General Acoustics
General Acoustics is a Kiel, Germany-based sole proprietorship that manufactures ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing systems for water level, wave, and flow measurement, serving hydrographic agencies, port authorities, research laboratories, and offshore energy operators across 60+ countries through an exclusive distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersKiel, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What General Acoustics does
General Acoustics is a German sole proprietorship (General Acoustics e.K.) headquartered in Kiel, founded in 1996 as a spin-off from a university research team specializing in acoustic and sensor technology. The company designs and manufactures ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing measurement systems for hydrological and oceanographic applications, with a product portfolio that includes the LOG_aLevel family of tide gauges (standard, mobile, and long-range variants up to 50m), the UltraLab laboratory wave gauge series (ULS Advanced, ULS 40D, ULS 80D, ULS HFx, UWS) for towing tanks and hydraulic laboratories, the SUBPRO1210 and SUBPRO2545 sub-bottom profilers for shallow-water sediment surveys, the SEAPRO233 hydrographic echo-sounder, and the Doppler Radar Surface Flow Sensor. Supporting software products include LOG_aFlow for hydrodynamic ADCP data evaluation and TidePredictor for tidal harmonic analysis. The company protects its core technology through international patents and holds a registered trademark for LOG_aLevel, which previously won the RIZA 05 tide gauge test.
The business generates revenue through three streams: hardware system sales of specialized measurement equipment manufactured in Germany, software licenses for data analysis tools, and professional services including surveying with SUBPRO and DSLP systems, installation, commissioning, personnel training, and custom monitoring solutions. General Acoustics operates exclusively through a global distributor and representative network spanning more than 60 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, with named partners such as EIVA a/s (Nordics), Seafloor Systems (US West), Interactive Oceanographics (US East), Sea and Land Technologies (Southeast Asia), Unique Systems (Gulf), and Radio Holland (South Africa). Marketing is driven primarily by industry exhibitions (Oceanology International, Ocean Business, AMT conferences) and social media presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
The company serves four primary customer segments: hydrographic and oceanographic institutes (governmental and research organizations), port and harbor authorities (operational monitoring and infrastructure planning), research laboratories and universities (ship model testing and hydrodynamic research), and offshore oil, gas, and wind energy operators (environmental monitoring for offshore platforms). Notable customers include Rijkswaterstaat, the Port of Hamburg, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Saudi Aramco, MARIN, Hamburg and Potsdam Ship Model Basins, SINTEF, and E.ON Engineering. The company has approximately 11-50 employees and is wholly owned by Managing Director Jens Hensse as a sole proprietorship, with no institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent company.
General Acoustics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- General Acoustics
- Legal name
- General Acoustics e.K.
- Website
- https://generalacoustics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- General Acoustics is a Kiel, Germany-based sole proprietorship that manufactures ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing systems for water level, wave, and flow measurement, serving hydrographic agencies, port authorities, research laboratories, and offshore energy operators across 60+ countries through an exclusive distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
General Acoustics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hydrographic Survey Equipment
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS) (IMAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where General Acoustics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kiel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
General Acoustics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Systems Sales: Sale of specialized measurement equipment including tide gauges, wave sensors, sub-bottom profilers, echo-sounders, and flow sensors. Products are manufactured in Germany with high precision engineering.
- Software Licenses: Sale of specialized software for data analysis including TidePredictor for tide analysis and prediction, and LOG_aFlow for ADCP data evaluation. Software provides data import, analysis, and export capabilities.
- Professional Services: Services including surveying with SUBPRO and DSLP systems, installation and commissioning, personnel training, and custom monitoring solutions for special tasks.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
General Acoustics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
General Acoustics designs, manufactures, and distributes ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing measurement systems for water level, wave, and flow monitoring. Its product portfolio includes tide gauges (LOG_aLevel family), laboratory wave gauges (UltraLab ULS series), sub-bottom profilers (SUBPRO1210 and SUBPRO2545), survey echo-sounders (SEAPRO233), and Doppler radar surface flow sensors, complemented by specialized software for ADCP data evaluation and tide prediction. The company also provides professional services including surveying, installation, commissioning, training, and custom monitoring solutions.
