What SONOTEC does

SONOTEC GmbH is a family-owned German specialist in ultrasonic measurement technology, founded in 1991 by physicists Dr. Santer zur Horst-Meyer and Hans-Joachim Münch and headquartered in Halle (Saale). The company develops and manufactures ultrasonic sensors, transducers and systems across four product families: (1) Non-Invasive Fluid Monitoring — clamp-on and inline flow meters, bubble detectors, and level sensors for semiconductor, biotechnology and medical technology customers; (2) Preventive Maintenance — handheld SONAPHONE testing devices, air- and structure-borne sensors, and bundled software (DataSuite, LeakExpert, SteamExpert, AssetExpert, GreaseExpert, LevelMeter); (3) Non-Destructive Testing — ultrasonic flaw detectors, the SONO-PR 200 pulser-receiver, SONOWALL thickness gauges, and the SONOSCAN probe line (W angle-beam, R AWS, Q quick-change, P single-element, T dual-element) plus the SONOAIR air-coupled system and Cygnus 1 Ex intrinsically safe gauge; and (4) Customized Ultrasonic Transducers built to customer specification using in-house proprietary piezocomposite materials.

The company's core differentiator is non-contact measurement: ultrasonic-based flow, bubble, leak, level and wall-thickness sensing that avoids contamination and process interruption in sensitive applications. Manufacturing of piezocomposite transducer material is done in-house, and quality systems are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 (TÜV Rheinland), with NDT probes additionally certified to EN 12668-2 and ASTM E1065. As of 2026, SONOTEC has approximately 200 employees and a global footprint spanning Germany, the Netherlands (via ROMYNOX), China (via BABi), the USA, Taiwan, and other markets reached through industry events including SEMICON and ECNDT.

SONOTEC generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of ultrasonic sensors and systems under quote-based, custom pricing with multi-year contract cadence typical of industrial OEM and medical-device accounts. It reaches buyers via direct sales from headquarters, a small network of authorized distribution partners, and event-driven marketing (SEMICON, ECNDT, PTC, Silicon Saxony Days, ECNDT). Customer concentration is spread across four enterprise verticals — semiconductor manufacturing, biotechnology/biopharma, medical technology (dialysis, ECMO, infusion, apheresis, organ transport), and industrial preventive maintenance / NDT services — with no SMB exposure. The company has remained consistently family-owned since founding, with second-generation Managing Directors Manuela and Michael Münch assuming operational leadership in April 2019, and has received only small public R&D grants rather than institutional investment.

Name

SONOTEC

Legal name

SONOTEC GmbH

Website

https://sonotec.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SONOTEC is a family-owned German specialist founded in 1991 that develops and manufactures ultrasonic measurement solutions — non-invasive flow meters, bubble detectors, level sensors, NDT probes, and handheld preventive-maintenance devices — serving enterprise customers in semiconductor manufacturing, biotechnology, medical technology, and industrial plant maintenance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ultrasonic Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI), Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO), Leak Detection, Emissions & LDAR Testing (OGI, methane, fugitive emissions) (EUAEAHAL)

Keywords

• Ultrasonic measurement technology
• Non-invasive fluid monitoring
• Non-destructive testing equipment
• Preventive maintenance sensors
• Ultrasonic flow meters

Headquarters

HQ city

Halle

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ultrasonic Sensors and Transducers: Manufacture and sale of ultrasonic sensors, transducers, flow meters, bubble detectors, and testing equipment for industrial applications
2. Non-Destructive Testing Equipment: Sale of ultrasonic testing gauges, probes, and flaw detection equipment
3. Preventive Maintenance Solutions: Devices and software for leak detection, steam trap testing, and condition monitoring

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SONOTEC develops and manufactures ultrasonic measurement solutions spanning three core areas: (1) non-invasive fluid monitoring (clamp-on and inline flow meters, flow-bubble sensors, air bubble detectors, level switches, and blood leak detectors) for biotech, semiconductor, and medical device customers; (2) preventive maintenance tools (SONAPHONE handheld ultrasonic testing devices, acoustic cameras, and dedicated software suites) for leak detection, steam trap testing, bearing inspection, and partial discharge; and (3) non-destructive testing equipment (ultrasonic probes, thickness gauges, flaw detectors, pulser-receivers, and air-coupled systems). The company also produces customized ultrasonic transducers and sensors tailored to customer specifications.

