Kindhelm
Kindhelm develops RTK GNSS and inertial navigation positioning modules (IPESSA family) for OEMs and system integrators across precision agriculture, marine, forestry, robotics, and UAV applications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersEspoo, Finland
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kindhelm does
Kindhelm (legal entity Navigs Oy) is a Finnish positioning-technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Espoo, Finland, with a wholly-owned R&D and marketing subsidiary in Istanbul, Turkey (established February 2022) and a software development team in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company designs and manufactures the IPESSA family of RTK GNSS receivers fused with inertial measurement units (IMUs), and in some models with fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOG) or visual-inertial navigation (RTK-VINS), delivering centimeter-level position, attitude, and heading for autonomous, remote-controlled, and guided machines. Its technology stack emphasizes dual-antenna heading without movement initialization, dead reckoning through GNSS-denied or jammed environments, multi-constellation GNSS support (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), and ruggedized IP-rated enclosures, with newer additions (ALUSA Platform with NVIDIA Orin edge AI, IPESSA Navibot 2D Lidar SLAM, LOCANOS Base Stations) extending the portfolio into edge-AI perception, indoor robotics, and RTK correction infrastructure.
The company's go-to-market is consultative enterprise OEM sales targeting system integrators and machine builders across precision agriculture, agricultural robotics, forestry, marine and ports, delivery/service robots, and UAVs. Pricing is quote-based across a product ladder from cost-optimized IPESSA Nano and Light units up to high-performance Classic units with FOG, with multi-year contract cadences implied; the LOCANOS Base Station Lite is the only SKU sold through a self-serve online storefront. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership, and its revenue model is hardware product sales. Notable commercial validation includes a joint reference design with Parker Hannifin for agricultural autoguidance, co-development of RTK-VINS with Dynim and Spectacular AI, and a 50-meter autonomous trenching demonstration on a four-wheel-steering tractor.
Kindhelm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kindhelm
- Legal name
- Navigs Oy
- Website
- https://kindhelm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kindhelm develops RTK GNSS and inertial navigation positioning modules (IPESSA family) for OEMs and system integrators across precision agriculture, marine, forestry, robotics, and UAV applications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kindhelm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- GNSS/INS Positioning Modules for OEMs
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Asset Tracking, RTLS & Industrial Visibility (IMAIAMAE)
Keywords
Where Kindhelm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Espoo
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kindhelm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Sale of IPESSA family positioning modules (Nano, Tiny, Yaw Bar, RTK-VINS, Classic, Light), LOCANOS Base Stations, and ALUSA platforms to OEM manufacturers and system integrators. Products are sold as integrated, self-contained positioning systems with various price points based on performance tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | IPESSA product family ranging from compact Nano to high-performance Classic with FOG |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | LOCANOS Base Station family for RTK correction data generation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Kindhelm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kindhelm develops and manufactures RTK GNSS receivers fused with inertial measurement units (IMU) through proprietary sensor fusion algorithms, sold as integrated positioning modules (the IPESSA family) to OEM manufacturers and system integrators. The IPESSA product line spans cost-optimized to high-performance units providing centimeter-level positioning, attitude, and heading for autonomous, remote-controlled, and auto-steered vehicles on land, in air, and at sea. Supplementary offerings include the LOCANOS RTK correction base stations and the ALUSA edge-AI visual positioning platform.
Product overview
Kindhelm offers the IPESSA family of RTK GNSS/INS positioning products for OEMs and system integrators. The portfolio includes IPESSA Classic (high-precision with FOG), IPESSA Tiny (compact dual-antenna), IPESSA Nano (ultra-small), IPESSA Yaw Bar (marine dual-antenna), and IPESSA RTK-VINS (visual-inertial navigation). The ALUSA Platform provides visual positioning with edge AI capabilities, while LOCANOS Base Station products offer RTK correction data solutions. All IPESSA products feature integrated RTK-GNSS receivers combined with inertial sensors via sensor fusion for centimeter-level positioning accuracy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IPESSA: Product family of RTK GNSS/INS positioning modules for OEMs and system integrators; includes IPESSA Classic, IPESSA Tiny, IPESSA Nano, IPESSA Yaw Bar, IPESSA RTK-VINS, IPESSA Light, IPESSA Base, IPESSA Navibot
- LOCANOS
- ALUSA
- IPESSA Navibot
Products and services
- IPESSA Classic High-precision RTK-GNSS receiver with integrated IMU and fiber optic gyroscope providing centimeter-level position, speed, and orientation for vehicle OEMs, with positioning maintained during GNSS outages.
- IPESSA Tiny Compact dual-antenna RTK-GNSS receiver with inertial sensors for autonomous vehicles on land and air, providing instant position and heading without movement initialization.
