Mbientlab

What Mbientlab does

Mbientlab Inc. is a San Jose, California-based private hardware company founded in 2013 that designs and sells wireless wearable sensor development boards under the MetaMotion/MetaSensor brand. The core platform combines a Nordic nRF52 SoC with an ARM Cortex M4F microcontroller and Bluetooth Low Energy radio, integrating Bosch 9-axis IMUs (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) plus optional temperature, barometric pressure, and ambient light sensors. Firmware delivers both live 2.4 GHz streaming to smartphones and onboard logging to 8MB flash at up to 400 Hz, with Bosch Sensor Fusion Kalman filter outputs for quaternions and Euler angles. The company previously operated under the MetaWear name.

The business model is direct-to-customer hardware sales through a self-serve e-commerce store at mbientlab.com, with unit prices ranging roughly $80 to $160 per board and $1.99 to $20.95 for accessories. Revenue is complemented by bulk pricing for research institutions and clinical trials, plus an accessory and wearable kit catalog (wrist bands, velcro sleeves, cases, batteries, dongles). Distribution is global via UPS and USPS, and the product is designed in San Francisco and assembled in the U.S., China, and Korea. Software strategy is product-led growth: open-source APIs in C++, Swift, Java, Python, and JavaScript, free MetaBase and MetaWear mobile apps, and the MetaHub Raspberry Pi gateway enable developers and researchers to build custom applications on top of the hardware.

The customer base spans academic researchers (gait analysis, biomechanics), developers and makers building wearables and IoT prototypes, healthcare and clinical users (e.g., Palarum smart socks, Zanthion senior monitoring), sports and equestrian users, and startups; reference logos include Berkeley, BMW, Nestle, Palarum, and Zanthion. Mbientlab cites over 1,000 academic publications referencing its sensors and notes that startups building on its platform have raised over $2M. Capital structure reflects one disclosed $225,000 National Science Foundation grant from 2016 with no identified institutional or venture investors, and the company remains founder-operated under Co-founder/CTO Matt Baker.

Name

Mbientlab

Legal name

MbientLab Inc.

Website

https://mbientlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mbientlab designs and sells MetaMotion wireless wearable 9-axis IMU development boards with Bluetooth Low Energy and onboard logging, serving academic researchers, developers, makers, and startups via direct e-commerce and open-source SDKs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of wireless sensor development boards (MetaMotion series), accessories (cases, bands, clips), batteries, cables, and wearable kits. One-time purchase model with optional bulk pricing for research institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mbientlab designs, manufactures, and sells compact wireless wearable sensor development boards under the MetaMotion family (MMRL, MMS, MMR, MMC, MMRL+, MMS+) that combine Nordic nRF52 Bluetooth Low Energy SoCs with Bosch 9-axis IMU sensor fusion (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) plus barometer, temperature, and ambient light sensors. The boards support both live streaming over 2.4 GHz wireless and onboard logging to 8MB memory, ship with open-source APIs in C++, Swift, Java, Python, and JavaScript, and are accompanied by a free MetaBase mobile app and a MetaHub Raspberry Pi gateway, targeting developers, researchers, startups, healthcare, and sports/fitness prototyping use cases.

