What IonSense does

ION SENSE is the dedicated sensor brand of ION Science Ltd., a UK-headquartered (Fowlmere, Royston) designer and manufacturer with over 35 years of experience in photoionisation detection (PID). The company develops and produces PID sensors that detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by ionizing gas molecules with UV light and measuring the resulting electrical current, alongside particulate matter (PM) sensors for air quality monitoring. ION SENSE serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) building gas detection instruments, industrial safety and occupational health operators in oil & gas, petrochemical, and manufacturing, environmental and indoor air quality monitoring programmes, semiconductor clean room facilities, and emergency response teams. Its flagship product is the MiniPID 2 family of eight sensor variants differentiated by sensitivity (HS, PPB, PPB XF, PPB WR, PPM, PPM WR) and lamp energy (10.0, 10.6, 11.7 eV), supplemented by the NextPM particulate matter sensor, in-house UV lamps, and ION CONNECT/TRANSMIT/PROGRAM integration boards with ION PC software.

Differentiating technology includes a patented fence electrode architecture that prevents false negatives under high humidity (0–99% RH), an anti-contamination PTFE membrane, a Dutch Weave / Floating Ground filter for extended filter life beyond 10,000 hours, an integrated ASIC for continuous fail-safe performance monitoring, and in-house UV lamp manufacturing supported by 20+ years of R&D. The product portfolio is backed by over 900 documented chemical response factors across three lamp energies, ATEX, IECEx, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO/IEC 80079-34 certifications, and the 2022 Queen's Award for Enterprise – Innovation.

ION SENSE generates revenue predominantly through OEM hardware sales of PID and PM sensors, with secondary revenue streams in lifetime sensor maintenance, calibration, and replacement parts under a 5-year warranty. Pricing is quote-based and disclosed only on commercial engagement, with multi-year supply contracts as the norm. Distribution operates through direct sales from the UK headquarters and six regional offices (France, Germany, India, Italy, USA, China) — covering all seven continents via authorized distributors — alongside an OEM/embedded channel in which sensors are designed into partner instruments. The company has expanded its commercial model beyond outright hardware sales with a December 2024 revenue-sharing rental arrangement with Blackline Safety, embedding MiniPID sensors in the G7 connected safety portfolio with factory-certified lifetime maintenance. In January 2025, the company elevated its ION SENSE brand identity to sharpen commercial positioning, while ongoing investment in the ION Technology Centre and a £4.5 million purpose-built UK facility supports manufacturing capacity and continued R&D.

Name

IonSense

Legal name

ION Science Ltd.

Website

https://ionsense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ION SENSE (an ION Science Ltd. brand) designs and manufactures photoionisation detection (PID) and particulate matter sensors for VOC monitoring. It serves gas detection instrument OEMs and industrial safety, environmental, and semiconductor customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photoionisation Detection (PID) Gas Sensors

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Sensors (Temperature/Humidity/Gas/Air Quality) (HDAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO), Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE), Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Environmental Monitoring (VOC/CO2/PM2.5) (HSAHAGAG)

Keywords

• Photoionisation detection sensors
• VOC gas detection
• Particulate matter sensors
• OEM gas sensors
• Industrial gas monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Saugus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PID and PM Sensor Hardware Sales: ION SENSE designs, manufactures, and sells photoionisation detection (PID) sensors and particulate matter (PM) sensors to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who incorporate them into gas detection instruments. The company also sells directly to end-users through global offices and authorized distributors. Sensors are offered in various configurations including High Sensitivity (HS), PPB, PPM, and Wide Range variants.
2. Sensor Rental with Revenue Sharing: In the Blackline Safety partnership, ION SENSE provides MiniPID sensors through a rental model rather than direct sale. This commercial arrangement includes lifetime sensor maintenance at ION SENSE's UK facility, with factory-certified replacements for each new cartridge. Revenue is shared based on the rental service model.
3. Sensor Maintenance and Calibration Services: Lifetime sensor maintenance services are offered, including calibration, lamp cleaning, and component replacement (electrode stack, lamps). Sensors fall under a 5-year warranty with options for replacement and spare parts ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ION SENSE designs, manufactures, and sells photoionisation detection (PID) sensors and particulate matter (PM) sensors used to detect and measure Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and airborne particulates. The portfolio centres on the MiniPID 2 family of PID sensors offered in eight variants (HS, PPB, PPB XF, PPB WR, PPM, PPM WR, plus 10.0 eV), with the NextPM sensor for PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 measurement, and supporting ION integration boards (CONNECT, TRANSMIT, PROGRAM) and software for OEM and end-user integration.