Product overview
General Acoustics is a German manufacturer specializing in sophisticated acoustic measurement technology for water, wave, and flow measurements. The product portfolio centers on ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing systems. Core products include the LOG_aLevel family of tide gauges (standard, mobile, and long range variants) for water level and wave measurement; the UltraLab laboratory wave gauge series (ULS Advanced, ULS 40D, ULS 80D, ULS HFx, UWS) for towing tanks and hydraulic laboratories; sub-bottom profilers (SUBPRO1210 and SUBPRO2545) for sediment penetration surveys; and the SEAPRO233 echo-sounder for hydrographic surveys. Supporting software includes LOG_aFlow for ADCP data evaluation and TidePredictor for tidal analysis. The Doppler Radar Surface Flow Sensor enables surface flow measurements. Products are designed for coastal, offshore, inland water, and laboratory applications with remote sensing technology for low maintenance and reliability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LOG_aLevel: Remote sensing water level gauge (tide gauge) for water level and wave measurement
- LOG_aFlow
- UltraLab
- SUBPRO
- SEAPRO233
- Doppler Radar Surface Flow Sensor
- TidePredictor
Products and services
- LOG_aLevel (Standard) Remote sensing water level gauge (tide gauge) supporting ultrasound, radar, or pressure sensors for precise water level and wave dynamics measurements, designed for hydrographic and oceanographic monitoring applications.
- LOG_aLevel Mobile Easy-to-carry, plug-and-play, stand-alone remote sensing mobile tide gauge for temporary water level and wave measurement deployments, with integrated data communication via GPRS, satellite, or radio.
- LOG_aLevel Long Range Remote sensing long range tide gauge with measurement ranges up to 50 meters using ultrasound or radar sensors, designed for offshore platforms and wave direction measurements.
- LOG_aFlow Hydrodynamic ADCP data evaluation software for rapid water flow chart generation showing velocity, vorticity (turbulence), and divergence (quality), producing up to 5 times higher data point density compared to original ADCP measurements.
- TidePredictor Tide prediction and tidal analysis software for harmonic analysis, current flow analysis, and sea level prediction, with wind speed and barometric pressure data incorporation.
- UltraLab ULS Advanced High speed, calibration-free, remote sensing laboratory wave gauge for towing tanks and hydraulic laboratories, capable of measuring steep, breaking waves with relative velocities up to 15 m/s.
- UltraLab ULS Advanced Field Mobile ruggedized version of the ULS Advanced for field applications with automatic sound velocity correction, featuring wave direction measurement capabilities and Modbus RTU/TCP integration.
- UltraLab ULS 40D Easy-to-use ultrasonic measuring system for laboratories with 4 independent channels, designed for basins, flumes, surface water models, and towing tanks.
- UltraLab ULS 80D Ultrasonic measuring system for ship model basins, flumes, and hydraulic laboratories with 8 channels and resolution up to 0.18mm.
- UltraLab ULS HFx Series High-frequency ultrasonic measurement system with 4/8/16 synchronized channels optimized for challenging remote sensing applications in hydraulic laboratories and towing tanks.
- UltraLab UWS Laboratory miniature echo-sounder for highly spatial and temporal resolved measurements of distances in fluids, adaptable to various laboratory applications.
- UWS Field Miniature echo-sounder for field applications in laboratories, hydraulic models, and wave basins for sediment transport and scour studies.
- SEAPRO233 Single and dual frequency survey echo-sounder for hydrographic surveys with adaptive algorithms for high precision bottom tracking and Hypack interface-ready output; IMO compliant.
- SUBPRO1210 High-frequency, high-power sub-bottom profiler optimized for shallow waters (starting at 1.5m) with typical seabed penetration up to 10m in sand, real-time zoom and re-processing capabilities.
- SUBPRO2545 Portable sub-bottom profiler with best-in-class resolution and sediment penetration for shallow and ultra shallow waters, user selectable 25-45 kHz transmit frequency, suitable for small vessels like ASV and ROV.
- Doppler Radar Surface Flow Sensor 24 GHz Doppler radar sensor for water surface flow monitoring in open flumes, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas with IP68 flood-proof housing and maintenance-free permanent operation.
- Professional Surveying and Hydrographic Services Hydrographic surveying, consulting, hydrographic data processing, installation, commissioning, personnel training, and custom monitoring solutions for special tasks using General Acoustics products and integrated systems.
- Software Solutions and Data Visualization Systems Custom software solutions for ADCP data analysis, hydrological and meteorological databases, website generation, and early warning and alerting systems, integrated with measurement hardware.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sub-bottom profiler achieves up to 10m sediment penetration in sand with 1mm resolution
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use General Acoustics
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
General Acoustics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature6 records
General Acoustics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Sea and Land Technologies Sdn BhdcoreRepresents General Acoustics in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. Handles sales and support for the Southeast Asian region.
- EIVA a/scoreRepresents General Acoustics in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Provides marine survey and positioning solutions.
- Unique Systems LLCcoreRepresents General Acoustics in United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Iran and Kuwait from their office in Sharjah, UAE.
- Radio Holland South AfricacoreRepresents General Acoustics in South Africa from their Cape Town office, part of the RH Marine Group.
