What Advanced Telemetry Systems does

Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc. (ATS) is a privately held specialty manufacturer of wildlife radio telemetry systems, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Isanti, Minnesota with 11–50 employees. The company designs and builds custom VHF transmitters, GPS/Iridium satellite collars, JSATS-compatible acoustic fish tags, coded receiver-dataloggers (notably the R4500 series with DSP-based 4 MHz bandwidth filtering), and antenna systems, serving wildlife biologists, fisheries and wildlife management agencies, academic researchers, and environmental consultants. Every transmitter is built to customer-specified frequency, attachment method, and battery life, with notable products including the 80 mg ELAT acoustic tag for juvenile lamprey, the SV10-G 6-gram solar VHF tag with supercapacitor, and the G5M GPS collar with website-controlled remote release.

ATS operates a direct-to-researcher go-to-market model with no third-party resellers or channel intermediaries. Sales run through a self-service online Quote Builder, Product Finder, phone, live chat, and email, supported by same-day quoting, ~5-week transmitter lead times, and ~8-week GPS lead times. Domestic U.S. orders ship via FedEx at a flat $45; international orders ship globally via FedEx with prepaid freight plus a $75 documentation fee. The revenue mix combines one-time custom hardware sales, recurring monthly Iridium satellite data fees on GPS/Iridium collars, fee-for-service repair and bench-check services (e.g., $300 for an R4500 bench check), and rush-order surcharges ($20 per transmitter for 7-day turnaround). Customers span federal/state agencies, universities, and international research bodies, with documented deployments in the U.S., Tasmania, and elsewhere.

The company's distribution advantage is reinforced by attendance at nine major U.S. wildlife and fisheries conferences annually (Midwest Fish & Wildlife, SEAFWA, TWS, AFS, regional deer and moose study groups), a content presence via an ATS Blog and published research/whitepapers, and earned media coverage (e.g., Popular Mechanics). Strategic technology integrations include Iridium satellite communications, PNEU-Dart's RDDS for dart-delivery tagging, and a co-developed condor detection system (ReCon) with Normandeau Associates for renewable energy facility monitoring. No funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or AI/ML capabilities are documented in the available data.

Name

Advanced Telemetry Systems

Legal name

Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc.

Website

https://atstrack.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advanced Telemetry Systems (ATS) is a privately held Minnesota-based manufacturer of custom wildlife radio telemetry systems—including VHF transmitters, GPS/Iridium collars, acoustic fish tags, and receiver-dataloggers—selling directly to wildlife biologists, fisheries and wildlife management agencies, academic researchers, and environmental consultants worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Telemetry Equipment

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (334210)

SIC

Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tele-veterinary & Virtual Care Platforms (Video/Chat, Remote Triage) (HLAMAGAB)

Keywords

• Wildlife telemetry equipment
• Radio transmitters
• GPS satellite collars
• Acoustic fish tags
• Wildlife tracking systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Isanti

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Sales: Core revenue stream from one-time sales of custom-built VHF transmitters, GPS/Iridium collars, acoustic fish tags, receivers, antennas, and accessories. Pricing is quote-based; lead times ~5 weeks for transmitters and ~8 weeks for GPS products.
2. Iridium Satellite Data Fees: Recurring usage-based fees for Iridium satellite data transmission billed monthly on Iridium/GPS collars and loggers. Costs vary by data volume.
3. Repair and Bench-Check Services: Fee-for-service repair of receivers and bench checks with published pricing per model (R4500: $300, R2000/4000/8000: $225, R410: $150, FM100: $80) and replacement batteries ($125–$150). 10-day standard turnaround, sooner on request.
4. Rush Order Fees: Optional $20 per-transmitter rush fee for 7-day transmitter order turnaround; standard lead time is 4–5 weeks, longer during the January–June busy season.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Advanced Telemetry Systems designs and manufactures custom-built wildlife radio telemetry hardware, including VHF transmitters, GPS/Iridium satellite collars, acoustic fish tags, coded receiver-dataloggers, and antenna systems. Each transmitter is built to customer-specified frequency, attachment method, and battery life, with the company offering a full ecosystem of products and accessories for tracking mammals, fish, reptiles, avian species, marine mammals, and insects.

