Novel

What Novel does

novel GmbH is a Munich-headquartered, privately held German company founded in 1978 by Peter Seitz that designs and manufactures capacitive pressure and force measurement systems for medical, sports, automotive, and industrial research applications. Its proprietary capacitive sensor technology — characterized by individual per-sensor calibration, low drift, low hysteresis, and support for both static and dynamic measurement — underpins a product portfolio spanning barefoot platforms (emed with up to 25,344 sensors), in-shoe systems (pedar at 400 Hz with 99 sensors per insole; loadsol in medical, pro, and embedded variants), flexible surface mats (pliance up to 1,024 sensors), hand-force measurement (manugraphy, loadglove), and textile/garment sensors (texsens, buttonsens, loadpad). The company supports these instruments with the trublu calibration device, the loadapp mobile application (iOS/Android), and the novel scientific studio desktop software.

novel sells exclusively through a consultative, quote-based direct-sales motion with no public e-commerce webshop, supported by a wholly-owned US subsidiary in Pittsburgh and authorized representatives across the UK/Italy, Central Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Australia. Revenue is generated from hardware system sales, multi-tiered software licenses and subscriptions (Basic/Standard/Expert/Recorder), replacement sensors and accessories, professional training services, and extended warranties. Customers include global brands and institutions such as NASA, Harvard, Köln University Hospital, LMU, Daimler, Volkswagen, Porsche, Kia, Hyundai, Nike, Adidas, Li-Ning, PUMA, and Atlético Madrid.

The company holds ISO 13485 quality management certification, EU MDR compliance for emed platforms, and CE certification under Directive 93/42/EEC for pliance-medical. It maintains authority in its field via reference in over 119 peer-reviewed publications and hosts the biennial Emed Scientific Meeting since 1989. Recent strategic moves include the 2025 integration with Xsens (Movella) motion capture systems and the launch of loadglove, a wireless hand force sensor positioned for training physical AI and humanoid robots — signaling cautious expansion into adjacent verticals while the core medical/sports/automotive franchise remains stable.

Name

Novel

Legal name

novel GmbH

Website

https://novel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pressure and Force Measurement Sensors

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Weighing & Force Measurement (Load cells, scales, torque, strain measurement) (IMAGAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pressure & Force Sensors (Pressure/Strain/Load Cells) (HDAHALAB), Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Pressure distribution measurement
• Capacitive sensor technology
• In-shoe force measurement
• Biomechanical analysis systems
• Gait analysis sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Systems (Sensor Equipment): Novel sells complete measurement systems including sensors, analyzers, calibration devices, and software. Systems include emed, pedar, pliance, loadsol, loadpad, manugraphy, texsens, buttonsens, and loadglove. Systems are sold as complete packages with multiple sensor pairs in different sizes.
2. Software Licenses and Upgrades: Software is offered at multiple levels (Basic/Standard/Expert/Recorder) for each system. Software upgrades and additional analysis packages (novel database, clinical reports, gaitline, multiprojects) are available for purchase separately. Subscription and perpetual license models available.
3. Professional Services: Training services for system operation and custom sensor development for specific applications are available as purchasable services.
4. Sensor Replacement and Accessories: Replacement sensors in various shapes, forms, and sizes for all systems. Accessories including cables, batteries, syncs, covers, and bags are available for purchase.
5. Extended Warranty: Extended warranty offered on all sensors as part of quality management and customer support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Novel designs, manufactures, and sells capacitive sensor-based load distribution measurement systems that quantify contact forces between surfaces (foot/shoe, hand/tool, body/seat, tire/ground) for clinical diagnostics, sports biomechanics, automotive R&D, and industrial applications. The portfolio spans stationary platforms (emed), wireless in-shoe systems (pedar, loadsol), flexible sensor mats (pliance), hand-force analysis (manugraphy, loadglove), and textile/small-area sensors (texsens, buttonsens), supported by trublu calibration hardware and loadapp/novel scientific studio software. Sales are handled through consultative, quote-based engagements rather than self-service e-commerce.

