What Axivity does

Axivity Ltd is a private UK-based hardware company that designs, manufactures, and sells research-grade inertial sensors (accelerometers) for human movement studies. Founded in 2011 and headquartered at Newcastle Helix, the company operates the Open Movement platform, an open-source hardware and software ecosystem whose flagship product, the AX3 3-axis logging accelerometer, captures unfiltered raw data in a transparent, reproducible format. The product portfolio spans the AX3 and AX6 (3- and 6-axis USB-logged devices), the WAX3 and WAX9 (Bluetooth-enabled variants), and accessories including wrist bands, USB cables, and a multi-dock charging station. Underlying analysis uses validated open-source algorithms for physical activity classification, wear time detection, and energy expenditure estimation.

The company serves academic research institutions, clinical trial sponsors, and healthcare providers conducting large-scale physical activity and movement studies. Named reference customers include UK Biobank (100,000 participants, 3,500 devices deployed in 2012), NHSBT and Cambridge University on the INTERVAL blood donation trial (6,000 participants), and the National Climbing Team via the ClimbAX sport-performance project. Pricing is hardware-only and one-time: AX3 at £139-149 and AX6 at £199-209 per unit, with accessories ranging from £3.50 to £10. Distribution is direct through the company's e-commerce storefront, with no disclosed resellers or third-party channel partners.

The business model is best characterized as a bootstrapped, niche B2B hardware vendor monetizing through direct-to-researcher device sales. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates as a private limited entity in England and Wales with 11-50 employees. The go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven, leveraging the UK Biobank case study, 70+ peer-reviewed publications, and an open-source developer community (GitHub-hosted) as primary marketing assets. Geographic reach is anchored in Europe, with select collaborations in Spain (Vicomtech, University of Deusto), and no visible commercial footprint in North America or Asia-Pacific.

Name

Axivity

Legal name

Axivity Ltd

Website

https://axivity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Axivity Ltd is a Newcastle-based private hardware company that designs and sells research-grade open-source accelerometers (AX3, AX6, WAX series) and accessories for academic, clinical, and healthcare research institutions conducting large-scale physical activity and human movement studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wearable Inertial Sensors / Research Activity Monitoring

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Inertial & Motion Sensors (Accelerometers/Gyroscopes/IMUs) (HDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Neurological Monitoring (EEG, Seizure/Sleep/Neuro Wearables) (HLAHACAE)

Keywords

• Research-grade accelerometers
• Wearable activity monitors
• Open source inertial sensors
• Physical activity monitoring
• Cohort study devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Axivity generates revenue through the sale of physical activity monitoring devices and accessories. Products include accelerometers (AX3, AX6, WAX3, WAX9), wrist bands, USB cables, and multi-dock charging stations. Customers purchase devices for research and clinical applications.
2. Research Device Sales: Direct sales of research-grade accelerometers to academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and clinical research companies for large-scale cohort studies and health monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Axivity designs, manufactures, and sells research-grade wearable inertial sensor devices — primarily the AX3 3-axis and AX6 6-axis logging accelerometers, plus the WAX3 and WAX9 wireless sensors and supporting accessories (wrist bands, USB cables, multi-dock charging station) — built on the open source Open Movement hardware and software platform. The devices capture raw, un-filtered high-resolution motion data in an open format, paired with validated open source analysis algorithms for physical activity classification, wear time detection, and energy expenditure estimation.

Product overview

Axivity is a hardware company specializing in research-grade inertial sensors for human movement studies. The product portfolio consists of logging sensor devices (AX3, AX6, WAX3, WAX9) and accessories (Wrist Band, Micro USB Cable, Multi Dock). The AX3 is the flagship 3-axis accelerometer while the AX6 adds gyroscope data. The WAX series provides wireless/Bluetooth-enabled alternatives. All sensors use the Open Movement open-source platform, capturing raw data in truly open format with validated algorithms for physical activity, wear time and energy expenditure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Open Movement: Open-source hardware and software platform for inertial sensors including code, schematics, designs and tools

