METER Group
METER Group designs and manufactures research-grade environmental sensors, data loggers, and ZENTRA Cloud software that measure the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. It serves academic, government, agricultural, geotechnical, and sports-turf customers worldwide through direct, quote-based sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersPullman, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What METER Group does
METER Group, Inc. is a privately held environmental instrumentation company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Pullman, Washington, with additional offices in Munich, Germany, and Koshigaya-shi, Japan. The company designs and manufactures research-grade sensors, data loggers, and cloud software that measure the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, with product families including the TEROS soil sensor series (volumetric water content, water potential, temperature, and EC), the ATMOS weather stations (including the ATMOS 41 all-in-one and ATMOS 22 ultrasonic anemometer), the recently launched SOLYX 14 sensor based on proprietary complex dielectric with intersections (CDX) technology, the SATURO automated infiltrometer, and specialized instruments such as the SC-1 Leaf Porometer and IRT infrared radiometer. Hardware connects through the ZL6 data logger to the ZENTRA Cloud platform, which offers real-time visualization, automated QC, alerting, and REST/Push APIs for integration into customer systems.
The company sells exclusively through direct channels: an e-commerce website, sales engineer consultation, and regional sales teams in North America, Europe, and Asia. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts; no public pricing is disclosed. Revenue is generated across four streams: hardware and sensor sales (primary), ZENTRA Cloud software subscriptions, professional lab and calibration services, and support/maintenance. Target customers span academic and government research institutions (NASA JPL, USDA NRCS, Soil Health Institute, Montana Climate Office, multiple universities), commercial agriculture and viticulture (Bayer Crop Science, Morning Star Company), geotechnical and civil engineering, sports turf (golf courses via the USGA partnership), and industrial/construction weather monitoring (Pavewise, Patriot Point).
METER's value proposition is anchored in scientific credibility, multi-year field reliability, and an integrated hardware-cloud-services ecosystem. Differentiation rests on 40+ years of in-house sensor R&D, proprietary technologies such as CDX and the SATURO method (adopted as standard by USDA NRCS and the Soil Health Institute), and a content-driven go-to-market model that includes webinars, podcasts, and a 10-language knowledge base. The company operates with 101–250 employees, is not publicly traded, has no disclosed funding rounds, and presents no investor relations function in its public materials.
METER Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- METER Group
- Legal name
- METER Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://metergroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- METER Group designs and manufactures research-grade environmental sensors, data loggers, and ZENTRA Cloud software that measure the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. It serves academic, government, agricultural, geotechnical, and sports-turf customers worldwide through direct, quote-based sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
METER Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Monitoring Instruments
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- In-Field Sensor Hardware (Soil Moisture/Nutrient, Weather, Canopy Sensors) (AFABAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental Sensors (Temperature/Humidity/Gas/Air Quality) (HDAHALAD), Continuous/Remote Monitoring Systems (IoT Sensors, Telemetry, Networks) (EUAHACAL), Irrigation Monitoring & Sensors (Flow/Pressure Meters, Soil Moisture, Water Quality Sensors) (AFABAHAJ)
Keywords
Where METER Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pullman
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
METER Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware and Sensor Sales: Sale of environmental monitoring instruments including soil sensors, weather stations, plant science instruments, water instruments, and thermal properties instruments for field and laboratory use. Primary revenue stream with recurring hardware purchases from established customer base.
- Software Subscriptions (ZENTRA Cloud): Cloud-based data management platform providing data visualization, storage, remote monitoring, and automated alerts. Subscription-based access to ZENTRA Cloud software with ZL6 data logger integration.
- Data Collection and Telemetry: ZL6 data loggers and telemetry systems enabling remote data collection and transmission. Connect up to 6 sensors per data logger with cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity options sending data to ZENTRA Cloud in near-real time.
- Professional Services: Laboratory-based measurement services including complete soil characterization, soil texture and particle size analysis, thermal properties testing services, hydraulic conductivity measurement, custom soil moisture sensor calibration, and soil moisture release curve construction.
- Support and Maintenance: Technical support services, troubleshooting assistance, instructional videos, and expert consultation from scientists and support personnel.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for all products and services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
METER Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
METER Group manufactures and sells research-grade environmental monitoring instruments for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, including soil moisture and water potential sensors (TEROS and SOLYX series), all-in-one weather stations (ATMOS series), plant science instruments, water instruments, radiation and rain sensors, and the SATURO automated infiltrometer. These field and laboratory instruments are paired with the ZENTRA System — ZL6 cloud-enabled data loggers and ZENTRA Cloud software — for near-real-time data collection, telemetry, visualization, and remote sensor management. METER also delivers laboratory measurement services, custom sensor calibration, soil characterization, and technical support.
Product overview
METER Group offers a unified portfolio of advanced, cloud-connected environmental monitoring solutions for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. The product ecosystem centers on the ZENTRA System (combining ZL6 data loggers with ZENTRA Cloud software), paired with a comprehensive line of research-grade field instruments including TEROS soil sensors (TEROS 10/11/12/21/22/32/54 for water content, water potential, and temperature), ATMOS weather stations (ATMOS 41 Gen 2, ATMOS 41W, ATMOS 14, ATMOS 22, ATMOS 51), and specialized instruments like the SC-1 Leaf Porometer, IRT infrared radiometer, rain gauges, and radiation sensors. The portfolio also includes lab instruments for soil characterization and the recently launched SOLYX 14 soil moisture sensor with CDX technology. METER serves science, agriculture, climate/weather, sports turf, and engineering applications through modular, interoperable hardware-software solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ZENTRA System: Cloud-connected sensor and software system for simplified data collection and management, includes ZL6 data logger and ZENTRA Cloud platform
- LABROS System
Products and services
- SOLYX 14 Soil Moisture Sensor Next-generation soil moisture sensor using CDX technology to directly measure real and imaginary dielectric permittivity for accurate long-term soil moisture measurement, including in saline soils. Targeted at researchers, growers, and engineers needing research-grade soil moisture data.
