What IMKO Micromodultechnik does

IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH is a German specialty sensor manufacturer founded in 1984 in Ettlingen, focused on moisture measurement for industrial, construction, scientific, and food-processing applications. The company develops and produces probes and systems based on its proprietary TRIME-TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) radar technology, complemented by a proprietary ASIC generation introduced in 2018. Its product portfolio comprises approximately 198 SKUs organized around two technology platforms — the SONO series for construction, hydrology, and bulk solids, and the TRIME/PICO family for soil and groundwater applications — with ATEX-certified variants for hazardous environments and a 2024-launched IMKO CONNECT mobile application for Bluetooth-controlled probes.

IMKO generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware sales of moisture sensors and probes, supplemented by professional services (commissioning, calibration, maintenance, customization) and managed-service agreements for installed bases. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with technical sales engineers and a global channel network of 86 sales partners across 153 countries, complemented by parent Endress+Hauser's international distribution infrastructure since the October 2017 acquisition. Named enterprise customers include HOLCIM, Heidelberg Cement Group, Xella Baustoffwerk Rhein-Ruhr, and Cornell University, with the construction/concrete vertical as the primary segment and scientific research, hydrology, food, and bulk solids as secondary segments.

Name

IMKO Micromodultechnik

Legal name

IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH

Website

https://imko.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMKO Micromodultechnik is a German sensor manufacturer founded in 1984 that designs and sells proprietary TRIME-TDR radar-based moisture measurement probes for the construction, soil, hydrology, and bulk solids industries, distributed globally through a partner network and as a subsidiary of Endress+Hauser since 2017.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Moisture Measurement Sensors

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors) (IMAGAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precision Sensing & Monitoring (Soil/Weather Stations, In-Field Sensors, IoT) (AFAGALAB), In-Field Sensor Hardware (Soil Moisture/Nutrient, Weather, Canopy Sensors) (AFABAMAA), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO)

Keywords

• Moisture measurement sensors
• TDR radar technology
• Concrete moisture probes
• Bulk solids moisture meters
• Soil moisture sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Ettlingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Moisture Sensors and Probes: Sale of hardware products including TRIME and SONO series moisture sensors, probes, and measurement devices. Products range from soil moisture probes to industrial bulk solids sensors. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales with optional accessories and spare parts.
2. Professional Services: Engineering, commissioning, maintenance, repair, calibration, installation, and customization services for moisture measurement systems. Services include helpdesk support and application consulting.
3. Maintenance and Calibration: Ongoing maintenance, repair, and calibration services for installed sensors and measurement equipment. Includes spare parts like wear heads and probe replacements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMKO Micromodultechnik develops, manufactures, and distributes high-precision moisture measurement sensors and probes based on proprietary TRIME-TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) radar technology. The product portfolio includes the SONO series for construction materials, bulk solids, and concrete; the TRIME series for soil and hydrology applications; and the PICO Bluetooth-enabled soil moisture probes, complemented by the IMKO CONNECT mobile application and accessories such as displays, converters, and ATEX-certified variants for hazardous environments.

Product overview

IMKO Micromodultechnik is a moisture measurement technology company that develops, manufactures, and distributes state-of-the-art sensors and measurement systems. The company's product portfolio centers on two core technology platforms: TRIME-TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) radar technology and the SONO probe series. Products are organized across three application categories: (1) Moisture Measurement Bulk Solids — including SONO GS1, SONO M2, SONO MIX Mini, TRIME GWs, and SONO SILO probes for industrial bulk material processing; (2) Moisture Measurement Soil — including PICO 32, PICO 64, PICO IPH2, and PICO Profile probes with Bluetooth connectivity for agricultural, research, and hydrology applications; (3) Moisture Measurement Construction — including SONO M1, SONO VARIO Xtrem, SONO WZ (water/cement analyzer), and SONO MIX probes for concrete production and construction materials. The SONO series represents IMKO's next-generation probe family, while the TRIME family serves specialized applications. The company also offers a comprehensive accessory ecosystem (SONO-View display, SM-USB interface converter, cables, flanges, wear heads) and ATEX-certified variants for hazardous environments. In 2024, IMKO launched the IMKO CONNECT mobile app for wireless probe control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TRIME: TRIME-TDR technology brand for soil and material moisture measurement probes
• SONO
• IMKO CONNECT