Product overview

SONOTEC is a leading specialist in ultrasonic measurement technology offering a comprehensive portfolio organized into four main categories: Non-Invasive Fluid Monitoring (flow meters, bubble detectors, level sensors for biotechnology, semiconductor, and medical technology), Preventive Maintenance (handheld ultrasonic testing devices like SONAPHONE® with various sensors and software for leak detection, steam trap testing, bearing inspection), Non-Destructive Testing (ultrasonic flaw detectors, thickness gauges, probes including SONOSCAN series, SONOAIR air-coupled systems, and SONO-PR 200 pulser-receivers), and Customized Ultrasonic Transducers. The company develops and manufactures customer-specific ultrasonic transducers and sensors with approximately 200 employees based in Halle (Saale), Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SONOFLOW CO.55 | Ultrasonic Clamp-On Flow Meter Non-invasive ultrasonic clamp-on flow meter for measuring flow rates in biotechnology, semiconductor, and medical technology applications; V3.0 includes AI features for enhanced measurement capabilities.
• SEMIFLOW CO.65 / CO.66 PI Ex1 | Ultrasonic Clamp-On Flow Sensor Non-contact ultrasonic clamp-on flow sensors for semiconductor manufacturing, enabling precise flow measurement in CMP, slurry blending, wafer cleaning, and chemical distribution without interrupting fab processes.
• SONOFLOW IL.52 | Ultrasonic Inline Flow Meter Inline ultrasonic flow meter for precise flow rate measurement in fluid monitoring applications across biotech and industrial processes.
• SONOFLOW CO.56 Pro V2.0 | Flow-Bubble Sensor Non-invasive ultrasonic flow-bubble sensor combining flow measurement and bubble detection in a single device for single-use applications in biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• SONOCHECK ABD | Ultrasonic Bubble Sensor Ultrasonic air bubble detector for medical technology applications including dialysis machines, infusion systems, and heart-lung machines.
• SONOCHECK ABD06 | Ultrasonic Clamp-On Bubble Detector Clamp-on ultrasonic bubble detector for industrial applications requiring non-contact air bubble detection in fluid lines.
• SONOCHECK ALD | Ultrasonic Drip Chamber Sensor Ultrasonic level detection sensor for monitoring drip chambers in medical infusion applications.
• SONOCONTROL 15 | Ultrasonic Level Switch Ultrasonic level switch for non-contact level detection in industrial fluid handling applications.
• BLD | Blood Leak Detector Ultrasonic blood leak detector for dialysis machines to detect membrane failures and blood loss during treatment.
• SONAPHONE® | Ultrasonic Testing Device Handheld ultrasonic testing device for preventive maintenance including leak detection, steam trap testing, bearing inspection, and partial discharge detection in industrial plants.
• SONAPHONE® Pocket Compact handheld ultrasonic testing device for portable leak detection and electrical inspection applications.
• SONAPHONE® T & SONOSPHERE Advanced version of the SONAPHONE ultrasonic testing device with enhanced capabilities for preventive maintenance applications.
• SONAPHONE DataSuite / DataSuite V / DataSuite D / DataSuite S Software suite for managing and analyzing ultrasonic data collected from SONAPHONE devices for predictive and preventive maintenance workflows.
• SteamExpert | Steam Trap Testing Software Specialized software for steam trap testing and condition assessment using ultrasonic analysis from SONAPHONE devices.
• LeakExpert® | Leak Detection Software Software for ultrasonic leak detection and analysis in compressed air, gas, and vacuum systems using SONAPHONE data.
• AssetExpert Asset management software for ultrasonic maintenance data and equipment tracking in preventive maintenance programs.
• GreaseExpert | Lubrication Monitoring Software Software for monitoring and analyzing lubrication conditions using ultrasonic technology as part of bearing and machinery maintenance.
• LevelMeter® Software for ultrasonic level measurement and monitoring applications integrated with SONAPHONE workflows.
• SONO-PR 200 | Ultrasonic Pulser-Receiver High-frequency ultrasonic pulser-receiver with bandwidth up to 200 MHz for wall thickness measurement, immersion technology, and acoustic microscopy applications.
• SONOWALL 50 | Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Ultrasonic wall thickness gauge for non-destructive testing of material thickness in industrial and inspection applications.
• SONOSCAN W | Angle Beam Probes Ergonomic angle beam ultrasonic probes certified to EN 12668-2 for weld seam testing, detecting cracks, inclusions, and defects in metals.
• SONOSCAN R | AWS Probes AWS-certified ultrasonic probes for weld seam testing per ASTM E1065, using in-house piezocomposite transducer material instead of conventional ceramics for higher sensitivity.
• SONOSCAN Q | Quick Change Probes Quick-change ultrasonic probes for weld seam testing per ASTM E1065 with piezocomposite transducers and interchangeable wedges for difficult-to-access inspection objects.
• SONOSCAN P | Single Element Probes Single element ultrasonic probes for general non-destructive testing applications including flaw detection and thickness measurement.
• SONOSCAN T | Dual Element Probes Dual element ultrasonic probes for NDT applications requiring paired transducer elements, such as near-surface flaw detection.
• SONOAIR | Non-Contact Ultrasonic Testing System Air-coupled non-contact ultrasonic testing system for inspecting materials without direct contact, particularly for high-temperature ceramics and composite materials.
• Cygnus 1 Ex | Intrinsically Safe Thickness Gauge Intrinsically safe ultrasonic thickness gauge for wall thickness measurement in hazardous environments such as oil and gas facilities.
• Customized Ultrasonic Transducers Customer-specific ultrasonic transducers and sensors, including phased array probes and flow measurement transducers, manufactured to customer specifications.
• Clamp-on Flow Meter with Touch Display Non-invasive clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter with integrated touch display for bioprocessing and industrial fluid measurement applications.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beijing Airport Beiguang Instruments (BABi)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 June 2026New authorized distribution partner in China for non-invasive fluid monitoring products, expanding SONOTEC's presence in the Chinese market for semiconductor and biotechnology applications.
• ROMYNOXcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 June 2026Distribution partner in the Netherlands for high-purity fluid monitoring solutions; co-hosts events such as Single-Use Event Leiden and High Purity Day.
• NDT GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing partnership for joint technical presentations and collaboration in pipeline inspection technology at PTC conferences.
• AddiQ Innovation AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Consortium of ten Central German companies, three research institutes, and two universities working to establish additive manufacturing in industrial series production; funded by RUBIN program of the Federal Ministry of Research.
• Silicon SaxonyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry network for semiconductor and microelectronics in Saxony region; SONOTEC has been a member since 2020 and participates annually in Silicon Saxony Days events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Olympus Industrial (Evident): Evident (formerly Olympus Scientific Solutions) is a global leader in ultrasonic NDT flaw detectors, thickness gauges, and phased-array probes. Direct competitor to SONOTEC's SONOSCAN and SONO-PR 200 product lines in weld inspection and material testing.
• FLEXIM: FLEXIM specializes in non-invasive clamp-on ultrasonic flow measurement for process industries. Closest direct competitor to SONOTEC's SONOFLOW and SEMIFLOW clamp-on flow sensors, particularly in semiconductor chemical distribution and bioprocessing.

