Sound Metrics

What Sound Metrics does

Sound Metrics Corp, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, designs and manufactures high-resolution imaging sonar systems used to capture HD video in turbid, zero-visibility underwater environments. Its product portfolio centers on two proprietary technology families: DIDSON (Dual-frequency Identification Sonar), the legacy multibeam imaging platform, and ARIS (Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar), the next-generation compact dual-frequency line comprising the ARIS Explorer 3000, ARIS Explorer 1800, and a Long Range configuration with a Large Lens Set capable of detection up to 60 meters. Supporting software includes a proprietary clustergram analysis tool that compresses days of stored sonar data into hours for fish enumeration and behavioral studies, plus integration with third-party platforms such as Echoview, SoundTiles, and SAMM for hydroacoustic processing and acoustic mosaicking. The company's hardware is also integrated into AUV/ROV platforms from Bluefin Robotics, Hydroid, Deep Ocean Engineering, Seamor, ECA Hytec, and Teledyne Benthos.

The business model is built on direct capital-equipment sales to government, research, and commercial end users, complemented by a global distributor and rental channel (Ocean Marine Industries in North America, Ashtead Technology in the UK, ESCORT TECHNOLOGY in Poland, OceanTech in South Korea) and a service-partner ecosystem of fisheries and underwater inspection consultants. Customers include state and federal fisheries agencies (California DFW, Alaska DFG, USGS), military and coast guard units (US Military-approved systems used in the MV Sewol recovery in South Korea), law enforcement (Dutch National Police), universities (Florida International University's Mission 31 expedition), conservation NGOs (Wild Salmon Center), and engineering firms (S.T. Hudson Engineers). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; transactions are quote-based with multi-year support contracts for direct purchasers and usage-based rentals through certified partners, while software integrations generate licensing and royalty streams. Marketing is driven by a content-led image gallery, the ARIS in Action newsletter, social channels, and a small set of named integration and distribution partners.

Name

Sound Metrics

Legal name

Sound Metrics Corp

Website

https://soundmetrics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sound Metrics designs and manufactures high-resolution imaging sonars (ARIS and DIDSON product lines) for HD underwater video in zero-visibility conditions, serving fisheries agencies, military, law enforcement, oil and gas, and engineering inspection customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underwater Imaging Sonar Systems

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

Sonar, Undersea Sensors & Acoustic Detection Systems (IMABAGAD)

Keywords

• Imaging sonar systems
• Underwater acoustic imaging
• Multibeam sonar technology
• Fish enumeration sonars
• Subsea inspection equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Sonar Hardware Sales: Sound Metrics generates revenue primarily from selling imaging sonar systems including ARIS Explorer models and DIDSON units. These are capital equipment purchases for underwater imaging applications.
2. Equipment Rentals: Through partners like Ocean Marine Industries, FISHBIO, Ashtead Technology, and ESCORT TECHNOLOGY, the company offers rental options for ARIS sonars for short-term projects and trials.
3. Third-Party Software Integration: Revenue from integration with third-party software partners including Echoview, SoundTiles, and SAMM for data processing, acoustic mosaicking, and hydroacoustic analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sound Metrics designs, manufactures, and sells high-resolution multibeam imaging sonar systems, including the ARIS Explorer 3000 and ARIS Explorer 1800, alongside the legacy DIDSON product line, for capturing HD underwater video in turbid, zero-visibility waters. The hardware is paired with proprietary Clustergram analysis software and integrates with third-party data processing tools (Echoview, SoundTiles, SAMM) to support fish enumeration, structural inspection, search and rescue, evidence recovery, and surveillance missions for government, military, research, and commercial customers.

Product overview

Sound Metrics is a provider of imaging sonar technology for underwater observation and inspection. The core product line consists of ARIS Sonars (including ARIS Explorer 3000 and ARIS Explorer 1800 models) offering next-generation dual-frequency HD imaging, supplemented by legacy DIDSON Sonars (including DIDSON Diver Held and DIDSON 1800). The company also offers Long Range sonar configurations with Large Lens Sets for extended detection. Supporting software includes customized clustergram software for fish enumeration analysis. These products serve industries including fisheries, construction, oil & gas, military, and law enforcement for applications such as fish counting, pipeline inspection, hull sweeps, evidence recovery, and search and rescue operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARIS: Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar product line including ARIS Explorer 3000 and ARIS Explorer 1800
• DIDSON
• ARIS in Action