Product overview

Novel offers a portfolio of precision load and pressure distribution measurement systems based on capacitive sensor technology. The product line includes: emed® (stationary barefoot pressure platforms), pedar® (wireless in-shoe pressure sensors), pliance® (flexible sensors for any surface), manugraphy® (hand force analysis), loadsol® (mobile in-shoe force measurement), loadpad® (force on any surface), texsens® (textile pressure), buttonsens® (small area force), and loadglove (hand force measurement). All systems use capacitive sensors known for low drift, low hysteresis, and high accuracy. Supporting products include trublu® calibration devices and software solutions including loadapp mobile app and novel scientific studio. Novel serves markets in medicine, sports biomechanics, automotive, and industrial research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• emed: Pressure distribution measurement system under the foot - pedography platforms for barefoot load distribution analysis
• pedar
• loadsol
• pliance
• manugraphy
• loadpad
• texsens
• buttonsens
• loadglove
• trublu
• loadapp

Products and services

• emed® Barefoot pressure distribution measurement platform for static and dynamic pedography, available in emed-s (6,912 sensors at 4 sen/cm²) and emed-xl (25,344 sensors) variants, CE certified under EU MDR for clinical foot diagnostics, gait analysis, and diabetic foot assessment.
• pedar® Wireless in-shoe pressure distribution measurement system with up to 99 capacitive sensors per insole, 400 Hz measurement frequency, WiFi telemetry via plidar electronics, 32 GB onboard storage, and trublu-calibrated sensors, used for clinical biomechanics and footwear research.
• pliance® Flexible pressure and load distribution measurement system for hard, soft, and curved surfaces, available as pliance-xf-16 (up to 256 sensors) and pliance-xf-32 (up to 1,024 sensors at 20,000 sensors/sec), with the pliance-medical variant CE certified under Directive 93/42/EEC.
• loadsol® Mobile in-shoe force measurement system using ultra-thin textile capacitive sensors with matchbox-sized electronics and Bluetooth connectivity, available in loadsol (medical grade), loadsol pro, and loadsol embd (embedded/R&D) variants, and syncable with Xsens motion capture.
• manugraphy® Pressure distribution measurement system at the hand that quantifies grip forces and provides functional analysis of different hand regions during gripping tasks.
• loadpad® Force measurement system for measuring force between any soft or hard objects, using capacitive technology derived from loadsol, targeted at ergonomic and educational applications such as manual therapy training.
• texsens® Mobile load measurement sensor designed to capture low pressure under textiles and garments for the textile and garment industry.
• buttonsens® Small capacitive sensor buttons for force detection on limited or flexible areas, designed to be combined in custom arrays for fine-grained force mapping.
• loadglove Fully wireless hand and fingertip force measurement tool using capacitive sensors (1 loadpad sensor for the palm plus 1-13 buttonsens sensors for fingers), transmitting via Bluetooth to the loadapp application, and syncable with Xsens (Movella) motion capture systems for physical AI and humanoid robot training.
• trublu® Calibration device that simultaneously calibrates every sensor on pedar and pliance systems using homogeneous air pressure applied in increasing steps, generating individual calibration curves for accurate and reproducible measurements.
• loadapp Smartphone application for data collection and real-time Bluetooth transmission with visual, auditory, and vibratory feedback, available on iOS and Android, compatible with loadsol, loadpad, loadglove, and buttonsens systems.
• novel scientific studio Professional scientific software for data analysis and database management, offered in tiers including Basic, Standard, Expert, and Recorder with optional analysis packages (novel database, clinical reports, gaitline, multiprojects) and subscription or perpetual licensing models.

