What Avisoft Bioacoustics does

Avisoft Bioacoustics is a privately-held German company (founded circa 2000-2001, headquartered in Glienicke) that develops integrated hardware and software for recording and analyzing ultrasonic animal vocalizations. Its product portfolio centers on two Windows software platforms — Avisoft-SASLab Pro for sound analysis (FFT-based spectrograms, automated parameter measurement, classification via spectrogram cross-correlation, batch processing) and Avisoft-RECORDER for triggered multichannel recording with GPS, weather, and scheduling integration — plus a modular UltraSoundGate hardware family ranging from single-channel USB interfaces to a 12-channel synchronized acquisition system, complemented by specialized condenser microphones (CM16/CMPA, CM24/CMPA), MEMS microphones, and playback devices for acoustic stimulation experiments. The underlying technology combines high-sample-rate USB audio (up to 1 MHz), domain-specific DSP algorithms (whistle tracking for rodent ultrasonic vocalizations, bat call trigger filtering), and an extensive integration footprint with GIS platforms, weather stations, and third-party field recorders.

The company sells direct-to-consumer through its website at avisoft.com with no disclosed resellers, distributors, or enterprise sales motion. Revenue is generated through one-time perpetual software licenses (part-numbered tiers for SASLab Pro and RECORDER) and unit-priced hardware sales, with a free Lite version of SASLab Pro used as a top-of-funnel acquisition tool. Customers are primarily academic researchers, university laboratories, neuroscience and pharmacology groups studying rodent ultrasonic vocalizations, field ecologists, and bat researchers — including named users at Nottingham University, the University of Copenhagen, the National Sound Archive London, and the UK National Bat Monitoring Programme. The business is bootstrapped, with no disclosed venture or private equity funding, no acquisitions, and a small headcount of 11-50 employees, suggesting a profitable, founder-controlled niche specialist that has sustained 25+ years of continuous product iteration.

Name

Avisoft Bioacoustics

Legal name

Avisoft Bioacoustics

Website

https://avisoft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avisoft Bioacoustics is a German private company that develops integrated software (SASLab Pro, RECORDER) and UltraSoundGate hardware for recording and analyzing ultrasonic animal vocalizations, serving academic researchers, neuroscience laboratories, and field ecologists worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioacoustics Research Equipment

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Microphones & Acoustic MEMS (MEMS Mics/Ultrasonic Transducers) (HDAHALAH)

Keywords

• Bioacoustics analysis software
• Ultrasound recording equipment
• Ultrasonic vocalization research
• Sound analysis software
• Acoustic monitoring hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Glienicke

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Windows software applications (Avisoft-SASLab Pro and Avisoft-RECORDER) sold as perpetual licenses with part numbers 10101, 10111, 10102, 10112 for SASLab Pro and 10301, 10302, 10201, 10202 for RECORDER
2. Hardware Products: UltraSoundGate recording and playback devices including USB interfaces, microphones (CM16/CMPA, CM24/CMPA, MEMS, Knowles FG), preamplifiers, speakers, and power amplifiers sold as physical products
3. Software Support and Updates: Software updates and version releases (e.g., version 5.3.2 for SASLab Pro, version 4.4.2 for RECORDER) indicate ongoing software maintenance as part of the product ecosystem

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Avisoft Bioacoustics develops and sells specialized sound analysis software (Avisoft-SASLab Pro), multi-channel triggered recording software (Avisoft-RECORDER), and a proprietary line of UltraSoundGate USB hardware devices, ultrasound microphones, and playback equipment. The integrated solutions capture and analyze ultrasonic frequencies up to 750 kHz–1 MHz, supporting bioacoustics research on bat echolocation, rodent ultrasonic vocalizations, and general wildlife acoustic monitoring.