Broad incumbents

• Endress+Hauser: Global leader in industrial process measurement instrumentation including flow, level, and analytical sensors. Competes with SONOTEC's ultrasonic flow and level products as part of a much broader instrumentation portfolio serving similar process-industry customers.
• Emerson Electric (Rosemount): Emerson's Rosemount and Branson divisions supply industrial measurement instruments and ultrasonic products. Overlaps with SONOTEC in flow measurement, level detection, and ultrasonic welding/NDT applications as part of a large diversified portfolio.
• SICK AG: German-based manufacturer of industrial sensors including ultrasonic distance and flow sensors. Headquartered in the same region and competing with SONOTEC across industrial fluid monitoring and factory automation applications.
• GE Inspection Technologies (Baker Hughes): GE Inspection Technologies (now part of Baker Hughes) supplies ultrasonic NDT equipment, probes, and flaw detectors. Direct competitor in the NDT business segment where SONOTEC offers SONOSCAN probes and SONO-PR 200.
• KROHNE Group: KROHNE manufactures industrial process measurement instruments including ultrasonic flowmeters. Overlaps with SONOTEC in non-invasive flow measurement for chemical, water, and process industry customers in Europe and globally.
• Pepperl+Fuchs: German industrial sensor manufacturer with ultrasonic proximity and flow sensing products. Comparable in scale and German-mid-market positioning to SONOTEC across factory automation and process instrumentation.

Emerging players

• Malema Sensors (IDEX): Malema designs ultrasonic flow sensors for high-purity semiconductor and biopharmaceutical applications — a more focused overlap with SONOTEC's SEMIFLOW CO.65/66 product line targeting the same chip fab and single-use bioprocessing customers.

Others

• Siemens Healthineers: While primarily a medical imaging company, Siemens Healthineers uses ultrasonic technology in clinical and point-of-care devices and represents an adjacent reference for SONOTEC's medical technology OEM sensor business in dialysis and infusion systems.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/sonotec-gmbh
• Xx.com/SONOTEC

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 SONOTEC