What API Metrology does

API Metrology (legal entity Automated Precision Inc.) is a privately held US-based manufacturer of laser-based precision dimensional metrology equipment, founded in 1983 by Dr. Kam Lau, who invented the Laser Tracker while at NIST. The company is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, with owned regional offices in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Korea, France, and Mexico, plus US service-division locations in Newport News, Detroit, and San Diego. API also maintains ISO 17025 (A2LA) accredited calibration and inspection services, training programs, equipment rentals, certified pre-owned sales, and trade-in/loaner programs, generating revenue through hardware sales, professional services, and managed-services-style rentals.

The product portfolio centers on the Radian Laser Tracker series and the newly launched iLT (Integrated Laser Tracker, April 2025), supported by the XD Laser Interferometer, Dynamic 9D LADAR non-contact scanner, iScan/iScan3D blue laser line scanners (including iScanMagic and iScanLite), Portable CMM Arms, Hemispherical Scanner, RapidScan, and the Ballbar, Spindle Analyzer, and Wireless SwivelCheck for machine tool calibration. Proprietary software — MeasurePro, Robot Metrology Software (RMS, ISO 9283), and VeriComp — integrates the hardware stack into manufacturing and automation workflows. API also calibrates competitor brands (Leica, Faro), an unusual positioning that signals technical confidence and broadens the addressable service base.

API sells through a multi-channel model combining direct enterprise field sales with regional sales managers, an inside sales team handling inbound/outbound activity and virtual demos, and a global distributor/reseller network. Target verticals are aerospace, automotive, energy, heavy machinery, general manufacturing, military & defense, transportation, machine tools, and robotics, with named enterprise customers including Siemens-Mobility, ŠKODA AUTO VW India, Voith Hydro, Horizon Surgical Systems, Tupy (for Cummins), Godrej and Boyce, Trumpf, Aeronautical Engineers Inc., Cole Technologies, and AW Laser. The company remains founder-controlled with no disclosed outside funding, acquisitions, or public listing.

Name

API Metrology

Legal name

Automated Precision Inc.

Website

https://apimetrology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

API Metrology designs and manufactures laser-based precision dimensional metrology equipment — including laser trackers, interferometers, and 3D scanners — and provides ISO 17025 accredited calibration, training, and rental services to aerospace, automotive, energy, and industrial manufacturing customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Metrology Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness) (IMAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK), Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH), Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Precision metrology equipment
• Laser tracker systems
• Machine tool calibration
• Industrial 3D scanning
• Dimensional measurement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Measurement Equipment Sales: Sale of laser trackers (Radian series, iLT), XD Laser interferometers, vProbe, iScan scanners, portable CMM arms, SwivelCheck, Ballbar, and accessories
2. Calibration Equipment Sales: Sale of machine tool calibration products including Ballbar, Spindle Analyzer, XD Laser, and SwivelCheck systems
3. Professional Services - On-site Inspection and Calibration: ISO 17025 accredited portable metrology inspection and calibration services, including machine tool calibration, robot calibration, and laser tracker certification
4. Metrology Training Services: Training services for hardware, software, application, and GD&T training conducted at API facilities or customer locations with certification upon completion
5. Equipment Rental Program: Daily, weekly, and monthly rental options for laser trackers, laser interferometers, and calibration products with loaner equipment program
6. Used/Pre-owned Equipment Sales: Certified pre-owned and demo laser trackers with comprehensive 90-day warranty, as well as demo portable arm CMMs and scanners
7. Trade-in/Upgrade Program: Old-for-new program offering attractive deals on return of laser trackers or measurement arms of all models and ages

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

API Metrology manufactures laser-based precision dimensional measurement and calibration equipment, including laser trackers (Radian series and iLT), laser interferometers (XD Laser), 3D laser line scanners (iScan/iScan3D), LADAR (Dynamic 9D LADAR), portable CMM arms, and specialized accessories, complemented by proprietary software for robot and CNC machine calibration. The company also delivers ISO 17025 accredited on-site measurement, inspection, calibration, and training services, serving precision-dependent manufacturers across aerospace, automotive, energy, heavy machinery, military and defense, transportation, machine tools, and robotics industries.

Product overview

API Metrology offers precision dimensional measurement and manufacturing process optimization solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of laser-based metrology products and services. The core product line centers on the Radian Laser Tracker series and iLT (Integrated Laser Tracker), complemented by the XD Laser Interferometer for machine tool calibration. Supporting products include the iScan/iScan3D blue laser line scanners (including iScanMagic and iScanLite variants), Dynamic 9D LADAR for high-speed non-contact scanning, Portable CMM Arms, and the Hemispherical Scanner for BIM applications. Accessory offerings include vProbe wireless probes, SMR targets, Active Target motorized targets, Smart Track Sensor, Ballbar, Spindle Analyzer, and SwivelCheck. Software includes MeasurePro, Robot Metrology Software (RMS), and VeriComp for calibration and inspection. API provides ISO 17025 accredited on-site measurement and calibration services including reverse engineering, inspection and alignment, first article inspection, production measurement, prototype inspection, machine tool calibration, robot calibration, metrology training, and equipment rental. The company operates globally with offices across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia, serving aerospace, automotive, energy, heavy machinery, manufacturing, military and defense, transportation, machine tools, and robotics industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iLT: Integrated Laser Tracker - the industry's smallest, most accurate, and competitively priced laser tracker featuring advanced optical design, embedded AI-capable cameras, and MeasurePro software
• Radian
• XD Laser
• Dynamic 9D LADAR
• vProbe
• iScan
• Smart Factory Inspection System (SFIS)

