Rockfeel Gmbh
Rockfeel GmbH, a Freiberg (Germany) spin-off of TU Bergakademie, builds pick-mounted sensor systems that estimate rock strength and monitor pick wear on cutting excavation machines for mining, tunneling, and special construction customers and OEMs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersFreiberg Am Neckar, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rockfeel Gmbh does
Rockfeel GmbH is a German sensor technology company, spun out of TU Bergakademie Freiberg in October 2020 and incorporated as a GmbH in late 2022 after a two-year EXIST-Program funding phase. The company designs rugged pick-mounted sensor systems that derive rock strength and pick wear state from the kinematics of cutting tools on rotating drums of excavation machines, addressing the fundamental visibility problem at the cutting face in dust-filled, dark, or mud-covered underground and surface environments. Its technology stack rests on two proprietary platforms: SICMA (Rock Strength Induced Cutter tool Movement Analysis), which correlates pick movement dynamics to a RockFeel Strength (RFS) metric calibrated against unconfined compressive strength (UCS) with sub-10 MPa resolution, and IREICA (Infrared Emission Contour Analysis), a contactless infrared method for measuring pick wear contours. These underpin three application products: the Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) for automated wear and breakage detection, the RockFeel Assistent (RFA) for real-time rock strength estimation and selective mining, and the Rock Break Assistant for early warning of weak rock zones in tunneling. The company is supported by an academic partnership with TU Bergakademie Freiberg (linear cutting test rig HXS1000-50 and ER650 mobile 80 kW cutterhead) and an advisory relationship with the Chair of Open Pit Mining at TU Freiberg.
Rockfeel Gmbh firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rockfeel Gmbh
- Legal name
- Rockfeel GmbH
- Website
- https://rockfeel.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rockfeel GmbH, a Freiberg (Germany) spin-off of TU Bergakademie, builds pick-mounted sensor systems that estimate rock strength and monitor pick wear on cutting excavation machines for mining, tunneling, and special construction customers and OEMs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rockfeel Gmbh industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Mining Sensor Systems
- NAICS
- Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction & Mining Robotics (HDAAAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wear Parts & Consumables (GET, Liners, Drill Bits, Grinding Media) (IMAKANAH), Rock Drilling & Blasthole Drilling Equipment (IMAHAMAC), Rock Excavation, Blasting & Quarry-Assist Works (IMAFAKAE)
Keywords
Where Rockfeel Gmbh is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freiberg Am Neckar
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rockfeel Gmbh business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) Product Sales: Sale of wear monitoring systems including sensor hardware, mechanics, and software for installation on cutting machines, sold directly to mining operators and through OEM partnerships
- RockFeel Assistant (RFA) System Sales: Rock strength monitoring systems sold to mining and tunneling operators for integration into excavation machines
- Cutting Tests and R&D Services: Custom cutting tests for optimization of cutting parameters, tool selection, and performance analysis conducted at TU Bergakademie Freiberg test facilities or on-site
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) System |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cutting Tests Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Rockfeel Gmbh product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rockfeel GmbH develops and sells sensor-based assistant systems for cutting excavation machines used in mining, tunneling and special construction. Its products combine rugged pick-mounted sensors with on-board analytics to monitor pick wear and estimate rock strength in real time during cutting, replacing manual inspection in dusty or mud-filled underground conditions. Core product lines are the Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA), the RockFeel Assistant (RFA), the Rock Break Assistant, and the IREICA infrared wear-contour technology, complemented by paid cutting test services.
Product overview
Rockfeel Gmbh is a sensor technology company offering a suite of AI-assisted assistant systems for cutting excavation machines in mining, tunneling, and special construction. The portfolio consists of three integrated technology platforms: SICMA (Rock Strength Induced Cutter tool Movement Analysis) as the core sensing technology, IREICA (Infrarotemissions-Konturanalyse / Infrared Emission Contour Analysis) for automated wear measurement, and a set of application-focused products. The product line is organized around two principal systems — Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) for automated pick wear monitoring and RockFeel Assistent (RFA) for rock strength differentiation — plus the Rock Break Assistant for mining safety, all supported by cutting test services. IREICA, the newest technology, covers wear contour detection using infrared emissions and was patented globally in December 2024. Products target operators and OEMs in the mining and construction machinery sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA): Wear monitoring system for picks on cutting drums of rock excavation machines, enabling automated wear detection and maintenance planning.
- RockFeel Assistent (RFA)
- SICMA
- IREICA
Products and services
- Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) Automated pick wear monitoring system for cutting drums of rock excavation machines that performs contactless measurement of pick dimensions and shapes during idle or cutting operation, automatically detecting symmetric wear, asymmetric wear, pick blockage and pick breakage, and delivering warnings to the operator panel for optimized maintenance scheduling. Targets underground and surface mining operators and tunneling contractors.
- RockFeel Assistant (RFA) Rock strength monitoring system that estimates rock hardness and compressive strength (UCS) in real time during cutting using pick dynamics analysis; produces the RockFeel Strength (RFS) metric correlated to actual rock properties with resolution under 10 MPa, enabling selective mining and adaptive machine operation. Targets mining and tunneling operators.
- Rock Break Assistant Early warning system for weak rock zones and fractured areas in tunneling and underground mining that analyzes pick dynamics data to detect instability patterns characteristic of pre-broken rock zones during cutting, enabling operators to reduce advance rates and accelerate support installation before rockfall occurs.
- IREICA (Infrared Emission Contour Analysis) Infrared Emission Contour Analysis technology for fully automated, contactless measurement and shape detection of round shaft picks and other wear components on rock excavation and crushing machines, capturing the 3D contour of wear components via infrared emissions to enable automated wear monitoring without physical contact or machine shutdown.
