What Innocise does

Innocise GmbH manufactures microstructured adhesive grippers for industrial handling applications, based on proprietary Gecomer® technology that replicates gecko foot microstructures to generate Van der Waals forces for residue-free, energy-free gripping. Founded in May 2019 as a spin-off from the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials and headquartered in Saarbrücken, Germany, the company operates with 10+ employees. The product portfolio comprises three automated gripper families (Arigrip for μm-to-mm objects, Beagrip for mm-to-cm objects, Phelgrip for cm-to-m objects) plus specialized Wafer Grippers for semiconductor applications, with manual gripping tools and cleaning accessories available alongside.

The company serves precision-handling customers in electronics and microelectronics, optics, photonics, aerospace, automotive, life science/medical technology, telecommunications, packaging, and e-mobility. Its go-to-market combines consultative enterprise field sales for custom gripper development projects (with feasibility studies offered pre-purchase) and a self-serve e-commerce webshop (kauf.innocise.com) for standardized products shipping globally via DHL. Revenue streams derive from hardware sales of standard grippers, one-time licensed custom gripper development projects, and professional services for technology integration. The company holds EU trademarks for INNOCISE® and GECOMER® and operates patented release mechanisms enabling sub-micrometer positioning accuracy, with technology integration partnerships spanning robotics vendors including Schunk, Epson, Mecademic, Fruitcore Robotics, and ficonTEC.

Name

Innocise

Legal name

INNOCISE GmbH

Website

https://innocise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innocise GmbH manufactures microstructured adhesive grippers based on proprietary Gecomer® bio-inspired adhesion technology for residue-free, energy-free precision handling of delicate components in electronics, photonics, optics, semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, medical, and packaging industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Grippers and Precision Handling Equipment

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Robot End-of-Arm Tooling (Grippers, Tool Changers, Welding/Cutting Heads) (IMAHAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers) (IMAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Microstructured adhesive grippers
• Industrial gripper manufacturing
• Gecko-inspired handling technology
• Automated pick-and-place solutions
• Precision component handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

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. Standard Gripper Products: Sale of standardized gripper products including Arigrip (for automated processes, μm to mm objects), Beagrip (for automated and manual processes, mm to cm objects), Phelgrip (customizable geometries, cm to m objects), manual gripping tools, cleaning stations, and accessories via e-commerce webshop.
2. Customized Gripper Development: Custom gripper development projects tailored to specific customer objects and processes. Includes feasibility studies, custom geometry design, and complete gripping process development for high temperature, clean room, or UV applications.
3. Technology Integration Services: Consulting and integration support for embedding Gecomer® technology into customer automation systems. Core competencies in adhesive structure design, carrier construction, and release mechanism development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Innocise develops and manufactures microstructured adhesive grippers based on its proprietary Gecomer® technology, which mimics gecko adhesion using Van der Waals forces to handle components without external energy, vacuum, or compressed air. The product portfolio covers automated grippers (Arigrip, Beagrip, Phelgrip) for μm-to-m scale parts, a Wafer Gripper for semiconductors, manual gripping tools, and cleaning consumables. Solutions are targeted at industrial OEMs and automation integrators in electronics, photonics, optics, aerospace, automotive, medical, and packaging.

Product overview

Innocise develops and manufactures Gecomer® Technology-based adhesive grippers that use Van der Waals forces for residue-free, energy-free handling of delicate components. The product portfolio consists of three core automated gripper lines (Arigrip for micro objects µm-mm, Beagrip for small objects mm-cm, and Phelgrip for large objects cm-m) plus specialized Wafer Grippers for semiconductor applications. Manual solutions include a three-size gripping tool line (C4, C8, C12) for manual handling. Supporting accessories include Cleaning Stations and Cleaning Mats for gripper maintenance, plus integration tools like the Meca500-Adapter, PEEK-Carrier, and Quick Change Station. All products leverage bio-inspired adhesion technology replicating the gecko foot's microscopic hair structures to achieve holding forces up to 1 kg/cm² without external energy sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gecomer®: Proprietary adhesive gripping technology based on the gecko effect using Van der Waals forces for industrial handling applications
• Arigrip
• Beagrip
• Phelgrip
• Wafergrip

