Lowell Instruments
Lowell Instruments LLC designs and builds tilt current meters, oceanographic data loggers, and a cellular Deck Data Hub for marine scientists, commercial fishing programs, conservation groups, and coastal engineers across depth ranges from one foot to 10,000 meters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersEast Falmouth, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lowell Instruments does
Lowell Instruments LLC is a privately held, East Falmouth, Massachusetts-based designer and manufacturer of oceanographic instrumentation founded in 2013. The company builds two principal product families: Tilt Current Meters (the TCM-1, TCM-3, TCM-4, and TCM-5) for measuring water velocity from as little as one foot of depth to 10,000 meters, and an On-Deck Data System anchored by a 4G-cellular Deck Data Hub that wirelessly ingests data from CTD, dissolved oxygen, and temperature/depth/orientation loggers deployed on fishing gear and oceanographic platforms. Both product lines are built around the proprietary MAT-1 sensor, which combines a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer to deliver absolute orientation, tilt-derived current velocity, and temperature.
The company sells build-to-order hardware with 1-4 week lead times, supported by free in-house software (Domino for configuration and CSV conversion, Recalibrate for magnetometer recalibration) and firmware update infrastructure. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with special discounts available on large orders; revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales, accessories and spare parts, and fee-based out-of-warranty repair services. Distribution combines direct phone/email sales out of the East Falmouth headquarters with an international network of authorized distributors.
Lowell's customer base spans marine scientists and academic researchers, commercial fishing operations participating in citizen-science programs such as eMOLT, marine engineering and environmental consultants, and conservation organizations such as Sharklife Conservation Group. The company has no disclosed external funding, no patents or regulatory certifications on record, and operates with 1-10 employees; it has not been acquired, merged, or taken public.
Lowell Instruments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lowell Instruments
- Legal name
- Lowell Instruments LLC
- Website
- https://lowellinstruments.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lowell Instruments LLC designs and builds tilt current meters, oceanographic data loggers, and a cellular Deck Data Hub for marine scientists, commercial fishing programs, conservation groups, and coastal engineers across depth ranges from one foot to 10,000 meters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lowell Instruments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oceanographic Instrumentation
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)
Keywords
Where Lowell Instruments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Falmouth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lowell Instruments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Products: Sale of tilt current meters (TCM-1, TCM-3, TCM-4, TCM-5) and data loggers (MAT-1, CTD, TDO, DOT loggers). Build-to-order manufacturing with 1-4 week lead time.
- Deck Data Hub System: Sale of the Deck Data Hub - the central monitoring system for automated ocean monitoring with 4G cellular connectivity for remote data transmission.
- Accessories and Spare Parts: Replacement batteries, battery replacement tool kits, desiccants, and other accessories. Batteries available for next-day shipping.
- Out-of-Warranty Repair Services: Fee-based repair services for products outside the 12-month warranty period, subject to parts availability and technician assessment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | All products - Quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lowell Instruments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lowell Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells oceanographic instrumentation, primarily tilt current meters (TCM series) and an automated On-Deck Data System comprising wireless CTD, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and depth profiling loggers coordinated by the Deck Data Hub. Their proprietary MAT-1 Orientation Acceleration Temperature sensor serves as the core sensing element across the product line. All products are build-to-order, targeting scientists, engineers, and commercial fishing operators for water velocity and oceanographic data collection in environments ranging from 1 foot to 10,000 meters depth.
Product overview
Lowell Instruments provides a portfolio of oceanographic data collection products consisting of two main systems: Tilt Current Meters (TCM series) and an Automated Ocean Monitoring On-Deck Data System. The TCM product line includes the TCM-1 (standard), TCM-4 (shallow water), TCM-3 (deep water to 4500m), and TCM-5 (very deep water to 10,000m), all built around the MAT-1 Orientation Acceleration Temperature Data Logger as their core sensing element. The On-Deck Data System centers on the Deck Data Hub (DDH) which wirelessly collects data from multiple specialized loggers: CTD Profilers (conductivity/temperature/depth), TDO Profilers (temperature/depth/orientation), and DOT loggers (dissolved oxygen/temperature). Configuration, data retrieval, and conversion for TCM/MAT products is handled by the Domino Software platform. This is a hardware-centric product portfolio with no software-as-a-service or API component.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TCM-1 Tilt Current Meter Tilt current meter for measuring water velocity from inland to the edge of the continental shelf, targeted at scientists and engineers conducting oceanographic research.
- TCM-4 Shallow Water Tilt Current Meter Shallow water tilt current meter for measuring water velocity in coastal ponds, bays, rivers, and tidal flats in as little as 1 foot of water.
- TCM-3 Deep Water Tilt Current Meter Deep water tilt current meter with titanium pressure housing for deployments off the continental shelf in water up to 4,500 meters depth.
- TCM-5 Very Deep Water Tilt Current Meter Very deep water tilt current meter designed for deployments in the Abyssopelagic and Hadalpelagic zones to a maximum depth of 10,000 meters.
- MAT-1 Orientation Acceleration Temperature Data Logger Core data logger capable of recording absolute orientation (tilt), acceleration including vibration, and temperature; serves as the heart of all TCM tilt current meters.
- Deck Data Hub (DDH) Central monitoring hub for the On-Deck Data System that wirelessly connects to loggers and offloads data automatically via 4G cellular connectivity for remote transmission.
- Wireless CTD Conductivity, Temperature & Depth Profiling Logger Wireless profiling logger featuring fast response time and dynamic recording interval adjustment to capture water column conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles as gear is hauled.