Products and services

• Radian Laser Tracker API's flagship laser tracker series offering the lightest, most compact and accurate trackers available for precision dimensional measurement, assembly guidance, profile analysis, FAI, gage R&R, tooling/fixture measurement, and machine tool calibration.
• iLT (Integrated Laser Tracker) The industry's smallest, most accurate, and competitively priced laser tracker featuring advanced optical design, embedded AI-capable cameras, and MeasurePro software, targeted at automotive and aerospace precision measurement.
• XD Laser Interferometer Award-winning laser interferometer that simultaneously measures linear, angular, straightness, and roll errors for rapid error assessment in machine tool calibration and volumetric error compensation.
• iScan / iScan3D Blue Laser Line Scanner Wireless blue laser line scanner (with iScanMagic and iScanLite variants) that generates component point-clouds at 32,000 points/second for fast and accurate production measurement and reverse engineering.
• Dynamic 9D LADAR Non-contact high-volume scanning device using laser detection and ranging to deliver high speed and accuracy for manufacturing inspection, windmill rotor inspection, and aerospace/automotive automation.
• Ballbar
• Spindle Analyzer
• SwivelCheck Servo-drive based system to calibrate rotary axes and tilt tables integral to the machine tool calibration process.
• Portable CMM Arms
• Hemispherical Scanner
• RapidScan Sensor
• Robot Metrology Software (RMS)
• VeriComp Software
• MeasurePro Software Software accompanying the iLT laser tracker that integrates AI-capable camera visual processing with measurement data for precision measurement operations.
• ISO 17025 Accredited Measurement, Inspection and Calibration Services
• Metrology Training Services
• Measurement Equipment Rental Program
• Certified Pre-owned and Trade-in Equipment Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Robot accuracy improved 5-10x for Horizon Surgical Systems
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pinpoint Laser Systems Inc.minorOthers · 1 August 2023US-based company mentioned in market context for laser alignment systems. Not a direct partnership but competitive landscape reference.
• Siemens-MobilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023API and Siemens collaboration at the Bogie Lead-Factory in Graz, Austria, bringing measurement speed and automation for rail vehicle manufacturing. API's Radian Laser Tracker and vProbe used for measurement and alignment.
• AW LaserminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2023South Africa-based API Partner providing measurement services including naval component alignment using API Radian Laser Tracker.
• Shree Rapid TechnologiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023India-based partnership established in January 2023 where Shree Rapid Technologies partnered with API Metrology to enhance precision measurement capabilities for customers in the Indian market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Inc. Trimble offers surveying, geospatial, and industrial measurement technologies; it overlaps with API in laser-based dimensional measurement and serves adjacent markets in construction and heavy industry.
• Renishaw: Renishaw is a broad industrial metrology incumbent with strong positions in machine tool probing, calibration, and encoder products; comparable to API in machine-tool calibration use cases (Ballbar, SwivelCheck, XD Laser).
• ZEISS Industrial Metrology: ZEISS is a broad incumbent in coordinate metrology (CMMs, optical systems, CT) with significant overlap with API in dimensional measurement for automotive and aerospace customers.
• Hexagon AB: Through Leica Geosystems, Hexagon is the largest player in laser-tracker-based industrial metrology—and notably was originally licensed API's 1989 tracker design, making it the most direct strategic competitor across laser trackers and large-volume dimensional measurement.

Emerging players

• Keyence: Keyence offers a broad portfolio of laser displacement sensors, optical measurement, and machine vision products that increasingly compete with API's laser trackers and 3D scanners in factory automation and inline quality.
• CogniFiber (Cogni3D) / 3D Systems (Geomagic): 3D Systems (Geomagic) provides 3D scanning hardware and software for metrology and reverse engineering; comparable to API's iScan scanners and Hemispherical Scanner offerings for point-cloud-based inspection.

Direct peers

• Creaform (AMETEK): Creaform specializes in portable 3D scanners and portable CMM arms, directly comparable to API's iScan, Hemispherical Scanner, and portable arm CMM lines, particularly for reverse engineering and production measurement.
• Nikon Metrology: Nikon Metrology offers laser trackers, laser radar, and CT/industrial scanning systems directly competing with API's Radian series and Dynamic 9D LADAR in aerospace and automotive precision measurement.
• FARO Technologies: FARO is a direct competitor to API in laser trackers, portable CMM arms, and 3D scanners for industrial metrology and factory automation; API explicitly competes with FARO on enterprise accounts in automotive and aerospace.

Others

• Mitutoyo: Mitutoyo is a global incumbent in precision measurement tools, calipers, and CMMs; a competitor in the broader industrial dimensional metrology space, though less focused on laser trackers than API.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/APIMetrology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AutomatedPrecision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apimetrology

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 API Metrology