Product overview

Advanced Telemetry Systems (ATS) sells a modular platform-plus-accessories wildlife telemetry portfolio rather than a single unified product, organized around transmitters, receivers, antennas, GPS/satellite collars, and complete tracking systems. The transmitter line spans VHF tags (F1020D VHF DART Tag, SV10-G Solar VHF Tag), acoustic tags (ELAT Eel Lamprey Acoustic Tag), and the G5 GPS/Iridium collar family (G5M, G5L series, G5-T2A Iridium/GPS Turkey Tracker, G5-P2A and G5-PC collars, plus the 100% Wireless GPS Logger), all of which work with the receivers category (R410, R4500/R4500SD flagship receiver-datalogger, R2000/R4000/R8000, FM100) and antennas category (3-element folding Yagi, 4-element Yagi, Null-Peak stacked arrays, omnidirectional dipoles). The Wildlink Comm Module provides wireless programming and data retrieval for the GPS logger line, while the T15 Controller Mobile Application is the mobile software companion. These products are bundled into eight turn-key Tracking Systems — Acoustic Fish, Aerial, Coded Fish, Coded Terrestrial Applications, Entomologists and Bat Package, GPS Systems, Manual Radio, Mobile, and Remote Unattended Stations — supported by a deep Accessories catalog (coax cables, Teflon ribbons, NiCad battery packs, antenna mounting kits, switchboxes) and customer-support tooling such as the Product Finder, Quote Builder, and Repair service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ELAT (Eel Lamprey Acoustic Tag) An 80-mg JSATS-compatible acoustic transmitter designed for juvenile lamprey and other small fish; positioned as the smallest acoustic tag in ATS's line, enabling researchers to tag smaller fish safely without burdening them.
• F1020D VHF DART Tag A VHF transmitter intended for insertion into a PNEU-Dart Type C RDDS with metal housing (using the PNEU-Dart Merlin Housing Adapter), targeted at researchers using remote drug delivery wildlife capture systems.
• G5M GPS Collar Series GPS collars with a remote collar release mechanism that can be triggered via an ATS website command, enabling release and reuse of the collar over its service life.
• G5L Series Iridium/GPS Loggers Programmable Iridium/GPS loggers with configurable fix rates, Iridium uplink up to six times per day, VHF beacon transmission, and geo-fencing; configured wirelessly via the Wildlink Comm Module.
• G5-T2A Iridium/GPS Turkey Tracker The smallest and lightest (140 g) customized version of ATS's G5 GPS/Iridium collar line, with unlimited text messaging on mortality and geofencing events.
• SV10-G Solar VHF Tag A 6-gram batteryless solar-powered VHF tag using a supercapacitor; can be fully charged in as little as 15 minutes of sunlight for up to 5 hours of run time.
• G5-P2A and G5-PC Iridium/GPS Collars Lightweight Iridium/GPS collars (225–270 g) providing the same dependability as ATS's larger Iridium collars for size-constrained applications.
• 100% Wireless GPS Logger A 65-gram GPS logger offered in collar or glue-on/backpack configurations; data is retrieved via wireless communication using the pocket-sized Wildlink Comm Module.
• Wildlink Comm Module Pocket-sized wireless communication module used to program ATS GPS loggers and retrieve stored tracking data; serves as the wireless link for the 100% Wireless GPS Logger and G5L series.
• R4500SD Receiver-Datalogger ATS's flagship receiver-datalogger with digital signal processing (DSP), 4 MHz bandwidth, integrated GPS receiver for location logging, and capability to support standard and coded transmitters; at the heart of the ReCon condor detection system deployed with Normandeau Associates.
• R410 Receiver Basic pro-level telemetry receiver commonly recommended for manual radio tracking and homing applications.
• T15 Controller Mobile Application Mobile application created by Advanced Telemetry Systems for controlling ATS T-series transmitters; per its privacy policy, it collects no personally identifiable information, no location data, and does not share data with advertising companies or analytics providers.
• Repair and Bench-Check Services Fee-for-service repair of ATS receivers and bench checks with published pricing per model (R4500: $300, R2000/4000/8000: $225, R410: $150, FM100: $80) and replacement batteries ($125–$150); 10-day standard turnaround, sooner on request.
• Acoustic Fish Tracking System Turn-key acoustic fish tracking system using JSATS-compatible tags such as the ELAT, designed to monitor fish movements.
• Aerial Tracking System Aerial radio telemetry tracking system using aircraft-based antennas for long-range wildlife tracking.
• Coded Fish Tracking System Coded tracking system for large fish studies involving thousands of tags where frequency congestion is an issue.
• Coded Terrestrial Tracking System Coded terrestrial tracking system used where there is a shortage of available frequencies.
• Entomologists and Bat Package Specialized radio telemetry package for tracking insects and bats.
• GPS Systems GPS-based tracking systems leveraging the G5 collar family, Iridium/GPS loggers, and 100% wireless GPS loggers.
• Manual Radio Tracking System Manual radio telemetry system using homing (and triangulation) techniques, the R410 receiver, and the 3-element folding Yagi antenna.
• Mobile Tracking System Vehicle- or boat-based mobile tracking system using hand-held or mast-mounted antennas; offers a stacked Null-Peak Antenna system (two 4-element Yagis with switchbox) for doubled gain and increased range.
• Remote Unattended Stations Unattended receiver-datalogger stations built around the R4500 series that monitor transmitters for weeks or months, typically powered by 12 V DC marine deep-cycle batteries with optional regulated solar trickle charging.