- Cutting Tests (Schneidversuche) Testing and validation service for cutting technology development, including cutting force measurements, parameter optimization, particle size analysis, pick wear investigations, pick dynamics analysis and cutting simulations under water or mud, using the linear cutting test rig (HXS-1000-50) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, a mobile 80 kW cutterhead (ER650) and on-site customer testing facilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- RFS (RockFeel Strength) metric shows clear correlation with UCS (Unconfined Compressive Strength) with resolution under 10 MPa for concrete test blocks
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rockfeel Gmbh
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Rockfeel Gmbh technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Rockfeel Gmbh partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- EPIROC Deutschland GmbHcoreCommissioned RockFeel testing projects and provided technical guidance on sensor integration for construction equipment. EPIROC is a leading global manufacturer of mining and construction equipment.
- TU Bergakademie Freiberg - Institut für Bergbau und SpezialtiefbaucoreAcademic partnership providing access to unique test facilities including linear cutting test rig HXS1000-50 and expertise in mining engineering, rock mechanics, and excavation machinery. Developed DAQ electronics for sensor systems.
- Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AGmajorProvided access to active underground rock salt mining operation for testing CWA and RFA prototypes on production partial-cut machines under real operating conditions.
- ERKAT PC Fräsen GmbHminorCutter head manufacturer that adapted equipment to enable RockFeel sensor installation, oil pressure measurement, rotation angle tracking, and protected cable routing for field testing.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rockfeel Gmbh competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Epiroc: Top-3 global mining and infrastructure equipment OEM and RockFeel's most strategic partner. Epiroc's 6th Sense portfolio (Pit Viper automation, underground digital solutions) competes in the same automation-and-sensing category, while also being RockFeel's potential OEM distribution channel.
- Komatsu: Global mining and construction OEM with FrontRunner autonomous haulage and Smart Construction platform. Comparable as a broad incumbent selling automation and digital services into the same mining and construction-customer base that RockFeel serves.
- Caterpillar: Largest mining equipment OEM globally, with Cat MineStar for fleet, terrain, and health management. Comparable as a broad incumbent with embedded sensing and analytics competing for RockFeel's target customers' digital CAPEX budgets.
- Hexagon Mining (HxGN MineProtect): Industrial sensor and software group with HxGN MineProtect and related mining safety and machine-monitoring suites. Comparable as an established sensor/analytics incumbent operating in the same mining-machine monitoring and safety category.
- Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Global mining equipment OEM with the OptiMine and AutoMine automation suites covering underground and surface mining. Directly comparable as a broad incumbent that bundles equipment, automation, and analytics — competing for the same OEM-embedded sensing and analytics budget that RockFeel targets.
Direct peers
- Maptek: Specialist mining software and sensor vendor for resource evaluation, geotechnical monitoring, and equipment productivity. Closely comparable as a mining-focused sensor and analytics vendor targeting similar productivity and safety outcomes for operators.
- GroundProbe (Orica): Geotechnical and slope-stability monitoring specialist owned by Orica, providing radar and sensor-based monitoring for open-pit and underground mining. Comparable as a focused mining-sensor vendor addressing similar safety and ground-condition monitoring use cases.
- Newtrax Technologies (Sandvik): Underground mining IoT and telemetry specialist acquired by Sandvik, providing machine health, personnel, and proximity sensing for underground operations. Comparable as a sensor-and-data-platform peer that RockFeel would compete or integrate with in underground mining deployments.
- RCT Solutions: Specialist in mining equipment automation, remote control, and machine health monitoring for underground and surface mining. Closely comparable as a focused mining-automation player addressing similar machine-sensing and operator-assistance problems.
Emerging players
- MineSense Technologies: Sensor-based ore sorting specialist that differentiates ore from waste on shovels and conveyor belts. Closely comparable as an emerging sensor-driven player solving the same selective-mining problem RockFeel targets from the cutting drum rather than downstream.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rockfeel Gmbh social profiles
Digital presenceRockfeel Gmbh financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rockfeel Gmbh leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Rockfeel Gmbh funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rockfeel Gmbh 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 Rockfeel Gmbh
What does Rockfeel Gmbh do?
Rockfeel GmbH develops and sells sensor-based assistant systems for cutting excavation machines used in mining, tunneling and special construction. Its products combine rugged pick-mounted sensors with on-board analytics to monitor pick wear and estimate rock strength in real time during cutting, replacing manual inspection in dusty or mud-filled underground conditions. Core product lines are the Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA), the RockFeel Assistant (RFA), the Rock Break Assistant, and the IREICA infrared wear-contour technology, complemented by paid cutting test services.
Is Rockfeel Gmbh a public or private company?
Rockfeel Gmbh is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Rockfeel Gmbh founded?
Rockfeel Gmbh was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rockfeel Gmbh based?
Rockfeel Gmbh is headquartered in Freiberg Am Neckar, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Rockfeel Gmbh make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cutter Wear Assistant (CWA) Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are rockFeel Assistant (RFA) System Sales and cutting Tests and R&D Services.
Who are Rockfeel Gmbh's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Epiroc, Komatsu, Caterpillar, Hexagon Mining (HxGN MineProtect) and Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. Direct peers are Maptek, GroundProbe (Orica), Newtrax Technologies (Sandvik) and RCT Solutions. MineSense Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rockfeel Gmbh have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rockfeel Gmbh.
What industry is Rockfeel Gmbh in?
Rockfeel Gmbh's product category is Industrial Mining Sensor Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAE, Construction & Mining Robotics, with a secondary code of IMAKANAH, Wear Parts & Consumables (GET, Liners, Drill Bits, Grinding Media). Its NAICS code is 333131 and its SIC code is 3823.