Chirp
Chirp is a London-based technology company founded in 2011 that encodes data into audio signals to enable frictionless, contactless machine-to-machine communication using existing speakers and microphones for IoT, authentication, and proximity-based data exchange applications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Chirp does
Chirp is a London-based, privately-held technology company founded in 2011 that has developed a proprietary acoustic data transfer technology enabling frictionless machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. The company's core technology encodes data into audio signals that can be transmitted and decoded by any device equipped with a standard speaker and microphone, eliminating the need for specialized hardware, NFC, Bluetooth pairing, or internet connectivity for short-range data exchange. This positions Chirp in the IoT connectivity, proximity-based authentication, and contactless device-to-device data transfer markets, where it competes against NFC, QR codes, BLE, and ultrasonic alternatives.
With 1-10 employees and approximately $1.34 million in disclosed funding across four rounds between 2011 and 2016, Chirp operates as a small, research-driven organization. The company was co-founded by Anthony Steed and Patrick Bergel, with early backing from Imperial Innovations and UCLB (suggesting academic origins), followed by investments from Angels Den, Renaissance Capital Partners, the London Co-Investment Fund, and GQI. The leadership team includes Stephen Dunford as Chairman and Quentin Roquefort as SVP of Engineering. Chirp's go-to-market appears to center on licensing its acoustic data transfer IP and SDK to enterprises building proximity-based authentication, IoT provisioning, and contactless data exchange applications, though no customer logos, revenue figures, or pricing disclosures are available in the input data.
Chirp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chirp
- Website
- https://chirp.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chirp is a London-based technology company founded in 2011 that encodes data into audio signals to enable frictionless, contactless machine-to-machine communication using existing speakers and microphones for IoT, authentication, and proximity-based data exchange applications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chirp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Acoustic Data Communication Software
- NAICS
- Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290)
- SIC
- Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio & Speech Analytics (call analytics, QA, insights) (HDAAAFAH)
Keywords
Where Chirp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chirp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of audio products including speakers, soundbars, headphones, subwoofers, and amplifiers. One-time purchase model with optional accessories and mounting equipment.
- Streaming Services Integration: Partnership with hundreds of streaming services for music, podcasts, radio, and audiobooks. Revenue shared through service integrations.
- Sonos Radio: Original streaming radio content with curated stations and exclusive programming, monetized through advertising and subscription features.
- Professional Installation Services: Installed solutions for commercial and high-end residential environments through Sonos Professional division.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Product-based pricing with tiered product categories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Chirp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chirp provides software (an SDK and API) that enables machine-to-machine data transfer by encoding information into near-ultrasonic sound waves transmitted through a device's existing speaker and decoded by an existing microphone. The technology is sold to developers, OEMs, and enterprises as a frictionless, secure alternative to NFC, Bluetooth pairing, or QR codes for proximity-based data exchange.
Product overview
Sonos offers a unified whole-home audio ecosystem centered around wireless smart speakers and soundbars that work seamlessly together over WiFi. The product portfolio spans multiple categories: Headphones (Sonos Ace), Soundbars (Arc Ultra, Beam Gen 2, Ray), Wireless Speakers (Era 100, Era 100 SL, Era 300), Portable Speakers (Roam 2, Move 2, Sonos Play), Subwoofers (Sub 4, Sub Mini), and Stereo Components (Five, Amp, Port). Users can mix and match speakers across rooms, pair two speakers for stereo sound, build surround sound systems with soundbars and subwoofers, or create custom sets. The ecosystem is controlled via the Sonos app, voice control, or Apple AirPlay 2, and supports streaming from hundreds of audio services plus Sonos Radio. The system is expandable—users start with one room and add more speakers as needed.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chirp SDK Software development kit that enables developers to embed data-over-sound transmission and reception capabilities into mobile, web, and embedded applications using existing speakers and microphones, for use cases such as device pairing, authentication, and proximity-based data exchange.
- Chirp API Application programming interface that supports Chirp's acoustic data transmission protocol, allowing enterprise integrators and OEMs to incorporate audio-based machine-to-machine communication into their products and services.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4000+ patented innovations supporting best-in-class audio quality
Companies that use Chirp
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chirp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Chirp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Best BuycoreBest Buy serves as a retail partner enabling online order pickup at select store locations, providing physical retail presence for Sonos products alongside direct-to-consumer sales.
- Streaming Services PartnerscorePartnerships with hundreds of streaming services including music, podcasts, radio, and audiobook platforms enabling seamless access through the Sonos ecosystem.
- Apple (AirPlay 2)coreIntegration with Apple AirPlay 2 enabling iOS users to stream audio content directly to Sonos speakers.
- Extend (Product Protection)minorExtended warranty and product protection services offered through Extend for purchase protection and peace of mind.
- Developer EcosystemcoreDeveloper Portal and Works with Sonos program enabling third-party developers to create integrations and compatible products within the Sonos ecosystem.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Chirp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Estimote: Bluetooth-beacon hardware and proximity platform for retail and enterprise. Competes with Chirp for the same enterprise use cases (proximity, in-store engagement) but via BLE rather than audio — a useful adjacent comparable.
- Shopkick: Mobile rewards platform that historically combined audio beacon signals with other proximity tech for in-store engagement. Relevant adjacency because it validated audio-signal-based proximity as a commercial model (later acquired by Trax).
- Unacast: Proximity data and location intelligence platform aggregating BLE, Wi-Fi, and other signals. Indirect competitor for the same enterprise budget on proximity-driven use cases Chirp targets.
Direct peers
- Lisnr: US-based data-over-sound platform that transmits data via inaudible audio signals between devices. Most direct comparable to Chirp, competing in payments, ticketing, and proximity identity with a similar SDK-delivery model.
- Sonarax: Israeli company developing ultrasonic data-over-sound technology for indoor positioning, authentication, and device-to-device communication. Directly competes with Chirp on the core acoustic transmission primitive.
- Signal360 (Signal360/Clipsome): Audio-based proximity and engagement platform that triggers app actions via inaudible audio signals embedded in media. Closely comparable use cases (broadcast/second-screen pairing) to Chirp's original deployments.
- ToneTag: India-based sound-based payments and authentication platform transmitting data via audio for mobile proximity transactions. Comparable to Chirp in using acoustic channels for frictionless M2M communication, especially in payments.
Others
- Audible Magic: Audio fingerprinting and content recognition company. Different use case (content identification vs. data transmission) but operates in the same broader audio-signal-processing stack and shares potential enterprise customers in broadcast/media.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Chirp social profiles
Digital presenceChirp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chirp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Chirp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chirp 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
What does Chirp do?
Chirp provides software (an SDK and API) that enables machine-to-machine data transfer by encoding information into near-ultrasonic sound waves transmitted through a device's existing speaker and decoded by an existing microphone. The technology is sold to developers, OEMs, and enterprises as a frictionless, secure alternative to NFC, Bluetooth pairing, or QR codes for proximity-based data exchange.
When was Chirp founded?
Chirp was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chirp based?
Chirp is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Chirp make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are streaming Services Integration, sonos Radio and professional Installation Services.
Who are Chirp's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Estimote, Shopkick and Unacast. Direct peers are Lisnr, Sonarax, Signal360 (Signal360/Clipsome) and ToneTag. Audible Magic is listed as an others.
Does Chirp have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chirp.
What industry is Chirp in?
Chirp's product category is Acoustic Data Communication Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAFAH, Audio & Speech Analytics (call analytics, QA, insights). Its NAICS code is 334290 and its SIC code is 3669.