Products and services

• Arigrip Automated adhesive gripper for handling very small, μm-to-mm-scale components in industrial pick-and-place applications, using energy-free microstructured adhesion for industrial OEMs and automation integrators.
• Beagrip Microstructured adhesive gripper, available in automated and manual variants, for handling mm-to-cm-scale parts where vacuum or mechanical grippers are unsuitable. Targeted at OEMs, integrators, and lab users in precision manufacturing.
• Phelgrip Customizable microstructured adhesive gripper for larger components at cm-to-m scale, engineered with tailored Gecomer® microstructures for enterprise handling lines in automotive, aerospace, packaging, and similar sectors.
• Wafer Gripper Specialized microstructured adhesive gripper for handling semiconductor wafers without vacuum, compressed air, or electrostatic systems, intended for cleanroom and vacuum-compatible wafer handling in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Manual Gripping Tools (C4, C8, C12) Standardized, off-the-shelf manual adhesive gripping tools offered in three size variants (C4, C8, C12) for residue-free manual handling of small delicate parts in research, lab, and pilot-line environments, available through the Innocise webshop.
• Cleaning Station Dedicated cleaning station for Gecomer® adhesive grippers that removes particles and refreshes microstructured surfaces to preserve adhesion performance over the multi-million-cycle lifetime of Innocise grippers, for OEM and lab customers.
• Cleaning Mat Consumable cleaning mat used in conjunction with the Cleaning Station to refresh and maintain the adhesive microstructures of Innocise Gecomer® grippers, sold as a consumable to existing customers.
• Custom Gripper Development and Microstructure Engineering Bespoke engineering service in which Innocise designs and manufactures customized Gecomer® gripper microstructures, geometries, and integration kits for specific customer parts, lines, or environments across electronics, photonics, optics, aerospace, automotive, medical, and packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 2.5 million gripping cycles tested without significant loss of holding force
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INM – Leibniz Institute for New MaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINNOCISE is a technology spin-off from INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials. The company was founded based on research conducted at INM on bio-inspired adhesive structures. INM logo appears on INNOCISE's partner network page, indicating continued collaborative relationship.
• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau)minorOthersVDMA logo appears on INNOCISE's partner network page. VDMA is the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association; membership indicates industry engagement and networking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Robotiq: Canadian maker of adaptive grippers and force-torque sensors for collaborative robots. Comparable as a niche end-effector specialist focused on flexible automation, with similar integration-led GTM motion.
• Piab Group: Swedish specialist in vacuum automation and gripper technology. Their vacuum gripper solutions are the primary incumbent that Gecomer® technology aims to displace in clean-room and energy-sensitive applications.

Direct peers

• OnRobot: Danish maker of end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, including electric and vacuum grippers. Direct competitor in the cobot end-effector market and a natural comparison point for INNOCISE's plug-and-play gripper strategy.
• Destaco: Manufacturer of grippers, automation tooling, and clamping solutions for industrial and collaborative robotics. Competes head-to-head with INNOCISE in end-of-arm tooling for precision assembly applications.
• Schunk: German global leader in gripping systems and clamping technology for robotics and automation. Direct competitor in industrial grippers and listed INNOCISE integration partner, making it the most comparable peer in end-of-arm tooling.
• Brooks Automation: US specialist in semiconductor wafer handling automation, including robotic systems and vacuum grippers. Direct competitor in INNOCISE's wafer handling vertical with deep fab relationships.
• Zimmer Group: German manufacturer of grippers, end-of-arm tooling, and automation components for industrial robotics. Closely comparable in product category (grippers for automation) and geographic base, with established enterprise sales.
• GIMATIC: Italian manufacturer of grippers, end-of-arm tooling, and mechatronic components for industrial automation. Comparable in product portfolio (electric and pneumatic grippers) and in serving precision assembly markets across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• SMC Corporation: Japanese global leader in pneumatic and vacuum components, including grippers for industrial automation. Broad incumbent with extensive product lines touching virtually every industrial handling application INNOCISE targets.
• Festo: German automation giant offering pneumatic and electric grippers, vacuum systems, and a broad automation portfolio. Overlaps with INNOCISE in industrial handling but operates at much larger scale with diverse product lines.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@INNOCISE_GmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innocise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Innocise