Product overview

Mbientlab is a developer of wireless wearable sensor development boards. The product portfolio centers on the MetaSensor platform, which consists of development boards (MetaMotionRL, MetaMotionS, MetaMotionR, MetaMotionC) with ARM Cortex M4F microcontrollers and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. These boards integrate various sensors including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, temperature, pressure, and ambient light sensors with advanced Bosch 9-axis sensor fusion. The ecosystem includes wearable kits (wrist bands, velcro sleeves) for body-worn applications, protective cases, and accessories (batteries, chargers, clips). Software offerings include open-source APIs (C++, Swift, Java, Python, JavaScript), free MetaBase mobile apps, and MetaHub gateway for connecting multiple sensors to a Raspberry Pi. The products stream sensor data live via 2.4GHz wireless or log data internally for later download, enabling applications in research, healthcare, sports analytics, and product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MetaMotionRL (MMRL) Core MetaMotion development board with low-energy 2.4 GHz wireless communication, ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller, rechargeable battery, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and Bosch sensor fusion, designed for developers and researchers prototyping wearable and IoT applications.
• MetaMotionS (MMS) Core MetaMotion development board with low-energy 2.4 GHz wireless, ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller, rechargeable battery, temperature sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, and ambient light sensor, supporting both streaming and logging modes for prototyping and research.
• MetaMotionR (MMR) Rectangular MetaMotion development board featuring a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, ARM Cortex M4F CPU, Bluetooth Low Energy, and 8MB NOR FLASH memory for streaming up to 100Hz and logging up to 400Hz of raw sensor data.
• MetaMotionC (MMC) Circular MetaMotion development board powered by a CR2032 coin-cell battery, featuring ARM Cortex M4F CPU, Bluetooth Low Energy, a 6-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope), 9-axis sensor fusion, and 8MB memory for logging sensor data.
• MetaMotionRL+ (MMRL+) Enhanced version of the MetaMotionRL board with additional haptic feedback capabilities via a vibration motor, combined with the rechargeable battery and full sensor suite (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, sensor fusion).
• MetaMotionS+ (MMS+) Enhanced version of the MetaMotionS board featuring additional capabilities beyond the base MMS model, retaining temperature, accelerometer, gyroscope, pressure, and ambient light sensing for advanced prototyping.
• Wrist Band Kit for MMRL or MMS Wearable wrist band kit that allows attaching MetaMotionRL or MetaMotionS sensors to the wrist for body-worn sensing applications in sports, fitness, and clinical research.
• Velcro Sleeve Kit for MMRL or MMS Clinical-grade velcro sleeve device in neoprene construction and multiple sizes (S-XXL) that records logged or real-time streamed sensor data from MetaMotionRL or MetaMotionS boards for clinical and research applications.
• Velcro Sleeve Kit for MMC and MMR Clinical-grade velcro sleeve research kit with an IP40 plastic case and neoprene sleeve in multiple sizes, integrating the BMI160 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope, BMM150 magnetometer, and BMP280 barometer for use with MetaMotionC and MetaMotionR boards in clinical and biomedical research.
• MetaBase App Free mobile application for iOS and Android that lets users stream live sensor data from MetaSensor devices or download previously logged data, eliminating the need for custom development for non-developer users.
• MetaHub Raspberry Pi-based gateway hub that connects up to 10 MetaSensor devices simultaneously, using a pre-loaded SD card with Raspbian OS, MetaWear APIs, and MetaBase software for centralized multi-sensor data collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sensors have been cited in over 1000 academic publications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bosch SensorteccoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of sensor components including BMI160 6-axis IMU, BMM150 magnetometer, and BMP280 barometer used in MbientLab products. Sensor fusion algorithms powered by Bosch technology.
• Nordic SemiconductorcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of nRF52 SoC (ARM Cortex M4F CPU) and Bluetooth Low Energy technology powering MbientLab boards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Sensortec: Major IMU and sensor manufacturer that supplies components used in Mbientlab's boards; also sells its own development kits and application boards that compete for the same developer/prototyping audience.
• Nordic Semiconductor: Supplier of the nRF52 SoC and Bluetooth Low Energy silicon powering MetaMotion boards; Nordic also offers its own Thingy development kits that target overlapping IoT prototyping use cases.
• STMicroelectronics: Global semiconductor vendor with broad IMU and MEMS sensor portfolios plus SensorTile reference designs; competes with Mbientlab in the developer and IoT prototyping market.
• Texas Instruments: Large analog and embedded semiconductor supplier offering SensorTag and Bluetooth Low Energy dev kits that overlap with MetaMotion's positioning for sensor-based prototyping.
• Arduino: Widely-used open-source microcontroller platform with sensor-rich development boards and Nicla Sense modules that compete for the same prototyping and education workloads.

Direct peers

• Shimmer Research: Specializes in wearable wireless sensor platforms for clinical research, sports science, and rehabilitation — directly comparable to Mbientlab's researcher-focused IMU development kit offering.
• Xsens (Movella): Provides wearable inertial motion tracking sensors and suites (MTi, DOT) for motion capture, biomechanics, and health research — a direct competitor in wireless IMU development kits.
• Adafruit: Open-source hardware retailer selling development boards, sensors, and wearables kits to a maker/developer community that closely mirrors Mbientlab's customer base.
• SparkFun Electronics: Sells open-source electronic components, sensor modules, and development kits to engineers and hobbyists, overlapping with Mbientlab's developer/maker GTM motion.
• Seeed Studio: Developer-focused hardware vendor offering IoT and wearable sensor modules (e.g., Wio Tracker, XIAO ecosystem) targeting the same maker/research/prototyping audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mbientLab
• GitHubgithub.com/mbientlab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgtp0qAoulK9mYbzwDm09g
• Facebookfacebook.com/mbientLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbientlab
• Instagraminstagram.com/mbientlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Mbientlab