Products and services

• SONO Series Moisture Probes Next-generation moisture probes using TRIME-TDR technology, designed for construction industry, hydrology, and food industry applications, adaptable to all types of bulk solids.
• SONO MIX Heavy-duty mixer probe for pan mixers, ring trough mixers, planetary and twin-shaft mixers, with replaceable steel probe head and special ceramic rectangular window.
• SONO M1 Moisture measurement probe for concrete industry applications.
• SONO VARIO Xtrem Inline moisture determination probe for aggregates, designed for extreme conditions in construction applications.
• SONO WZ Water/Cement Analyzer Handheld probe for measuring water/cement ratio in fresh concrete for quality control in concrete production.
• SONO GS1 Surface probe for moisture measurement in bulk solids applications.
• SONO M2 Moisture measurement probe for bulk solids applications.
• TRIME GWs Groundwater Sensor Groundwater sensor with GR probe for moisture measurement in groundwater applications.
• SONO MIX Mini LD Compact inline moisture probe for concrete mixers with a compact design.
• PICO 32 Soil Moisture Probe Soil moisture probe with 32cm measurement depth, controllable via Bluetooth for Android smartphones and tablets.
• PICO 64 Soil Moisture Probe Soil moisture probe with 64cm measurement depth, controllable via Bluetooth for Android smartphones and tablets.
• PICO IPH2 Soil Moisture Probe Soil moisture probe with IP68 protection rating for demanding field conditions.
• PICO Profile Soil Moisture Probe Stationary measuring solution for creating soil depth moisture profiles, with SDI-12 interface for fixed installation in measuring tubes.
• SONO SILO Inline Moisture Probe Inline moisture probe designed for silo installations in bulk solids processing.
• SONO VARIO LD SONO VARIO Low Drift variant for applications requiring enhanced measurement stability.
• SONO VARIO Xtrem HC V4A SONO VARIO Xtrem variant with V4A stainless steel for corrosion resistance.
• TRIME ES T3 22 Tube Probe Extended stem tube probe for soil moisture measurement in 22mm access tubes.
• SONO-Ex ATEX Probes ATEX-certified moisture probes for use in explosive atmospheres and hazardous environments.
• IMKO CONNECT Mobile Application Mobile application launched in 2024 for controlling mobile measuring probes and visualizing measurement data via Android smartphones and tablets.
• SONO-View Display & Configuration Unit Stand-alone display and configuration unit for reliable process control with SONO or TRIME humidity probes; connects up to 4 SONO probes online via serial interface.
• SM-USB Interface Converter USB to RS485 and IMP bus converter module for connecting SONO probes to a PC, enabling calibration creation and test measurements with data storage.
• Handheld Display HD2 Handheld display device for moisture probe readout and configuration.
• Professional Services Engineering, commissioning, maintenance, repair, calibration, installation, and customization services for moisture measurement systems, along with helpdesk support and application consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accuracy of 1-2 litres per m3 confirmed by HOLCIM laboratory testing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and regional.

• Endress+Hauser GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2017IMKO became part of the Endress+Hauser Group on October 1, 2017. Endress+Hauser can address new customer segments for IMKO products and open up international markets. IMKO operates as a subsidiary while benefiting from Endress+Hauser's global distribution network and resources. This was part of Endress+Hauser's 70th anniversary celebrations.
• DASTEC (Argentina)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDASTEC is IMKO's sales partner in Argentina, active in instrumentation for mining and bulk material processing. The partnership focuses on moisture content determination as a key factor for quality in mining and bulk material processing. DASTEC represents IMKO at trade events like Arminera.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher supplies laboratory and process-moisture analyzers for industrial and research customers. Tangential peer at the laboratory-analytical end of IMKO's hydrology/research segment, with overlapping use cases but a much larger enterprise footprint.
• Hach (Danaher): Hach produces water-quality and process-moisture instrumentation for industrial and municipal customers. Comparable in industrial moisture/quality control use cases but with a broader portfolio and significantly larger scale than IMKO.
• Endress+Hauser: IMKO's parent company and a global leader in process instrumentation. Endress+Hauser offers broader moisture and analytical measurement products at scale; it shares overlap with IMKO's industrial customers but addresses adjacent rather than directly competing niches.
• VEGA Grieshaber: VEGA manufactures level, pressure, and moisture sensors for industrial processes using radar and TDR principles. Highly comparable sensing technology to IMKO's TRIME-TDR, with broader industrial-scale distribution but less focus on moisture-specific applications.

Direct peers

• Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific integrates soil moisture sensors (including TDR-based probes from multiple vendors) into environmental monitoring stations. Comparable in research/hydrology customer segment and overlapping TDR technology use cases with IMKO's TRIME-T3 tube probes.
• Stevens Water Monitoring Systems: Stevens produces HydraProbe and other soil-moisture sensors for hydrology, agriculture, and environmental applications. Comparable in customer base (USDA, research institutions) and core technology positioning to IMKO's TRIME groundwater sensors.
• METER Group (formerly Decagon Devices): METER Group makes soil moisture sensors (TEROS, EC-5, 10HS) widely used in agriculture and research. Highly comparable to IMKO's PICO/TRIME soil moisture product line; both target precision-agriculture and academic research customers with similar TDR/capacitive sensing approaches.
• Sentek Sensor Technologies: Sentek manufactures soil moisture probes (EnviroSCAN, Drill & Drop) for agriculture and environmental monitoring. Directly comparable to IMKO's TRIME tube probes and PICO Profile products, serving overlapping precision-agriculture and research end markets.
• AquaCheck (now part of Halyard): AquaCheck produces soil moisture probes for agriculture and irrigation scheduling. Direct competitor to IMKO's PICO Bluetooth product line, with comparable use cases in precision irrigation and research applications.

Emerging players

• ICT International: ICT International manufactures plant science and soil-moisture sensors (e.g., SDI-12 compatible probes) used in agricultural research and irrigation management. Comparable in soil-moisture measurement for academic and agricultural applications, with narrower product breadth than IMKO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=0lz6vo4iYRs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 IMKO Micromodultechnik