What Memsense does

Memsense, LLC is a US-based developer and manufacturer of high-performance MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) inertial measurement units (IMUs), headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, with an ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturing facility at 2693D Commerce Road. The company was founded in 2004 (with IMU production tracing back to 2001) and was acquired by Inertial Labs Inc. in December 2021, after which it operates as a subsidiary within a combined 100+ employee platform serving 500+ customers.

Its product portfolio consists of four triaxial MEMS IMUs — the MS-IMU3020 (1°/h gyro, marked Not Recommended for New Design), MS-IMU3025 (sub 1°/h, tactical-grade), MS-IMU3030 (0.55°/h), and MS-IMU3050 (0.3°/h, positioned as a FOG alternative) — plus a Custom Solutions engineering service for non-standard form factors, high vibration, extreme temperatures (-55°C to +125°C), and high angular rate/acceleration requirements. Core differentiation rests on proprietary sensor compensation and estimation algorithms, the patented Compensated Digital Gyroscope (US Patent 7,938,004), and a compact, low-power, price-to-performance envelope aimed at replacing fiber optic gyros.

Memsense sells to US defense agencies (Army MLRS-TCK, Apache M230, Navy marine navigation, Air Force), NASA, defense contractors, and commercial/industrial customers (autonomous vehicles, marine navigation, pipeline inspection, surveying, robotics) via a quote-based enterprise field sales motion, supported by a global distribution agreement with Arrow Electronics. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of standard IMUs and custom engineering services under multi-year contracts, with no public pricing disclosed.

Name

Memsense

Legal name

Memsense, LLC

Website

https://memsense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Memsense, a Rapid City-based MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) manufacturer and subsidiary of Inertial Labs, designs and sells tactical-grade triaxial IMUs and custom inertial solutions for US defense agencies (Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA) and commercial/industrial customers in autonomous systems, marine navigation, and aerospace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inertial Measurement Units

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Inertial & Motion Sensors (Accelerometers/Gyroscopes/IMUs) (HDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/IMU) (IMABAFAB), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO), Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO)

Keywords

• MEMS inertial sensors
• Inertial measurement units
• Tactical grade IMUs
• Motion sensing hardware
• Navigation sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MEMS IMU Hardware Sales: Sale of high-performance inertial measurement units including MS-IMU3020, MS-IMU3025, MS-IMU3030, and MS-IMU3050 models. Products are sold directly and through distribution partners.
2. Custom Solutions Engineering: Custom performance engineering development for application requirements outside standard product specifications, including custom form factors, high angular rates, low drift IMUs through post processing, and acquisition systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Memsense designs and manufactures high-performance MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) featuring triaxial gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers for defense, aerospace, marine navigation, and industrial applications. Their product portfolio spans tactical-grade IMUs with sub-1°/h gyroscope bias instability in compact, low-power packages, complemented by custom engineering solutions for specialized form factors, high angular rates, and extreme environmental requirements.