- TEROS 12 Soil Sensor Soil sensor measuring volumetric water content (VWC), soil temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity directly in the root zone with minimal maintenance requirements. Used by precision agriculture and research customers.
- TEROS 11 Soil Sensor Soil sensor measuring volumetric water content (VWC) and soil temperature for research and agricultural applications.
- TEROS 10 Soil Sensor Soil sensor measuring volumetric water content (VWC) for research and agriculture deployments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Water savings of more than 33% without compromising turf quality
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use METER Group
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
METER Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
METER Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- U.S. Golf Association (USGA)coreStrategic collaboration to develop the USGA Moisture Meter, a device that measures soil moisture, salinity, and temperature for golf course superintendents. The device integrates with USGA's Deacon technology platform to help manage water usage and improve turf health. METER manufactures proprietary sensors for the device, and proceeds are reinvested into USGA sustainability initiatives.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
METER Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Delta-T Devices: Direct peer supplying soil moisture, weather, and plant-science instrumentation to research institutions, frequently profiled alongside METER as a key industry player in soil moisture sensors.
- Acclima: Direct peer producing research-grade soil moisture sensors with a focus on TDR-based volumetric water content measurement, competing in the same research, turf, and agriculture segments as METER's TEROS line.
- Campbell Scientific: Direct peer in environmental monitoring data loggers and weather/soil sensor systems for research and government networks; competes for the same mesonet and academic customers as METER's ZL6 + ZENTRA ecosystem.
- CropX Technologies: Direct competitor in soil moisture and precision agriculture sensors; CropX sells proprietary probes bundled with agronomic SaaS, overlapping METER's TEROS and ATMOS offerings in the same grower and research customer base.
- Sentek Technologies: Direct peer manufacturing soil moisture probes for agriculture and research; frequently listed alongside METER in soil moisture sensor market reports and serving overlapping irrigation and turf customers.
- Stevens Water Monitoring Systems: Direct peer in soil moisture and environmental monitoring sensors serving hydrology, research, and irrigation customers; overlaps with METER's soil and water sensing portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Hunter Industries: Broad incumbent in irrigation with soil-sensor products bundled into controller systems; competes with METER primarily in the golf, sports turf, and commercial irrigation segments where decision-makers often compare sensor-on-controller vs. dedicated research-grade solutions.
- The Toro Company: Broad incumbent in irrigation and turf maintenance with bundled soil-sensor offerings; competes with METER in sports turf and golf course irrigation through distribution and OEM partnerships that METER cannot easily replicate direct-only.
- Rain Bird: Broad incumbent in irrigation systems with growing sensor and smart-controller product lines; competes indirectly with METER through its LWC and soil-moisture products targeting the same commercial and residential irrigation customers.
Emerging players
- Soil Scout: Emerging player in underground wireless soil moisture sensors for sports turf and agriculture; competes in the turf and precision irrigation segments where METER's TEROS and ATMOS products also win business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
METER Group social profiles
Digital presenceMETER Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
METER Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
METER Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
METER Group 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 METER Group
What does METER Group do?
METER Group manufactures and sells research-grade environmental monitoring instruments for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, including soil moisture and water potential sensors (TEROS and SOLYX series), all-in-one weather stations (ATMOS series), plant science instruments, water instruments, radiation and rain sensors, and the SATURO automated infiltrometer. These field and laboratory instruments are paired with the ZENTRA System — ZL6 cloud-enabled data loggers and ZENTRA Cloud software — for near-real-time data collection, telemetry, visualization, and remote sensor management. METER also delivers laboratory measurement services, custom sensor calibration, soil characterization, and technical support.
Is METER Group a public or private company?
METER Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was METER Group founded?
METER Group was founded in 1980. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is METER Group based?
METER Group is headquartered in Pullman, United States, in the North America region.
How does METER Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware and Sensor Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Subscriptions (ZENTRA Cloud), data Collection and Telemetry, professional Services and support and Maintenance.
Who are METER Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Delta-T Devices, Acclima, Campbell Scientific, CropX Technologies, Sentek Technologies and Stevens Water Monitoring Systems. Broad incumbents are Hunter Industries, The Toro Company and Rain Bird. Soil Scout is listed as an emerging player.
Does METER Group have an API?
Yes. METER Group offers open APIs enabling users to stream data into their own models, dashboards, or safety protocols. ZENTRA Cloud provides REST and Push API options for integrating high-quality environmental data directly into existing systems, modeling tools, visualization platforms, or internal databases.
What industry is METER Group in?
METER Group's product category is Environmental Monitoring Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAMAA, In-Field Sensor Hardware (Soil Moisture/Nutrient, Weather, Canopy Sensors), with a secondary code of HDAHALAD, Environmental Sensors (Temperature/Humidity/Gas/Air Quality). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.