Product overview

ION SENSE is a sensing technology company and part of ION Science, specialising in photoionisation detection (PID) sensors for VOC detection and particulate matter monitoring. The product portfolio centres on the MiniPID 2 family of PID sensors, available in 8 variants offering different sensitivities (HS, PPB, PPB XF, PPB WR, PPM, PPM WR, 10.0 eV). Supporting products include NextPM particulate matter sensors, UV lamps (10.0, 10.6, 11.7 eV), and a suite of ION integration boards (CONNECT, TRANSMIT, PROGRAM) with associated software. All sensors are designed and manufactured in the UK at the UK headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MiniPID 2: Flagship photoionisation detection sensor range featuring patented fence electrode technology for humidity resistance and anti-contamination design.
• NextPM
• ION CONNECT
• ION TRANSMIT
• ION PROGRAM

Products and services

• MiniPID 2 Photoionisation Detector (PID) Sensor Family Family of VOC gas sensors using UV light ionisation to detect volatile organic compounds. Features patented Fence Electrode Technology for humidity resistance (0-99% RH) and anti-contamination PTFE membrane design. Available in eight variants including High Sensitivity (HS, sub-ppb to 3 ppm), PPB (indoor/outdoor air quality), PPB XF (extended filter life with Floating Ground filter, >10,000 hours), PPB WR (humidity resistant, 20 ppb to 200 ppm), PPM (up to 10,000 ppm for LEL monitoring), PPM WR (humidity resistant up to 10,000 ppm), and 10.0 eV (selective benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylene measurement). All variants feature 10,000-hour lamp life and -40 to +65°C temperature stability. Sold to OEMs and end-users in industrial safety, environmental monitoring, semiconductor, and emergency response applications.
• NextPM Particulate Matter (PM) Sensor Advanced particle measurement sensor for PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10, providing measurements in both μg/m³ and pcs/L. Features patented airflow and humidity controls for accurate measurements in harsh conditions and extreme climates, with strong to very strong correlations for PM1.0 and PM2.5 compared to reference-grade equipment at a fraction of the cost. Optimised for outdoor, transportation, industrial, and smart city environments.
• ION CONNECT Integration Board
• ION TRANSMIT Integration Board
• ION PROGRAM Integration Board
• ION CONNECT Kit
• ION TRANSMIT Kit
• ION PC Software
• Lifetime Sensor Maintenance and Calibration Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Lamp life of 10,000 hours reduces maintenance frequency and lowers total cost of ownership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Blackline SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024ION SENSE and Blackline Safety entered an exciting supply agreement where Blackline adds ION SENSE MiniPID gas sensors to their G7 portfolio through a revenue-sharing rental service model. Unlike traditional OEM sensor sales, this arrangement provides sensors as a rental complementing Blackline's gas detection service offering. The partnership includes lifetime sensor maintenance performed at ION SENSE's UK facility, with factory-certified replacements for each new cartridge installed by customers.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Analytics: Honeywell's gas detection division manufactures fixed, portable, and personal gas detectors including PID-based instruments. It is a broad incumbent with a wider safety portfolio that competes with ION SENSE sensors both directly and through OEM instrument integration at large industrial customers.
• Dräger: Dräger is a global leader in gas detection and respiratory protection, producing PID and other sensor-based instruments for industrial safety. Comparable to ION SENSE as both an OEM purchaser of PID sensors and a competing supplier of integrated VOC monitoring solutions.
• MSA Safety: MSA Safety manufactures fixed and portable gas detectors, including PID-based instruments for VOC monitoring. It is a broad incumbent competing with ION SENSE at the instrument level and as an OEM sensor customer in the industrial safety market.
• Sensirion: Sensirion is a Swiss manufacturer of environmental sensors including gas, particulate matter, humidity, and flow sensors. It is a broad incumbent in the environmental sensor market whose PM and gas sensor lines overlap with ION SENSE's NextPM and MiniPID products for OEM integration.
• AMETEK (Process & Analytical Instruments): AMETEK manufactures analytical and process instrumentation including gas analyzers and industrial sensors. It is a broad incumbent competing in industrial gas detection and emissions monitoring — applications that overlap with ION SENSE's LEL, LDAR, and fugitive emissions use cases.

Direct peers

• Alphasense: Alphasense is a UK-based manufacturer of gas sensors for OEMs, including PID, electrochemical, and NDIR technologies. It is a direct peer to ION SENSE, serving the same gas detection instrument OEMs with comparable sensor technologies and competing on VOC detection performance.
• RKI Instruments: RKI Instruments manufactures gas detection equipment including PID-based portable monitors. Comparable as both an OEM purchaser of PID sensor technology and a direct competitor in PID-integrated instruments for industrial hygiene and confined space applications.
• Sensidyne: Sensidyne manufactures and distributes PID and other gas detection instruments, and supplies industrial hygiene monitoring equipment. It is a direct peer competing in PID-based gas detection for occupational health and industrial safety applications.
• Membrapor: Membrapor manufactures electrochemical and specialty gas sensors for OEM gas detection instruments. It is a direct peer to ION SENSE in the specialty gas sensor component market, competing for OEM design slots in industrial safety and environmental monitoring applications.

Emerging players

• Aeroqual: Aeroqual develops air quality monitoring sensors and instruments for indoor and outdoor environmental applications. It is an emerging player with partial overlap, focused on IAQ and ambient monitoring markets that intersect with ION SENSE's MiniPID HS and NextPM sensor offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ION-SENSE
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61568536989552
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/ion-sense
• Instagraminstagram.com/ion.sense
• Xx.com/DART_MS

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 IonSense