- Wireless Temperature, Depth & Orientation Profiling Logger Wireless data logger with integrated temperature, pressure, and 3-axis accelerometer sensors in a rugged small form factor for deployment on fishing gear.
- Wireless Dissolved Oxygen & Temperature Logger Wireless logger designed for season-long dissolved oxygen and temperature monitoring by citizen scientists, commercial fishermen, and vessels of opportunity.
- Battery Replacement Tool Kit Accessory tool kit containing a special tool to open loggers for battery replacement with minimal risk of damaging electronics; includes hex driver and one replacement battery.
- Domino Software Free software for creating setup files, starting and stopping TCM meters, and converting binary data to CSV format for TCM and MAT-1 products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Battery life: 1-2.5GB data capacity per battery depending on logging settings
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Lowell Instruments
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lowell Instruments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Lowell Instruments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Sharklife Conservation GroupminorSharklife Conservation Group deployed Lowell Instruments Tilt Current Meters as part of research on Pregnant Spotted Ragged-Toothed Sharks in South Africa. This represents a research application partnership where Lowell's technology is used to support marine conservation research.
- eMOLT ProgramcoreEnvironmental Monitors on Lobster Traps and Large Trawlers (eMOLT) program uses Lowell Instruments' Deck Data Hub and wireless data loggers deployed on commercial fishing vessels. Fishermen collect environmental data including temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, and CTD profiles. This is a core application of Lowell's automated ocean monitoring system.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lowell Instruments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Onset Computer Corporation (HOBO): Onset's HOBO data loggers are widely used for environmental monitoring of temperature, humidity, pressure and other variables in research and field applications. While focused on terrestrial monitoring, HOBO overlaps with Lowell's MAT-1 logger concept of a rugged, self-contained orientation/temperature data logger for field research.
- Teledyne RD Instruments: Teledyne RD Instruments is an established supplier of ADCPs and Doppler current profilers used worldwide for ocean and river current measurement. As part of the broader Teledyne Marine portfolio, it competes with Lowell's TCM line while also offering larger-scale integrated ocean observing system components.
Direct peers
- Sea-Bird Scientific: Sea-Bird Scientific is a leading manufacturer of high-accuracy CTD profilers and oceanographic sensors sold to the same scientific, naval and commercial monitoring customers as Lowell. Both companies sell conductivity, temperature and depth instrumentation used in moored and profiling deployments.
- Aanderaa Data Instruments: Aanderaa (part of Xylem) makes oceanographic sensors and data loggers including CTDs, oxygen optodes and current meters deployed on buoys and moorings. It is directly comparable to Lowell's wireless CTD, TDO and DOT loggers and Deck Data Hub architecture.
- RBR Global: RBR designs and manufactures compact, high-accuracy oceanographic data loggers and CTDs used by the same research, monitoring and academic buyers Lowell targets. Both companies compete on small-form-factor, low-power, high-precision ocean sensors and serve the marine science and coastal monitoring communities.
- Nortek AS: Nortek builds acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and Doppler velocity logs used to measure water velocity in oceans, rivers and laboratories. It competes with Lowell's TCM tilt current meter line in the ocean current measurement category, albeit with a different underlying sensing technology.
- Valeport: Valeport designs and manufactures oceanographic and hydrographic instruments including CTDs, current meters and water quality sensors. It competes head-to-head with Lowell across multiple product categories and shares the same coastal-to-deep-ocean use cases.
- SonTek: SonTek (a Xylem brand) manufactures acoustic Doppler current meters and flow measurement instruments for rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. It is directly comparable to Lowell's tilt current meter portfolio and shares the same hydrological and oceanographic research customer base.
Emerging players
- Rockland Scientific International: Rockland Scientific makes oceanographic turbulence and shear measurement instruments, including microstructure profilers used on research vessels. It targets the same marine science and academic research customers as Lowell but specializes in fine-scale turbulence rather than bulk current velocity.
- Star-Oddi: Star-Oddi is a smaller Icelandic manufacturer of compact oceanographic and biomedical data loggers, including temperature, depth and salinity loggers. It overlaps with Lowell's MAT-1 logger and wireless TDO/CTD products in the marine wildlife tracking and environmental monitoring segments.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lowell Instruments social profiles
Digital presenceLowell Instruments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lowell Instruments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lowell Instruments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lowell Instruments 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 Lowell Instruments
What does Lowell Instruments do?
Lowell Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells oceanographic instrumentation, primarily tilt current meters (TCM series) and an automated On-Deck Data System comprising wireless CTD, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and depth profiling loggers coordinated by the Deck Data Hub. Their proprietary MAT-1 Orientation Acceleration Temperature sensor serves as the core sensing element across the product line. All products are build-to-order, targeting scientists, engineers, and commercial fishing operators for water velocity and oceanographic data collection in environments ranging from 1 foot to 10,000 meters depth.
Is Lowell Instruments a public or private company?
Lowell Instruments is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Lowell Instruments founded?
Lowell Instruments was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lowell Instruments based?
Lowell Instruments is headquartered in East Falmouth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lowell Instruments make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Products are the primary driver. The others are deck Data Hub System, accessories and Spare Parts and out-of-Warranty Repair Services.
Who are Lowell Instruments's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Onset Computer Corporation (HOBO) and Teledyne RD Instruments. Direct peers are Sea-Bird Scientific, Aanderaa Data Instruments, RBR Global, Nortek AS, Valeport and SonTek. Emerging players are Rockland Scientific International and Star-Oddi.
Does Lowell Instruments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lowell Instruments.
What industry is Lowell Instruments in?
Lowell Instruments's product category is Oceanographic Instrumentation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAJAI, Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3823.