Product overview

Memsense offers a portfolio of four MEMS-based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) products designed for demanding applications in aerospace, defense, industrial, and commercial sectors. The product line spans from the entry-level MS-IMU3020 (1 degree per hour gyro, marked NRND) to the high-performance MS-IMU3050 (0.3 degree per hour gyro) and MS-IMU3030 (0.55 degree per hour gyro), culminating in the tactical-grade MS-IMU3025 (sub 1 degree per hour gyro with configurable 40g accelerometers). All units feature triaxial gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers with extensive temperature calibration. Custom Solutions engineering services complement the standard product line for specialized applications requiring custom form factors, extreme environmental ratings, or unique performance specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MS-IMU3020 A miniature low drift inertial measurement unit delivering market-leading price and performance with 1 degree per hour gyro bias stability and 15 micro-g accelerometer bias stability. Features configurable bandwidth and sample rate, no export license required. Marked as 'Not Recommended for New Design.' Targeted at demanding defense, aerospace, and industrial applications.
• MS-IMU3025 A tactical-grade MEMS inertial measurement unit delivering sub 1 degree per hour gyroscope and sub 7 micro-g accelerometer bias instability performance. Features configurable accelerometer dynamic range from ±2g to ±40g, packaged in 1.1 x 1.1 x 0.45 inches at 17.9 grams. Targeted at defense, aerospace, and high-performance commercial applications.
• MS-IMU3030 A miniature high-performance IMU delivering 0.55 degrees per hour gyro bias stability and 2.9 micro-g accelerometer bias stability. Features triaxial MEMS gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers in an ultra-compact aluminum package measuring 1.1 x 1.1 x 0.45 inches, weighing 25 grams with 1.35 watts power consumption. Targeted at autonomous vehicles, surveying, robotics, and camera stabilization applications.
• MS-IMU3050 A cost-effective inertial measurement unit providing 0.3 degrees per hour gyro bias stability and 2.6 micro-g accelerometer bias stability. Positioned as a smaller, lower power, and more cost-effective alternative to Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) based IMUs. Features configurable bandwidth, sample rates up to 800 Hz, and optional high-range accelerometer configurations. Targeted at navigation, pipeline inspection, and platform stabilization applications.
• Custom Solutions Custom performance engineering development for application requirements that fall outside standard product specifications, including custom form factors, high angular rate and acceleration measurement devices, low drift rate IMUs through post processing, and acquisition systems. Capabilities include high vibration testing, temperature extremes from -55°C to +125°C, angular rates up to ±10,000 degrees per second, and accelerations up to ±250 G's. Targeted at defense and industrial customers with specialized requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gyro bias stability of 0.3°/h (MS-IMU3050)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inertial Labs Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Inertial Labs Inc., a trailblazer in positioning, navigation, and timing solutions, acquired Memsense in December 2021. The combined company has over 100 employees and 500 customers, expecting to introduce breakthrough technologies at an accelerated pace across autonomous vehicles, GPS-denied navigation, industrial machines, and aerospace & defense.
• Arrow ElectronicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal distribution partner making it easier for customers to obtain support and product. Memsense has partnered with Arrow Electronics as a global and regional distributor.
• South Dakota School of Mines & TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemsense donated leading edge inertial measurement development kits to the electrical engineering department. Partnership for educational support and development of future engineers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VectorNav Technologies: VectorNav designs and manufactures tactical-grade MEMS IMU/INS products for defense, unmanned systems and autonomous platforms - a near-direct product and customer overlap with Memsense's MS-IMU family.
• ACEinna (formerly ACE Navigation): ACEinna develops MEMS IMU/INS and GNSS/INS products for autonomous vehicles, robotics and industrial applications, overlapping directly with Memsense's commercial/industrial segment.
• SBG Systems: SBG Systems builds MEMS-based IMU/INS and AHRS modules for surveying, mapping, marine and defense customers, directly competing with Memsense in inertial sensors for commercial/industrial applications.
• Xsens (Movella): Xsens (now under Movella) manufactures MEMS-based IMU and motion-tracking modules for industrial, robotics and autonomous applications, competing with Memsense in the commercial industrial sensor segment.
• Gladiator Technologies: Gladiator Technologies produces tactical-grade MEMS IMUs and INS for defense and aerospace, closely mirroring Memsense's product positioning and customer profile in US military programs.

Broad incumbents

• KVH Industries: KVH supplies FOG-based IMUs and inertial systems for defense, maritime and commercial platforms, occupying the high-grade inertial segment that Memsense is targeting with its FOG-displacement MS-IMU3050.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell is a leading inertial sensor supplier across FOG, RLG and MEMS IMUs for aerospace and defense, competing directly with Memsense at the high end and validating the same FOG-displacement thesis from the incumbent side.
• Exail (iXblue): Exail (formerly iXblue) is a leading supplier of FOG-based INS and high-end inertial systems for naval, marine and defense markets, the type of incumbent Memsense aims to displace with its cost-effective MEMS IMUs.
• Safran Sensing & Defense: Safran manufactures high-grade FOG and MEMS inertial sensors for aerospace, naval and land defense, the incumbent benchmark against which Memsense positions its price-to-performance MEMS IMU value.
• Northrop Grumman (LITEF): Northrop Grumman's LITEF subsidiary supplies tactical-grade FOG and MEMS IMUs for military platforms, serving the same defense navigation market as Memsense's tactical IMU line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/memsense-llc

Compliance1 record

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 Memsense