- IPESSA Nano
Quantifiable outcome
- Centimeter-level (15mm) RTK GNSS positioning accuracy for marine navigation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kindhelm
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kindhelm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
Kindhelm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Dynim (dynimlabs.com)coreCo-development partner for IPESSA RTK-VINS product. Dynim contributed visual inertial navigation system expertise for the first industrial grade stereo camera with embedded RTK-GNSS positioning fused visual inertial navigation algorithms.
- Spectacular AI (spectacularai.com)coreCo-development partner for IPESSA RTK-VINS product. Spectacular AI contributed expertise in visual inertial navigation algorithms for the industrial stereo camera solution enabling positioning in GNSS-denied environments.
- Parker HannifincoreJoint case study for auto guidance through retrofitting with AB-line control. Kindhelm IPESSA Classic provides position and heading, Parker Hannifin provides IQAN MC42 controller for steering algorithms and Pro Display 12 for ISOBUS HMI integration. Solution developed as functional auto guidance reference design for vehicle OEMs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kindhelm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Septentrio (Moog): Belgian high-precision GNSS receiver manufacturer acquired by Moog in 2023; competes directly with Kindhelm's IPESSA RTK GNSS modules in OEM and integrator applications across agriculture, marine, and autonomous machines.
- Swift Navigation: US-based provider of RTK GNSS positioning technology (Skylark correction network plus hardware modules) targeting autonomous vehicles in agriculture, robotics, and automotive, making it a direct competitor to Kindhelm's IPESSA plus LOCANOS proposition.
- u-blox: Swiss manufacturer of GNSS positioning chips and modules sold to OEMs and integrators; competes with Kindhelm across automotive, industrial, and consumer positioning markets with a broader product portfolio and chip-level integration.
- OxTS (Oxford Technical Solutions): UK-based specialist in GNSS-aided inertial navigation systems for test, verification, and autonomous vehicle development; competes with Kindhelm's IPESSA INS product line in the same OEM and integrator customer base.
- SBG Systems: French manufacturer of inertial navigation systems combining MEMS IMU and GNSS for marine, land, and aerial applications; directly comparable to Kindhelm's IPESSA Yaw Bar and IPESSA Classic sensor-fusion positioning modules.
- VectorNav Technologies: US-based manufacturer of GNSS-aided inertial navigation systems for unmanned systems, robotics, and aerospace; competes with Kindhelm in the same commercial and industrial autonomous-machine customer segments.
Broad incumbents
- Hexagon (NovAtel): Hexagon's NovAtel division is a leading supplier of high-precision GNSS receivers, inertial systems, and correction services used in agriculture (Leica guidance) and autonomous vehicles, overlapping with Kindhelm's IPESSA product family as a much larger incumbent.
- Trimble (Applanix): Trimble is a dominant supplier of GNSS guidance for agriculture, with Applanix providing GNSS-aided inertial navigation systems for autonomous machines and mapping, overlapping with both Kindhelm's agricultural and GNSS/INS positioning offerings.
- Cemex/Topcon Positioning Group: Topcon provides precision GNSS positioning and machine control solutions for agriculture, construction, and surveying; overlaps with Kindhelm's precision-agriculture customer base with broader integrated system offerings.
Emerging players
- Point One Navigation: US startup delivering RTK correction network plus integrated positioning modules; overlaps with Kindhelm's combined IPESSA-plus-LOCANOS positioning stack, particularly for autonomous agriculture and robotics OEMs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kindhelm social profiles
Digital presenceKindhelm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kindhelm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kindhelm subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kindhelm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kindhelm 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 Kindhelm
What does Kindhelm do?
Kindhelm develops and manufactures RTK GNSS receivers fused with inertial measurement units (IMU) through proprietary sensor fusion algorithms, sold as integrated positioning modules (the IPESSA family) to OEM manufacturers and system integrators. The IPESSA product line spans cost-optimized to high-performance units providing centimeter-level positioning, attitude, and heading for autonomous, remote-controlled, and auto-steered vehicles on land, in air, and at sea. Supplementary offerings include the LOCANOS RTK correction base stations and the ALUSA edge-AI visual positioning platform.
Is Kindhelm a public or private company?
Kindhelm is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kindhelm founded?
Kindhelm was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kindhelm based?
Kindhelm is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Kindhelm make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Product Sales.
Who are Kindhelm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Septentrio (Moog), Swift Navigation, u-blox, OxTS (Oxford Technical Solutions), SBG Systems and VectorNav Technologies. Broad incumbents are Hexagon (NovAtel), Trimble (Applanix) and Cemex/Topcon Positioning Group. Point One Navigation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kindhelm have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kindhelm.
What industry is Kindhelm in?
Kindhelm's product category is GNSS/INS Positioning Modules for OEMs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAIAMAE, Asset Tracking, RTLS & Industrial Visibility. Its SIC code is 3823.