Quantifiable outcome

• emed platforms complete a valid examination in 8 minutes with only 3-5 steps
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• DIALECT (European Research Training Course)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026Novel participates in the DIALECT European Research Training Course focused on diabetic foot research. Novel supports the course and promotes it to its network, positioning the company within the European diabetic foot research community.
• Xsens (Movella)coreTechnology or Integration · 18 September 2025loadsol has been integrated with Xsens motion capture systems, announced at the Xsens Partner Summit 2025. This integration allows synchronized measurement of in-shoe force data with full-body kinematic data, providing comprehensive biomechanical analysis for research and sports applications. The loadglove embd is also syncable with Xsens motion capture setups.
• Diabetes Research Group MunichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in developing the diagnostic pressure platform system for the neuropathic diabetic foot (BMFT grant 1984). This long-standing partnership contributed to the development of emed systems for early recognition and treatment of diabetic patients.
• LMU Orthopaedic University Hospital MunichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical research partner in the development of the emed diabetic foot pressure measurement system. The collaboration enabled clinical validation and adoption of the technology in medical settings.
• MG Atzori Consultants LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for UK and Italy markets, managed by Ms. Gabriella Atzori.
• Kistler Eastern Europe s.r.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, managed by Dr. Pavel Švec.
• Biomechanix (Australia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for biomechanical and medical applications in Australia (Mr. Quinton Le Fevre, Clovelly NSW).
• Kistler Instruments Australia Pty LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for industrial applications in Australia (Mr. Warren Brooks, Wheelers Hill, Victoria).
• OMG (China)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for China/Hong Kong market (Mr. Jacky Ma, Hong Kong).
• Upit Inc. (Japan)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for Japan (Mr. Takahiro Nakai, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama).
• SANGWOO Co., Ltd (Korea)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for Korea (Mr. Raphael Sung, Bucheon, Gyeonggi).
• FORCELAB (Korea)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional authorized representative for Korea (Mr. Hongsuk Choi, Seoul).
• Naman Technologies Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for Malaysia (Ms. Sarah Ch'ng, Kuala Lumpur).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pressure Profile Systems (PPS): PPS designs and manufactures capacitive tactile pressure sensors and systems used in medical, robotics, and consumer electronics. Comparable technology stack and overlapping customers in robotics haptics and clinical pressure measurement.
• Xsensor Technology: Xsensor provides capacitive pressure imaging systems for seating, automotive, medical, and industrial applications (e.g., ForeSite SS, X3 Medical). It competes directly with novel's pliance and emed product lines in clinical and seating pressure mapping.
• Tekscan: Tekscan is the most direct global competitor to novel, offering pressure mapping sensors and systems (e.g., F-Scan, Strideway, MatScan) for medical, sports, and industrial applications. Both companies compete head-to-head in in-shoe plantar pressure, gait analysis, and seated pressure measurement, addressing the same clinician, researcher, and OEM customer base.
• IEE (International Electronics & Engineering): IEE supplies automotive in-seat occupant detection and classification sensors using pressure-sensitive foil technology. Directly comparable to novel's automotive seating applications with Porsche, VW, Daimler, and other OEMs, making IEE a meaningful automotive peer despite a different primary technology approach.

Emerging players

• Sensing Tex: Sensing Tex develops textile-based capacitive pressure and force sensors for smart fabrics, healthcare, and sports. Overlaps with novel's texsens, loadsol, and buttonsens product lines in flexible/textile force measurement.
• Body Sensing Systems (Cirrus Sense): Cirrus/Body Sensing Systems provides instrumented insoles and wearable pressure-sensing solutions for clinical gait and sports. Directly comparable to novel's loadsol product line with focus on continuous monitoring applications.
• Moticon: Moticon produces wireless sensor insoles (insole3, OPAL) for sports, clinical gait analysis, and rehab. It competes with novel's loadsol product line in the mobile in-shoe force measurement category with a more software/API-native approach.

Broad incumbents

• Kistler Group: Kistler is a much larger, broad-line industrial sensor incumbent covering pressure, force, acceleration, and torque measurement. It is also novel's authorized distributor for Central Europe and Australia (industrial applications). Comparable in core force/pressure measurement physics, but with a far wider product portfolio and global infrastructure.

Others

• Xsens (Movella): Xsens makes motion capture and inertial measurement systems used in biomechanics, sports, and increasingly humanoid robotics. novel has integrated loadsol and loadglove with Xsens hardware; both vendors jointly target full-body kinetic + kinematic analysis for research, sports, and Physical AI use cases.
• Novelda (XeThru): Novelda develops ultra-wideband radar sensors for presence detection, vital signs, and occupancy. It is not a direct competitor but is a comparable European sensor specialist with adjacent motion/presence sensing technology used in similar end markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/official_novel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novel-de

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Novel