Products and services

• AX3 3-Axis Logging Accelerometer 3-axis logging accelerometer in a water-resistant puck form factor for research-grade continuous physical activity monitoring, capturing raw data in an open format with open API and parallel download options for large cohort studies.
• AX6 6-Axis Logging Accelerometer 6-axis logging accelerometer (accelerometer plus gyroscope) for more comprehensive movement capture in research and clinical studies, with raw data capture in the Open Movement open format.
• WAX3 Wearable Accelerometer Wearable accelerometer sensor device for activity monitoring and research applications within the Axivity product family.
• WAX9 Wireless Accelerometer Wireless accelerometer device with Bluetooth connectivity for real-time data streaming and logging applications, accompanied by an open serial API and developer documentation.
• Wrist Band Accessory Unisex, age-neutral wrist band designed to fit left or right wrist, compatible with Axivity puck-format sensors like the AX3.
• Micro USB Cable 25cm Hi-Speed USB cable for connecting Axivity sensor devices to a computer for charging and data transfer.
• Multi-Dock Charging Station Docking station for simultaneous charging and parallel data download from multiple Axivity sensor devices, designed to support large-scale cohort study workflows.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UK BiobankflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Axivity's AX3 device was selected through tender process for UK Biobank's large-scale physical activity monitoring study. The partnership enabled collection of 7-day physical activity data from 100,000 participants using 3,500 AX3 devices, creating the world's largest open physical activity dataset.
• NHSBT (National Health Service Blood and Transplant)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHSBT partnered with Axivity for the INTERVAL clinical trial to investigate safety of decreasing blood donation intervals. AX3 devices were used to measure physical activity impact on 6,000 participants across 50,000 total study participants.
• Cambridge University (Department of Public Health and Primary Care)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge University's DPHPC is conducting the INTERVAL study in partnership with NHSBT and Axivity, using AX3 accelerometers to assess physical activity as a secondary outcome measure in the blood donation interval research.
• Vicomtech FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Vicomtech Foundation in Spain for systematic review of AI and wearable devices for cognitive impairment detection. Axivity research-grade actigraphy devices were among those studied.
• University of DeustominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Deusto in Spain collaborated with Vicomtech on systematic review of wearable devices for early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia, citing Axivity devices among research-grade actigraphy products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fitbit (Google): Consumer wearable leader with research APIs and growing adoption in academic cohort studies. Represents competitive pressure on research-grade incumbents like Axivity from consumer-grade alternatives.
• Garmin: Diversified wearable and sports technology company with accelerometers used in health and performance research. Competes in adjacent sports/health research segments where Axivity's devices are used.
• Polar Electro: Established sports performance and heart rate monitoring company with research-grade sensors. Broader consumer/sports focus but increasingly used in academic and clinical research studies.

Direct peers

• GaitUp: Specializes in wearable motion sensors and inertial measurement units for gait and movement analysis. Comparable product category to Axivity's AX3/AX6 with similar target market in clinical and sports research.
• Shimmer Research: Manufacturer of research-grade wearable sensors including accelerometers and IMUs for academic and clinical research. Comparable hardware offering and B2B research customer profile.
• ActiGraph: Leading manufacturer of research-grade accelerometers for clinical and academic studies. Direct competitor to Axivity in the same B2B research hardware market, with overlapping customer base of large cohort studies and clinical trials.
• APDM Wearable Technologies: Produces high-precision inertial sensors (Opal) for movement disorder research and clinical trials. Competes directly with Axivity in Parkinson's, gait analysis, and neurological research applications.

Emerging players

• Xsens (Movella): Manufacturer of inertial motion trackers and IMUs used in movement science, sports biomechanics, and clinical research. Comparable sensor technology with adjacent customer segments in academic and clinical studies.
• Empatica: Medical-grade wearable sensors focused on health monitoring, neurological research, and digital biomarkers. Overlaps with Axivity in clinical research applications, particularly neurological disease monitoring.
• BioStamp (MC10): Flexible wearable biosensors for clinical research and health monitoring. Comparable in clinical research applications but differentiated by flexible form factor versus Axivity's puck design.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/digitalinteraction/openmovement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/axivity

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 Axivity