Product overview

Avisoft Bioacoustics offers an integrated hardware and software ecosystem for bioacoustics research, specializing in ultrasound recording and analysis. The product portfolio centers on two core software platforms—Avisoft-RECORDER for multi-channel audio recording and Avisoft-SASLab Pro for sound analysis—complemented by an extensive line of UltraSoundGate hardware devices including acquisition interfaces (ranging from 1-channel to 12-channel configurations) and playback units (Player series), as well as specialized ultrasound microphones (CM16/CMPA, CM24/CMPA, MEMS, and Knowles FG/FG-O electret microphones). Supporting accessories include microphone mixers, charge amplifiers, power modules, and ultrasound speakers. The software integrates with third-party field recorders, weather stations, GPS devices, GIS platforms, and audio editing tools to provide comprehensive workflow solutions for researchers studying bat calls, ultrasonic vocalizations, and other bioacoustic phenomena.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avisoft-SASLab Pro Sound Analysis Software Professional Windows sound analysis software for bioacoustics research featuring FFT-based spectrograms (64-1024 points), real-time spectrogram display, digital filtering, automated sound parameter measurement, spectrogram cross-correlation based syllable classification, georeferencing, and batch processing capabilities. Includes a free Lite version.
• Avisoft-RECORDER Software Multichannel sound-activated triggering hard disk recording software with sampling rates up to 1 MHz, pre-trigger recording, GPS logging, weather data logging, and USV monitoring options for counting and measuring rodent ultrasonic vocalizations in real time.
• UltraSoundGate 116 Series USB Acquisition Devices Single-channel USB-powered ultrasound acquisition devices with selectable sample rates up to 750 kHz, balanced analog inputs, and plug-and-play USB interface. Multiple variants support different microphone configurations for laboratory and field applications.
• UltraSoundGate 416 Series Multichannel Acquisition Devices 4-channel USB-powered ultrasound acquisition devices with adjustable gain, balanced microphone inputs, and guaranteed synchronity across channels for multi-point recording applications.
• UltraSoundGate 816H 8-Channel Acquisition Device 8-channel USB-powered ultrasound acquisition device designed for advanced multi-channel bioacoustics research applications.
• UltraSoundGate 1216H 12-Channel Acquisition Device 12-channel USB-powered ultrasound acquisition device designed for extensive multi-channel bioacoustics research with guaranteed synchronity across all 12 channels.
• UltraSoundGate Player Playback Devices USB-powered ultrasound playback devices (Player 116H, 216H, 416H) and battery-powered portable players (Player BL Light, BL Pro) for acoustic stimulation and playback experiments.
• CM16/CMPA Condenser Ultrasound Microphone Externally polarized condenser microphone with frequency range of 2-200 kHz, self-noise level of 18 dB SPL, and replaceable capsule design for high-quality ultrasound recording.
• CM24/CMPA Ultrasound Microphone Professional-grade condenser ultrasound microphone with integrated preamp and improved signal-to-noise ratio for high-quality bioacoustics recording applications.
• Avisoft MEMS Microphone MEMS-based ultrasound microphone technology combining good sensitivity up to 120 kHz with an omnidirectional pickup pattern for compact and versatile bioacoustics recording.
• Knowles FG/FG-O Electret Microphones Electret condenser microphones (FG: -67 dB sensitivity, FG-O: -39 dB ±3 dB sensitivity) for different bioacoustics recording requirements.
• Vifa Ultrasound Speaker Ultrasound speaker designed for playback of recorded ultrasonic signals in behavioral and acoustic stimulation experiments.
• ESS16 Ultrasound Speaker Ultrasound speaker for acoustic playback applications in bioacoustics research.
• Power Amplifier for Ultrasound Speakers Power amplifier designed for driving ultrasound speakers in acoustic stimulation and playback experiments.
• 4-Channel Microphone Mixer (41M) 4-channel microphone mixer for combining multiple microphone inputs into stereo or dual-channel recording systems.
• Charge Amplifier for Hydrophones Charge amplifier for use with passive hydrophones in underwater bioacoustics research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sample rates up to 1 MHz enable recording of ultrasonic frequencies up to 300 kHz
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration29 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• bat bioacoustictechnology GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorbat bioacoustictechnology GmbH offers integrated turnkey systems combining Avisoft's UltraSoundGate 116Hnbm with electret ultrasound microphones specifically configured for bat monitoring at wind turbines.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife Acoustics: Wildlife Acoustics is the closest direct competitor to Avisoft, offering SongMeter and Echo Meter product lines for acoustic wildlife and bat monitoring. Both companies sell integrated hardware/software stacks to ecologists and field researchers globally.
• bat bioacoustictechnology GmbH: German turnkey bat monitoring solutions provider that integrates Avisoft UltraSoundGate hardware into its own systems. Acts as both channel partner and adjacent competitor in the bat-monitoring segment Avisoft serves.
• Titley Scientific: Titley Scientific (Anabat product line) provides ultrasonic detectors and analysis software for bat and wildlife monitoring. Operates in the same scientific niche (bioacoustics, bat research) with similar hardware-plus-software business model.
• Pettersson Elektronik: Swedish manufacturer of ultrasonic bat detectors (d500x) and accompanying sound analysis software. Directly comparable to Avisoft in ultrasound hardware, target customer (bat researchers), and integrated software ecosystem.
• Elekon AG: Swiss manufacturer of BatLogger systems for ultrasonic recording and bat call analysis. Comparable as a specialized ultrasound detection hardware provider serving the same wildlife/bat research market.

Emerging players

• Noldus Information Technology: Noldus sells animal behavior research platforms (EthoVision) used in rodent USV pharmacology studies. Overlapping in end-user but different in primary modality (video/behavior), making it a complementary rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK): HBK (formerly Brüel & Kjær) is a global leader in acoustic measurement instrumentation. Provides high-end microphones, analyzers, and software used in environmental/acoustic research — overlapping with Avisoft's customer base but at much larger scale and price points.
• Rode Microphones / The Freedman Group: Rode/SE Electronics/Freedman Group produce microphones and audio recording devices. While focused on music/broadcast, their R&D in MEMS and high-frequency microphones gives them potential to expand into scientific ultrasound segments adjacent to Avisoft's core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Avisoft Bioacoustics