Products and services

• ARIS Sonars Next-generation dual-frequency imaging sonar product line providing HD underwater imaging with unprecedented resolution and detail for underwater observation, inspection, and fish counting applications across fisheries, military, law enforcement, oil & gas, and construction.
• ARIS Explorer 3000 Flagship dual-frequency imaging sonar delivering HD underwater imaging with unparalleled clarity in turbid waters, used by fisheries researchers, police search teams, naval units, and inspection professionals.
• ARIS Explorer 1800 Dual-frequency imaging sonar model providing high-definition underwater imaging for inspection, fish monitoring, and observation applications in zero-visibility conditions.
• DIDSON Sonars Original multibeam imaging sonar product line that pioneered HD underwater imaging, still offered in multiple configurations for search, rescue, and underwater inspection applications.
• DIDSON Diver Held Handheld multibeam imaging sonar designed for diver operation, providing real-time underwater imaging for search and rescue, evidence recovery, and inspection tasks in turbid water.
• DIDSON 1800 Multibeam imaging sonar model within the DIDSON family used for underwater observation, inspection, and search-and-rescue operations.
• Long Range Sonar with Large Lens Set Extended-range sonar configuration with specialized lens set capable of assessing fish sizes at 22 meters and detecting salmon at 60 meters depth for long-range monitoring applications.
• Clustergram Software Customized proprietary analysis software that processes days of stored ARIS and DIDSON sonar data in hours, supporting fish enumeration, species classification, and behavioral analysis for fisheries researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 425 Sakhalin Taimen salmon counted in Sarufutsu River study, up from 335 the prior year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OceanTech (South Korea)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 May 2014Local sales contractor in South Korea that assisted with MV Sewol recovery efforts, facilitating equipment transport and providing on-site support with translator services.
• Ocean Marine Industries Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary North American sales representative and distributor for Sound Metrics sonars. Contact Jeanne Dorsey handles sales inquiries. Located in Chesapeake, Virginia. Also provides ARIS rental equipment.
• Aquacoustics LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting company specializing in fisheries acoustics, offering semi-automated analysis of ARIS and DIDSON data for fish enumeration, classification, and 3D visualization. Based in Sterling, Alaska.
• CARAVELminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnvironmental, ocean and coastal consulting firm providing services including marine archaeological reconstruction, habitat characterization, and fisheries monitoring. Headquarters in Campbell, CA.
• FISHBIOcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFisheries consulting firm offering rental equipment, custom mount fabrication, project design, technical support, and quantitative analysis using ARIS/DIDSON. Headquartered in Oakdale, CA with satellite offices in Chico, CA and Vientiane, Lao PDR.
• Bluefin RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationAUV manufacturer whose vehicles integrate Sound Metrics sonars for hull inspection and underwater survey applications. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their HAUV system designed for ship hull inspection uses DIDSON sonar technology.
• EchoviewcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party software partner providing hydroacoustic processing software with Multibeam Fish Tracking module for ARIS data analysis. Based in Australia with US office.
• SAMM (Oceanic Imaging Consultants)coreTechnology or IntegrationStand-Alone Mosaicking Module capable of mosaicking ARIS data in real-time or post-processing. Leading seafloor mapping software provider. Based in Honolulu, HI.
• Ashtead TechnologyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based equipment rental partner for ARIS sonars. Contact Ross MacLeod.
• ESCORT TECHNOLOGY Sp. z o. o.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoland-based equipment rental partner for ARIS sonars. Contact Arek Markowski.
• K. Denton and Associates LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm focused on salmon enumeration and monitoring in rivers and lakes, with over a decade of DIDSON/ARIS experience. Based in Sequim, Washington.
• Land and Harbor Associates LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides underwater inspection consulting and training to power industry clients using sonar imaging. Focuses on challenging zero-visibility environments. Contact Mark Klein.
• oQuayminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDutch firm specializing in underwater inspections of quay walls, bridges, locks, and marine structures using ARIS technology. Based in Netherlands.
• Johnson FishSci (Peter Johnson)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrincipal scientist with 17 years of imaging sonar experience, providing services including fish passage assessment, escapement estimation, and 316(b) monitoring studies. Based in Stevenson, Washington.
• VitechminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContract research and software development services for fisheries sonar applications, including DIDSON in riverine and oceanic environments. Based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
• ZLA Environmental ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting services and training for ARIS and DIDSON in freshwater and marine applications, offering mobile and stationary deployment solutions. Based in Crescent City, California.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sonardyne: Sonardyne is a UK-based underwater acoustics company providing positioning, navigation, imaging, and monitoring sonars for defense, offshore energy, and science. It overlaps with Sound Metrics in imaging and acoustic sensing for defense and offshore markets.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg Maritime supplies sonars, multibeam echosounders, and underwater positioning systems for naval, offshore, and scientific markets. It competes with Sound Metrics in defense and offshore-energy underwater imaging and is a benchmark incumbent in marine acoustics.
• Teledyne Marine (incl. BlueView): Teledyne Marine is a broad underwater instrumentation incumbent whose portfolio (including BlueView imaging sonars) overlaps directly with Sound Metrics' imaging sonar offering, while also spanning multibeam echosounders, side-scan sonar, and subsea positioning.

Emerging players

• BlueRobotics: BlueRobotics builds low-cost underwater ROVs and sonar components for inspection, research, and education. It is an emerging player in low-cost underwater imaging that partially overlaps with Sound Metrics' use cases in inspection and research.
• WASSP Multibeam (Furuno): WASSP produces multibeam sonars for fishing, hydrography, and subsea imaging. It is an emerging player with partial overlap to Sound Metrics in fisheries and survey imaging applications.
• Hydroid (Kongsberg): Hydroid manufactures REMUS AUVs for military, survey, and harbor security operations. As a Sound Metrics technology/integration partner, it is an adjacent peer shaping the AUV platforms that often carry imaging sonar payloads.

Direct peers

• Imagenex Technology: Imagenex designs and manufactures multibeam and imaging sonars used for underwater survey, obstacle avoidance, and profiling. It is a direct competitor to Sound Metrics in compact imaging sonar hardware for ROVs/AUVs and infrastructure inspection.
• Norbit Subsea: Norbit Subsea produces compact multibeam echosounders and imaging sonars used on small vessels, USVs, and AUVs. It is a direct peer in compact high-resolution underwater sonar hardware for survey and inspection.
• Tritech International (Moog Inc.): Tritech designs sonars, sonars for ROVs, and underwater sensors used in defense, offshore, and hydrographic markets. It competes with Sound Metrics in compact imaging and obstacle-avoidance sonars integrated into subsea vehicles.
• EdgeTech: EdgeTech manufactures side-scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers, and bathymetric systems used in survey, defense, and infrastructure inspection. It is a direct peer in underwater acoustic imaging hardware for similar customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soundmetrics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-t1it_t25-jrKw8N9Tukeg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sound-Metrics-160798153940468
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sound-metrics-corp-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Sound Metrics