Spectra Symbol
Spectra Symbol is a privately held, family-owned Salt Lake City manufacturer of ultra-thin membrane potentiometers and flex sensors serving medical, aerospace, industrial, robotics, and oil and gas OEMs through stock sales, custom OEM/ODM development, and two operating subsidiaries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Spectra Symbol does
Spectra Symbol is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of membrane-based position and flex sensors, founded in 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and pivoting into sensor technology in 1981 after acquiring the SoftPot membrane potentiometer patent. The company designs and produces ultra-thin (sub-0.5mm) linear and rotary potentiometers across four core families: SoftPot (soft membrane), ThinPot (narrow form factor), HotPot (high-temperature fiberglass construction operating to +85°C), and MagnetoPot (contactless magnetic), alongside two flex sensor lines (Original Flex and the 2023-launched SpectraFlex). Manufacturing is performed in-house at the Salt Lake City headquarters, enabling custom OEM and ODM sensor development with full design-to-delivery service for enterprise customers in medical devices (Baxter, Siemens, Varian Oncology), aerospace and defense (Lockheed Martin), industrial controls (Rain Bird, Johnson Controls), automotive, and robotics.
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of stock sensors via the company's own e-commerce store and authorized distributors Digi-Key and Mouser Electronics, supplemented by direct enterprise field sales for custom development, volume orders, and OEM partnerships. The company operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: Kodiak Instruments (established 2012), which sells MagnetoPot-based liquid level sensors with wireless and cloud IoT connectivity for the oil and gas industry with hundreds of well-site deployments, and Neopedic (launched 2017, clinical trials completed 2022), a licensed medical patch technology for injury recovery and chronic pain management that Spectra Symbol manufactures exclusively. Marketing is driven by technical content via articles.spectrasymbol.com, datasheets, and an FAQ library, with a sales-led motion for custom inquiries. The company has remained under Marriott family ownership across three generations (David C. Marriott, Daniel Marriott as CEO since 2002, and David M. Marriott as president since 2021), with no disclosed external venture or private equity funding.
Spectra Symbol firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spectra Symbol
- Legal name
- Spectra Symbol
- Website
- https://spectrasymbol.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Spectra Symbol is a privately held, family-owned Salt Lake City manufacturer of ultra-thin membrane potentiometers and flex sensors serving medical, aerospace, industrial, robotics, and oil and gas OEMs through stock sales, custom OEM/ODM development, and two operating subsidiaries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spectra Symbol industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Position Sensors
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp) (IMAGAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sensors & Instrumentation Electronics Manufacturing Services (Transmitters, analyzers, industrial sensors) (IMAGAGAL), Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)
Keywords
Where Spectra Symbol is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spectra Symbol business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Position Sensor Hardware Sales: Sale of stock position sensors including linear potentiometers (SoftPot, ThinPot, HotPot, MagnetoPot) and flex sensors (Original Flex, SpectraFlex). Sold through direct store, Digi-Key, and Mouser Electronics.
- Custom Sensor Manufacturing: Custom sensor development and manufacturing services for OEM and ODM partnerships. Full service from design and manufacturing to delivery. Includes custom lengths, housings, configurations, and integrated solutions.
- Kodiak Instruments (Oil & Gas Division): Liquid level sensors and monitoring solutions for oil and gas applications based on MagnetoPot technology. Includes wireless connectivity and cloud technology for IoT integration.
- Neopedic Product Line: Licensed medical technology for injury recovery and chronic pain management using electrical current therapy. Manufactured exclusively by Spectra Symbol.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Spectra Symbol product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spectra Symbol designs, manufactures, and sells ultra-thin membrane potentiometers and position sensors — including SoftPot, ThinPot, HotPot, MagnetoPot, and flex sensor product lines — in linear and rotary configurations. The company provides full in-house custom sensor development and OEM/ODM manufacturing services from concept through production, and operates the Kodiak Instruments (oil & gas) and Neopedic (medical) divisions.
Product overview
Spectra Symbol is a Utah-based manufacturer of ultra-thin membrane sensors and position sensors, operating since 1978 and pioneering in membrane potentiometer technology since acquiring Dean House's SoftPot patent in the early 1980s. The core product portfolio centers on four main sensor types — SoftPot (soft membrane linear potentiometer), ThinPot (narrow variant for tight spaces), HotPot (high-temperature resistant), and MagnetoPot (contactless magnetic) — each available in linear and rotary configurations. Supporting these are two flex sensor lines: the Original Flex Sensor (resistive, million+ cycle lifespan) and the newer SpectraFlex™ Flex Sensor (near-zero drift, 2M+ cycle testing). Custom engineering services allow bespoke sensor development including force sensors, flex circuitry patches, and Class 1 Div 1 certified sensors. The company extends its offerings through specialized divisions: Kodiak Instruments (Oil & Gas liquid level sensing with IoT/cloud integration) and Neopedic (medical wearable patch technology for pain management). A wireless system add-on enables IoT connectivity across the sensor range. Full in-house capabilities span design, manufacturing, and delivery with over 40 years of expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SoftPot Soft Membrane Linear Potentiometer World's thinnest linear position sensor / potentiometer with soft membrane design, available in lengths from 10mm to 2000mm with thickness under 0.5mm. Operates from -45°C to 50°C and can be configured in linear, serpentine, or elliptical form factors. Used as a control device or position tracking sensor across medical, industrial, aerospace, and consumer applications.
