiary brand. Revenue derives from hardware sales of sensors and development kits, distributed globally through TDK's Product Center e-commerce portal, authorized distributors, and direct sales representatives. The go-to-market motion is product-led, anchored by the open-source SonicLib C SDK, GitHub repositories under tdk-invn-oss, and developer community forums targeting embedded systems engineers. Customers and featured partners include WeWALK (accessibility smart cane) and iSee (smart glasses). Total pre-acquisition funding was approximately $3.12 million across NSF grants, DNX Ventures, Atlantic Bridge, Dolby Family Ventures, and SkyDeck Berkeley.
Chirp Microsystems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chirp Microsystems
- Legal name
- Chirp Microsystems
- Website
- https://chirpmicro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chirp Microsystems develops MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensors for proximity, presence, and distance measurement in IoT, robotics, smart home, AR/VR, and accessibility applications. Acquired by TDK Corporation in 2017, the technology now operates as the TDK SmartSonic product line within InvenSense.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chirp Microsystems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- MEMS Ultrasonic Sensors
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microphones & Acoustic MEMS (MEMS Mics/Ultrasonic Transducers) (HDAHALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO), Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs (HDAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Chirp Microsystems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Chirp Microsystems 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, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- MEMS Ultrasonic Sensor Hardware Sales: Sale of MEMS ultrasonic time-of-flight sensors (CH101, CH201, ICU series) and development kits (DK-CH101, DK-CH201, DK-x0201) to customers in IoT, robotics, consumer electronics, and industrial applications
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Chirp Microsystems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chirp Microsystems designs and manufactures MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors with integrated digital signal processor (DSP) ASICs that enable proximity, presence detection, range-finding, object detection/avoidance, and position tracking. Its SmartSonic product line (CH101, CH201, ICU-10201, ICU-20201, ICU-30201) targets OEMs and embedded systems developers in IoT, robotics, AR/VR, smart home, drones, smart locks, and consumer electronics, offering 1000x lower power consumption than optical ToF solutions, centimeter-level accuracy, and lighting-independent operation.
Product overview
Chirp Microsystems developed a portfolio of MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensors that were acquired by TDK in 2018. Today, the product family is sold under the TDK SmartSonic brand and includes two product lines: the original CH-series (CH101, CH201) and the newer ICU-series (ICU-10201, ICU-20201, ICU-30201). The CH-series sensors offer ultra-low-power operation with millimeter accuracy in compact 3.5x3.5mm packages for short-to-long range applications. The ICU-series sensors provide higher sample rates and extended range capabilities (up to 9.5m) in compact LGA packages with integrated DSP. Supporting the hardware are development kits (DK-x0201, DK-CH101, DK-CH201) and the SonicLib software library, which provides C API functions and sensor drivers for embedded applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CH101 Ultrasonic ToF Sensor MEMS ultrasonic Time-of-Flight range sensor with integrated DSP ASIC in a 3.5 x 3.5 mm package, range 4cm to 120cm. Designed for embedded IoT, wearable, and consumer-electronics OEMs requiring low-power proximity and presence detection.
- CH201 Ultrasonic ToF Sensor Long-range ultra-low-power integrated MEMS ultrasonic ToF range sensor with millimeter accuracy, designed for extended-range detection applications. Targeted at OEMs needing longer detection distance than CH101.
- SmartSonic ICU-10201 High-performance ultrasonic ToF sensor for short-range applications, measuring objects from 10cm to 1.2m with sample rates up to 250 samples/sec at 0.3m, in a 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.26 mm LGA package with integrated DSP and customizable field-of-view up to 180 degrees.
- SmartSonic ICU-20201 High-performance ultrasonic ToF sensor for long-range applications, measuring objects from 20cm to 5m with sample rates up to 150 samples/sec at 1m, in a 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.26 mm LGA package with integrated DSP and customizable field-of-view up to 180 degrees.
- SmartSonic ICU-30201 High-performance ultrasonic ToF sensor for ultra-long-range applications, measuring objects from 30cm to 9.5m with sample rates up to 75 samples/sec at 2m, in a 5.17 x 2.68 x 0.9 mm LGA package with integrated DSP and customizable field-of-view up to 180 degrees.
- DK-CH101 Development Kit Development kit for the CH101 ultrasonic ToF sensor module, enabling engineers to prototype range-finding, presence, and proximity-sensing applications. Targeted at embedded systems developers and OEMs.
- DK-CH201 Development Kit Development kit for the CH201 long-range ultrasonic ToF sensor, with expandability to connect up to four additional CH201 modules for multi-sensor prototyping.
- DK-x0201 Development Kit Unified development platform supporting ICU-10201, ICU-20201, and ICU-30201 ultrasonic ToF sensors, allowing engineers to evaluate the full SmartSonic ICU family in a single kit.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1000x lower power consumption than optical ToF (uA vs mA)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Chirp Microsystems
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chirp Microsystems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Chirp Microsystems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered featured and core.
- WeWALKfeaturedWeWALK is a partner showcased by TDK Invensense using ultrasonic ToF sensors in their AI-powered Smart Cane 2 product for accessibility applications. The partnership demonstrates the technology's application in assistive devices.
- iSeefeaturediSee is a smart glasses manufacturer featured as a partner product showcase. TDK sensor solutions are integrated into iSee smart glasses for augmented reality applications.
- TDK CorporationcoreChirp Microsystems was acquired by InvenSense, which was subsequently acquired by TDK Corporation in 2017 for approximately $1.3 billion. The technology is now branded as SmartSonic and integrated into TDK's sensor portfolio.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chirp Microsystems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chirp Microsystems social profiles
Digital presenceChirp Microsystems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chirp Microsystems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Chirp Microsystems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chirp Microsystems 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 Chirp Microsystems
What does Chirp Microsystems do?
Chirp Microsystems designs and manufactures MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors with integrated digital signal processor (DSP) ASICs that enable proximity, presence detection, range-finding, object detection/avoidance, and position tracking. Its SmartSonic product line (CH101, CH201, ICU-10201, ICU-20201, ICU-30201) targets OEMs and embedded systems developers in IoT, robotics, AR/VR, smart home, drones, smart locks, and consumer electronics, offering 1000x lower power consumption than optical ToF solutions, centimeter-level accuracy, and lighting-independent operation.
Is Chirp Microsystems a public or private company?
Chirp Microsystems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Chirp Microsystems founded?
Chirp Microsystems was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chirp Microsystems based?
Chirp Microsystems is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chirp Microsystems make money?
One revenue line is on record: MEMS Ultrasonic Sensor Hardware Sales.
Does Chirp Microsystems have an API?
Yes. SonicLib is a set of API functions and sensor driver routines designed so an embedded C application can easily control TDK/Invensense ultrasonic sensors (originally developed by Chirp Microsystems). SonicLib allows an application developer to manage and obtain ultrasonic data from one or more devices, without needing to develop special low-level code to interact with the sensors directly. Developer documentation is at github.com/tdk-invn-oss/ultrasonic.soniclib.
What industry is Chirp Microsystems in?
Chirp Microsystems's product category is MEMS Ultrasonic Sensors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAH, Microphones & Acoustic MEMS (MEMS Mics/Ultrasonic Transducers), with a secondary code of IMAGAJAO, Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.