What RootSensor does

RootSensor Inc. is a Suwon, South Korea-based private hardware company that designs and develops ultra-compact, angle-independent ultraviolet (UV) sensor modules built on quantum dot photodetector technology. The company's flagship products — UltraV-P and UltraV-LP — measure just 2.3 mm x 2.3 mm x 0.97 mm and use standard I2C integration, enabling accurate UV index and dose measurement regardless of incident angle and supporting embedding into smartwatches, fitness bands, earphones, smartphones, vehicles, and compact IoT devices. The underlying quantum dot architecture addresses the angular sensitivity limitation of conventional silicon UV sensors, which is the central technical differentiator.

RootSensor operates a B2B OEM component-supply model, selling sensor modules to device manufacturers and providing reference designs and firmware examples (including sample UV index and dose calculation algorithms) for BLE wearables, smartphones, and safety helmets. Its primary customer segments are wearable device manufacturers and construction/industrial companies; secondary segments include smartphone OEMs, automotive and smart-building integrators, and smart agriculture operators. In addition to the sensor module line, RootSensor is developing an IoT Safety Helmet solution that combines UV sensing with motion/impact sensing and connectivity for worker health monitoring on construction sites.

The company was founded as a team inside Samsung Electronics' C-Lab in February 2019 and spun off as an independent corporation in June 2020. It is registered in Samsung Electronics' BQMS purchasing system (June 2022), has received investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation and Lotte Accelerator, and operates with 1-10 employees. As of mid-2025, RootSensor is in Pre-A fundraising, with its UV sensor in production-process qualification at partner Parton — not yet at disclosed mass-production volumes, and with no public revenue figures.

Name

RootSensor

Legal name

RootSensor Inc.

Website

https://rootsensor.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RootSensor is a Suwon, South Korea-based OEM supplier of ultra-compact, angle-independent UV sensor modules using quantum dot photodetector technology, serving wearable, smartphone, automotive, construction/industrial, and IoT device manufacturers, and developing an IoT worker safety helmet solution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

UV Sensors

NAICS

Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical & Light Sensors (Photodiodes/ALS/Color/UV) (HDAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial IoT/Edge Electronics Manufacturing (Gateways, Edge Controllers) (IMAGAGAC)

Keywords

• UV sensor modules
• Quantum dot photodetectors
• Wearable health sensors
• IoT safety solutions
• Embedded sensor components

Headquarters

HQ city

Suwon

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UV Sensor Module Sales: Sale of ultra-compact angle-independent UV sensor modules (UltraV-P and UltraV-LP) to wearable, smartphone, and IoT device manufacturers for embedded integration.
2. IoT Safety Helmet Solutions: Comprehensive IoT solutions integrating UV sensors with motion/impact sensing and connectivity for worker safety and health monitoring at construction and industrial sites.
3. Reference Designs and Firmware: Reference designs and firmware examples for integrating UV sensors into BLE wearables, smartphones, and safety helmets, including sample algorithms for UV index and dose calculation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RootSensor designs and manufactures ultra-compact (2.3 mm x 2.3 mm x 0.97 mm), angle-independent UV sensor modules (UltraV-P and UltraV-LP) based on quantum dot photodetector technology for OEM integration into wearables, smartphones, vehicles, and IoT devices. The company also develops an IoT safety helmet solution that integrates UV sensing with motion/impact sensing and connectivity for worker safety and health monitoring at construction and industrial sites.

Product overview

RootSensor offers a portfolio of angle-independent UV sensor modules built on quantum dot photodetector technology, plus a companion IoT safety helmet product. The core offering consists of two UV sensor variants—UltraV-P and UltraV-LP—both delivering wide field-of-view, angle-independent UV index and dose measurement in an ultra-compact 2.3 mm × 2.3 mm × 0.97 mm form factor for seamless embedding into wearables, smartphones, and IoT devices. A complementary IoT safety helmet integrates these UV sensors with motion/impact sensing and connectivity for worker health and safety monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UltraV-P Ultra-compact angle-independent UV sensor module using quantum dot photodetector technology, designed for integration into wearables, smartphones, and compact IoT devices to enable accurate solar UV index and dose measurement.
• UltraV-LP Low-power angle-independent UV sensor module variant using quantum dot technology, optimized for battery-powered wearable devices requiring accurate UV index and dose measurement with minimal energy draw.
• IoT Safety Helmet IoT safety helmet solution that combines RootSensor's angle-independent UV sensing with motion/impact sensing and connectivity to provide real-time worker safety and health monitoring at construction and industrial sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accurate UV index measurements regardless of incident angle, overcoming conventional sensor limitations

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Samsung Electronics (BQMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Registered in Samsung Electronics Purchasing System (BQMS) in June 2022, enabling direct supplier relationship with Samsung for potential integration into Samsung products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Texas Instruments: Broad-line analog semiconductor incumbent with widely adopted ambient-light and UV index sensors such as OPT3001/OPT4001 used in wearables and IoT; competes with RootSensor for the same OEM sockets from a much broader portfolio.
• Broadcom: Diversified semiconductor incumbent supplying optical sensors and proximity/ambient-light solutions to major smartphone and wearable OEMs, competing indirectly for the same sensor sockets that RootSensor targets.
• Panasonic Industry: Industrial electronics division of Panasonic offering a range of optoelectronic and UV-sensing components for automotive, building, and industrial applications; a comparable incumbent with similar end-market overlap.
• Renesas Electronics: Major Japanese MCU and analog vendor with ambient-light and proximity sensor ICs used in smartphones, wearables, and IoT, providing a broader-portfolio alternative to RootSensor's single-function quantum-dot UV sensor.
• STMicroelectronics: Major European analog/MEMS supplier offering UV index sensors (e.g., UVIS25) and a broad sensor portfolio for wearables, smartphones, and industrial IoT, directly competing for UV-sensing design wins.
• Silicon Labs (Skyworks): Sensing-focused semiconductor company (now part of Skyworks) with ambient light and UV sensing ICs and wireless SoCs for IoT wearables, overlapping with RootSensor's angle-independent UV sensor value proposition.

Direct peers

• Vishay Intertechnology: Long-established supplier of discrete UV photodetectors and optoelectronic components used in industrial, consumer, and wearable products; competes with RootSensor in the underlying UV photodiode component market.
• ROHM Semiconductor: Japanese semiconductor vendor with UV sensor ICs (e.g., ML8511) and a broad analog portfolio targeting wearables, mobile, and industrial sensing, making it a like-for-like peer in the UV sensor module market.
• ams-OSRAM: Global sensor and opto-semiconductor leader whose AS7331 and related UV sensor ICs target exactly the same wearables, smartphone, and industrial UV-index applications as RootSensor, making it the most direct head-to-head competitor.

Others

• Honeywell: Industrial sensing giant with a broad UV/photodetector and worker-safety portfolio; relevant as an incumbent in the industrial/UV monitoring space that RootSensor's IoT safety helmet solution would compete against for end-customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

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 RootSensor