- ThinPot Thin Form-Factor Linear Potentiometer
Quantifiable outcome
- Sensor lifespan exceeds 1 million cycles for original flex sensors and 2 million cycles for SpectraFlex
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spectra Symbol
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Spectra Symbol technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Spectra Symbol partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- Neopedic Brand PartnersstrategicExclusive manufacturing partner for Neopedic brand pain management and injury recovery technology using electrical current therapy. Technology completed clinical trials in early 2022.
- NCAP InventorsstrategicPartnership with inventors of NCAP technology for wireless communication using nano-level electrical currents. Developed commercial products for US Army special operations. Technology also applied to medical healing applications.
- Kodiak InstrumentscoreOil and gas division of Spectra Symbol developed in response to industry requests for MagnetoPot-based liquid level sensors. Now a separate division providing world-class oil and gas sensing solutions including wireless and cloud connectivity.
- Digi-Key ElectronicscoreAuthorized distributor partner for Spectra Symbol stock sensors. Customers can purchase off-the-shelf sensors through Digi-Key's global distribution network.
- Mouser ElectronicscoreAuthorized distributor partner for Spectra Symbol stock sensors. Offers same-day shipping and broad inventory of electronic components.
- University of NottinghamminorAcademic research partnership for biomechanics and physiotherapy research using flex sensors and position sensors for movement studies.
- Imperial College LondonminorResearch partnership for medical and biomechanical research instruments using Spectra Symbol sensors.
- Aalborg University CopenhagenminorEducational partnership for engineering and design student projects exploring sensor technology applications.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Spectra Symbol competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Honeywell Sensing: Honeywell's sensing division is one of the largest industrial sensor manufacturers globally, offering position, pressure, temperature, and flow sensors. It competes with Spectra Symbol in industrial, aerospace, and medical position sensing applications but at much greater scale and with a broader portfolio.
- TE Connectivity: TE Connectivity manufactures a wide range of sensors including position sensors used in industrial, automotive, and aerospace markets. As a multi-billion dollar connector and sensor company, it competes with Spectra Symbol for OEM sockets but with significantly more engineering resources and global manufacturing footprint.
- Murata Electronics: Murata is a major Japanese electronic components manufacturer producing sensors including position and motion sensors for automotive, industrial, and healthcare applications. Its scale and R&D resources make it a competitive threat in MEMS-based position sensing alternatives to Spectra Symbol's membrane technology.
- Spectris (including Omega Engineering): Spectris is a precision instrumentation group whose subsidiaries (including Omega Engineering) supply position sensors, encoders, and measurement instruments to industrial and research customers. It overlaps with Spectra Symbol in industrial metrology and position sensing.
Direct peers
- Vishay Intertechnology: Vishay manufactures precision potentiometers, encoders, and position sensors including resistive-based products. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Spectra Symbol in industrial linear and rotary position sensing, particularly for custom OEM applications.
- Bourns: Bourns is a leading manufacturer of precision potentiometers, position sensors, and resistive components for industrial, automotive, and consumer markets. It directly competes with Spectra Symbol in rotary and linear position sensing, with overlapping distribution through Digi-Key and Mouser.
- Novotechnik: Novotechnik specializes in high-precision linear and rotary position sensors including contactless and potentiometric technologies. It competes directly with Spectra Symbol's SoftPot, MagnetoPot, and rotary sensor lines in industrial automation and medical applications.
- TT Electronics: TT Electronics manufactures position sensors, potentiometers, and custom sensing solutions for aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial markets. Its product overlap with Spectra Symbol includes custom OEM position sensors for harsh-environment applications.
- ALPS Alpine (formerly ALPS Electric): ALPS Alpine manufactures a broad range of position sensors, potentiometers, and switches used in consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial markets. It directly competes with Spectra Symbol in compact and custom position sensing products.
Regional players
- Festo: Festo is a leading German industrial automation supplier with its own line of position and displacement sensors integrated into pneumatic and electric actuators. While primarily a regional player in industrial automation, its integrated sensing offerings overlap with Spectra Symbol's industrial segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spectra Symbol social profiles
Digital presenceSpectra Symbol financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spectra Symbol leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Spectra Symbol subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Spectra Symbol funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spectra Symbol 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 Spectra Symbol
What does Spectra Symbol do?
Spectra Symbol designs, manufactures, and sells ultra-thin membrane potentiometers and position sensors — including SoftPot, ThinPot, HotPot, MagnetoPot, and flex sensor product lines — in linear and rotary configurations. The company provides full in-house custom sensor development and OEM/ODM manufacturing services from concept through production, and operates the Kodiak Instruments (oil & gas) and Neopedic (medical) divisions.
Is Spectra Symbol a public or private company?
Spectra Symbol is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Spectra Symbol founded?
Spectra Symbol was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Spectra Symbol based?
Spectra Symbol is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Spectra Symbol make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Position Sensor Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Sensor Manufacturing, kodiak Instruments (Oil & Gas Division) and neopedic Product Line.
Who are Spectra Symbol's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Honeywell Sensing, TE Connectivity, Murata Electronics and Spectris (including Omega Engineering). Direct peers are Vishay Intertechnology, Bourns, Novotechnik, TT Electronics and ALPS Alpine (formerly ALPS Electric). Festo is listed as a regional player.
Does Spectra Symbol have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spectra Symbol.
What industry is Spectra Symbol in?
Spectra Symbol's product category is Position Sensors. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAGAF, Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp), with a secondary code of IMAGAGAL, Sensors & Instrumentation Electronics Manufacturing Services (Transmitters, analyzers, industrial sensors). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.