Quantifiable outcome

• R4500-based ReCon system deployed across energy facilities for real-time condor alerts
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Normandeau AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATS worked closely with Normandeau Associates to integrate the highly capable ATS R4500SD Receiver-Datalogger into Normandeau's ReCon (Remote Condor Observation Network) condor early detection system. The ReCon system provides energy facility operations centers with real-time alerts of an approaching condor, addressing concerns about condor range expansion near renewable energy facilities. The system has been fully tested, proven effective, and is available to researchers from Normandeau Associates. This is an example of an integrated system using the R4500 line of standard and coded receiver-dataloggers.
• IridiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationATS integrates Iridium satellite communications into its G5L series Iridium/GPS loggers, G5-P2A and G5-PC lightweight Iridium/GPS collars, and G5-T2A Turkey Tracker. Iridium enables up to 6 daily satellite uplinks per device, geofencing, and mortality text-message alerts. ATS passes through recurring monthly Iridium data fees to end users (costs vary by usage).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites): Broad incumbent operating the Argos satellite system used widely in wildlife GPS/satellite telemetry; competes indirectly through enabling technology and end-to-end Argos-tag offerings.

Direct peers

• Microwave Telemetry: Direct peer in lightweight VHF and satellite (Argos) transmitters for birds, mammals, and fish; comparable miniaturization focus and research-grade customer base.
• Biotrack: UK-based direct competitor supplying VHF and radio telemetry equipment to wildlife researchers; comparable product line and species coverage.
• Wildlife Computers: Direct competitor in satellite-linked wildlife tags and dive/behavior sensors for marine mammals, seabirds, and fish; overlapping GPS/Argos-enabled product positioning.
• Lotek Wireless: Direct competitor offering VHF, GPS, and satellite telemetry collars and receivers for wildlife research; overlapping product categories (transmitters, GPS collars, acoustic tags) and target customers (wildlife biologists, agencies).
• Telonics: Direct competitor in wildlife radio telemetry and GPS/satellite collars, with comparable custom-build transmitter offerings and a similar government and academic research customer base.
• Vemco (Innovasea): Direct peer in acoustic fish telemetry and wildlife tracking systems; competes head-on with ATS's acoustic fish tags (ELAT) and aquatic tracking system lines.

Others

• PNEU-Dart: Adjacent ecosystem partner: ATS's F1020D VHF DART Tag is designed to integrate with PNEU-Dart's Type C RDDS via the Merlin Housing Adapter, making PNEU-Dart a complementary rather than competing supplier.
• Iridium Communications: Upstream satellite communications provider whose network ATS integrates into G5L, G5-T2A, G5-P2A, and G5-PC products; an enabling infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• GeoTrak Inc. Niche North American wildlife telemetry manufacturer focused on GPS/collars and VHF systems for fish and wildlife agencies; partial overlap with ATS's transmitter and receiver lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/atstelemetry
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Isanti-MN/Advanced-Telemetry-Systems/351600200869

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Advanced Telemetry Systems