DKL International

What DKL International does

DKL International, Inc. is a privately held U.S. specialty manufacturer, founded in 1998 by Howard Sidman, a retired U.S. Navy senior executive, and operated as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. The company designs, patents, and sells electronic sensor systems that detect living humans through walls, barriers, and at distance by sensing the ultra low frequency electric field unique to living human beings, with the stated ability to exclude animals, objects, and inanimate items from detection. DKL holds 13+ patents and reports 25+ years of innovation and 1,500+ successful deployments worldwide.

The company's two flagship products, LifeGuard (a portable handheld sensor for search and rescue, law enforcement, and first responders) and SilentGuard (an autonomous perimeter and facility security system that continuously monitors restricted borders, storage containers, and selected areas), share the same patented ultra low frequency electric field detection platform. LifeGuard traces a notable public deployment with the National Guard during the 2001 World Trade Center response, while SilentGuard was introduced in 2024 as the company's first autonomous, persistent-monitoring offering. Technical leadership rests on inventor Thomas Afilani (20+ years of detection equipment R&D), Chief Scientist William Hutson, PhD, and VP of Engineering Robert W. Van Dine.

DKL sells directly to government agencies, first responders, law enforcement, port and customs authorities, and security professionals with pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct-sales-led via the company's website, video demonstrations, and phone/email contact, with no disclosed channel partners or intermediaries. Revenue, headcount, and ownership details beyond the founder-CEO and a small executive team are not publicly reported.

Name

DKL International

Legal name

DKL International, Inc.

Website

https://dklabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DKL International is a U.S. privately held, Service Disabled Veteran Owned manufacturer of patented ultra low frequency electric field sensors — LifeGuard and SilentGuard — that detect living humans through barriers for first responders, law enforcement, port security, and mine rescue agencies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Detection Sensors

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAHAKAB

Mobile Patrol & Alarm Response

Home & Personal Services/Home Security, Alarm & Smart Home Services/Security Guarding & Mobile Patrol Services

SECONDARYHSAHAKAH

Fire Watch & Life Safety Patrols

Home & Personal Services/Home Security, Alarm & Smart Home Services/Security Guarding & Mobile Patrol Services

Keywords

• Human detection sensors
• Search rescue equipment
• Perimeter surveillance systems
• Electronic security sensors
• Vital sign detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DKL International designs and manufactures proprietary electronic sensor systems that detect living humans through walls, barriers, and at distance using patented ultra low frequency electric field detection. Its two commercial product lines are LifeGuard™, a portable hand-held sensor used by first responders, law enforcement, and search-and-rescue teams, and SilentGuard©, the world's first passive human-specific autonomous perimeter surveillance system for protecting buildings, storage containers, and restricted borders.

Product overview

DKL International offers two complementary human detection sensor products built on proprietary patented ultra low frequency electric field sensing technology. LifeGuard™ is a portable hand-held sensor designed for first responders, law enforcement, and search and rescue teams to locate living humans behind walls and obstructions. SilentGuard© is an autonomous perimeter and facility security system that provides continuous passive monitoring for intrusions at buildings, restricted areas, storage containers, and perimeters. Both products share the core technology platform of detecting human-specific electrical signals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LifeGuard™: Hand-held electronic sensor capable of identifying and providing direction to the ultra low frequency electric field generated by a living human. Designed for search and rescue, law enforcement, and first responders.
• SilentGuard©

Products and services

• DKL LifeGuard™ A portable hand-held electronic sensor that identifies living humans behind walls and obstructions by detecting the ultra low frequency electric field generated by a living human and only a living human. The device provides directional indication to the target and is designed for search and rescue teams, law enforcement, first responders, and military tactical operators.
• DKL SilentGuard© The world's first and only passive human-specific autonomous electronic security system. SilentGuard sensors report intrusions instantly, can protect entire buildings, selected areas within buildings, storage containers, or perimeters, and provide continuous monitoring of restricted borders with minimal human intervention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500+ successful deployments worldwide

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a major U.S. defense prime with a broad portfolio of surveillance, sensing, and electronic security products serving the same military, border, and first-responder buyers as DKL.
• BAE Systems: BAE Systems' electronic systems segment develops defense sensors, surveillance, and situational-awareness products — overlapping with DKL's military and security applications.
• Honeywell Security: Honeywell's commercial security division provides intrusion detection, perimeter monitoring, and facility protection systems — overlapping with SilentGuard's autonomous perimeter-surveillance use cases.
• Thales Group: Thales offers integrated defense electronics, biometrics, and security systems across border, critical infrastructure, and public safety — same verticals as DKL with a much broader product portfolio.
• Teledyne FLIR: FLIR's thermal imaging cameras and sensors are widely used by law enforcement, SAR teams, and security professionals for human detection — adjacent modality serving the same end-customers as LifeGuard and SilentGuard.
• Motorola Solutions: Motorola Solutions supplies mission-critical communications, command-center software, and video surveillance to law enforcement and emergency response — the same primary buyer base as DKL.
• Leonardo S.p.A. Leonardo's electronics and security divisions produce sensors, surveillance, and homeland-security systems serving European and allied border, defense, and public-safety markets.
• Bosch Security Systems: Bosch offers video surveillance, intrusion detection, and access-control systems for commercial, industrial, and government facilities — adjacent technology stack competing for the same perimeter-security budgets.

Direct peers

• Camero-Tech: Camero-Tech (a Sam Salem Group company) develops through-wall imaging and human-detection radar systems for law enforcement, SAR, and special operations — directly comparable to DKL's LifeGuard product category.

Emerging players

• TiaLinx: TiaLinx develops ultra-wideband through-wall human-detection sensors for security, law enforcement, and military use — direct product overlap with LifeGuard in the through-barrier detection category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dkl-international-inc-

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 DKL International