TellSpec
TellSpec is a London-based company that combines affordable sensor hardware with AI analytics to produce rapid molecular fingerprints of substances, serving food safety and consumer analytical use cases.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What TellSpec does
TellSpec is a London-based private company founded in 2013 that builds rapid molecular fingerprinting technology by combining affordable sensor hardware with AI-based analytics. The platform is positioned to identify the chemical composition of substances, with implied applicability to food safety, consumer health, and industrial analytical use cases, though no specific customer segments, pilots, or end markets are documented in the available sources. The company is founder-led by Isabel Hoffmann (founder & CEO) and retains a five-person executive bench including two CTOs (Rafael Queirós and Jason Coulls), a COO (Paolo Sater), and a Head of R&D (Mark Bloore), against a total headcount band of 11-50 employees.
On the commercial side, TellSpec has raised approximately $2.125 million in disclosed funding across two rounds — a ~$2.1 million round in January 2014 and a $25,012 follow-on in March 2016 — with investors undisclosed. No subsequent funding rounds, revenue figures, customer logos, partnerships, pricing models, product launches, regulatory actions, or M&A activity are documented in the available inputs, and the company's website (tellspec.com) currently resolves to a verification/waiting page rather than an active commercial site. Taken together, the company appears to be either pre-commercial or in a low-activity/dormant state relative to its 2013-vintage founding.
TellSpec firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TellSpec
- Website
- https://tellspec.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TellSpec is a London-based company that combines affordable sensor hardware with AI analytics to produce rapid molecular fingerprints of substances, serving food safety and consumer analytical use cases.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TellSpec industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Spectroscopy Sensors
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biosensors & Lab-on-Chip (BioMEMS) (HDAHALAK)
Keywords
Where TellSpec is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
TellSpec business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
TellSpec product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TellSpec develops affordable sensor devices combined with AI analytics to generate rapid molecular fingerprints of substances. The technology is positioned to enable point-of-use identification and analysis of materials, including food composition and quality, using portable spectroscopy hardware paired with cloud-based intelligence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TellSpec Scanner
Companies that use TellSpec
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
TellSpec technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TellSpec partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
TellSpec competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Consumer Physics: Maker of the SCiO handheld NIR spectrometer that scans foods, drugs, and materials and pairs the readings with a cloud-based AI/database — essentially the same product proposition as TellSpec (affordable sensor + AI molecular fingerprints) targeting consumer and prosumer users.
- trinamiX (BASF): BASF's mobile spectroscopy spin-off, offering a palm-sized NIR sensor plus an AI-driven material identification platform for plastics, textiles, agri, and food — directly comparable to TellSpec's combination of miniaturized spectroscopy and AI analytics for substance identification.
- 908 Devices: Builds portable mass spectrometry and chemical detection devices for forensics, pharma, and public safety, sharing TellSpec's 'lab-grade analysis in a handheld form factor' playbook and serving overlapping safety/security end markets.
Broad incumbents
- Bruker: Global leader in analytical instruments including portable and benchtop spectrometers, with deep spectral libraries and recurring service revenue — sets the incumbent benchmark for the molecular-fingerprint category TellSpec is targeting.
- Agilent Technologies: Major analytical-instrument manufacturer with spectroscopy, chromatography, and mass spectrometry product lines; relevant as the high-end reference customer and competitor against whom TellSpec must position on price/portability.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Dominant life-sciences and analytical-instruments vendor with portable and handheld spectroscopic tools, plus the software and reference databases to monetize them — the natural incumbent competitor across TellSpec's food, pharma, and environmental verticals.
Emerging players
- Wasatch Photonics: Specializes in compact Raman and OCT spectrometers and OEM optical components used in portable analyzers; comparable to TellSpec as a builder of miniaturized spectroscopy hardware that could be paired with an AI/analytics stack.
- B&W Tek (Metrohm): Provides portable and handheld Raman spectrometers for material identification, pharma, and security — directly adjacent to TellSpec in delivering molecular-level identification in a small form factor.
- Renishaw: Manufactures Raman spectroscopy systems and OEM optical modules used in analytical instruments; relevant to TellSpec as a comparator in scaling spectroscopy hardware into industrial and life-science use cases.
Others
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Key supplier of photodetectors, light sources, and optical components used inside molecular-sensing devices; comparable to TellSpec as a stakeholder in the underlying sensor stack and a potential OEM/customer for its AI software layer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
TellSpec social profiles
Digital presenceTellSpec financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TellSpec leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
TellSpec funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TellSpec 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 TellSpec
What does TellSpec do?
TellSpec develops affordable sensor devices combined with AI analytics to generate rapid molecular fingerprints of substances. The technology is positioned to enable point-of-use identification and analysis of materials, including food composition and quality, using portable spectroscopy hardware paired with cloud-based intelligence.
Is TellSpec a public or private company?
TellSpec is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed.
When was TellSpec founded?
TellSpec was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TellSpec based?
TellSpec is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are TellSpec's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Consumer Physics, trinamiX (BASF) and 908 Devices. Broad incumbents are Bruker, Agilent Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Emerging players are Wasatch Photonics, B&W Tek (Metrohm) and Renishaw. Hamamatsu Photonics is listed as an others.
Does TellSpec have an API?
No public API is recorded for TellSpec.
What industry is TellSpec in?
TellSpec's product category is Consumer Spectroscopy Sensors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAK, Biosensors & Lab-on-Chip (BioMEMS). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3826.