- Seafloor Systems Inc.coreUS representative for General Acoustics products west of Mississippi River. Also integrates SUBPRO2545 sub-bottom profiler with their EchoBoat platform for ultra shallow water surveys.
- Interactive OceanographicscoreUS representative for General Acoustics products east of Mississippi River from their Rhode Island office.
- P-Nav Scientific Instruments Co LtdcoreChinese representative for General Acoustics, exhibiting at Oceanology International China and ITTC conferences.
- Taekwang Electronics Corp.coreRepresents General Acoustics in South Korea from their Seoul office.
- S.E.A. CorporationcoreRepresents General Acoustics in Japan from their Chiba office.
- MARESCO Ltd.coreRepresents General Acoustics in Greece.
- DENAR OCEAN ENGINEERING S.A.coreRepresents General Acoustics in Turkey.
- MESURIS SA RennescoreRepresents General Acoustics in France.
- Grafinta SAcoreRepresents General Acoustics in Spain from their Madrid office.
- F.A.R.O.coreRepresents General Acoustics in Italy.
- Blue Zone GroupcoreRepresents General Acoustics in Australia.
- GeometiuscoreRepresents General Acoustics in the Netherlands.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
General Acoustics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Valeport: UK-based manufacturer of oceanographic and hydrographic sensors including tide gauges, wave sensors, and CTDs for marine survey and environmental monitoring — closely comparable to GA's LOG_aLevel product line.
- Nortek: Norwegian manufacturer of acoustic Doppler current profilers, wave sensors, and sub-bottom profilers used in oceanographic, coastal, and offshore applications — directly overlapping GA's acoustic and water-measurement product lines.
- RBR: Canadian manufacturer of high-accuracy oceanographic instruments for water level, wave, and conductivity measurement — overlapping with GA's water level and wave gauge offerings.
- SonTek (Xylem): Acoustic Doppler water velocity and flow instruments used in rivers, harbors, and coastal environments — directly comparable to GA's Doppler Radar Surface Flow Sensor and LOG_aFlow ADCP software.
- Aanderaa Data Instruments (Xylem): Marine sensor manufacturer specializing in oceanographic instruments for water level, current, and wave measurement — directly comparable to GA's measurement portfolio.
- Teledyne RD Instruments: Leading manufacturer of ADCPs and Doppler current sensing equipment for hydrographic survey, port, and offshore monitoring — competing head-to-head with GA's flow and Doppler radar offerings.
- Sea-Bird Scientific: Manufacturer of oceanographic sensors for CTD, wave, and water column profiling — competing in similar government, research, and offshore monitoring accounts.
Emerging players
- Aquatec Group: UK manufacturer of underwater instrumentation and optical sensors for water quality and hydrographic monitoring — comparable niche player targeting similar oceanographic and port authority customers.
- Ocean Sonics: Specialist in underwater acoustic recording and signal processing — overlaps with GA's acoustic measurement expertise and shares the same niche oceanographic end customers.
Broad incumbents
- Kongsberg Maritime: Major marine technology supplier offering hydroacoustic, positioning, and survey instruments — overlaps with GA's sub-bottom profiler and marine survey systems as part of a much broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
General Acoustics social profiles
Digital presenceGeneral Acoustics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
General Acoustics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
General Acoustics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
General Acoustics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
General Acoustics 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 General Acoustics
What does General Acoustics do?
General Acoustics designs, manufactures, and distributes ultrasonic and radar-based remote sensing measurement systems for water level, wave, and flow monitoring. Its product portfolio includes tide gauges (LOG_aLevel family), laboratory wave gauges (UltraLab ULS series), sub-bottom profilers (SUBPRO1210 and SUBPRO2545), survey echo-sounders (SEAPRO233), and Doppler radar surface flow sensors, complemented by specialized software for ADCP data evaluation and tide prediction. The company also provides professional services including surveying, installation, commissioning, training, and custom monitoring solutions.
Is General Acoustics a public or private company?
General Acoustics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was General Acoustics founded?
General Acoustics was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is General Acoustics based?
General Acoustics is headquartered in Kiel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does General Acoustics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Systems Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses and professional Services.
Who are General Acoustics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Valeport, Nortek, RBR, SonTek (Xylem), Aanderaa Data Instruments (Xylem), Teledyne RD Instruments and Sea-Bird Scientific. Emerging players are Aquatec Group and Ocean Sonics. Kongsberg Maritime is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does General Acoustics have an API?
No public API is recorded for General Acoustics.
What industry is General Acoustics in?
General Acoustics's product category is Hydrographic Survey Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAJAI, Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring), with a secondary code of IMAJAJAE, Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3823.