We’re happy to announce that Dr. Øyvind Isaksen, CEO of poLight ASA, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board at sensiBel. Dr. Isaksen has been a board member since September 2021 and his extensive experience in executive leadership and his expertise in the MEMS industry makes him an ideal candidate for this position. 

Dr. Øyvind Isaksen has been serving as the CEO of poLight ASA since August 2014, overseeing the company's strategic growth and development. Prior to his role at poLight, he held several CEO positions, including his tenure at the publicly listed company Q-Free ASA, where he served as CEO for seven years before stepping down in January 2014. 

With a strong background in Applied Physics, Dr. Øyvind Isaksen brings a deep understanding of the technical aspects and intricacies of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology. His experience as an industrial builder, particularly in building and scaling MEMS companies internationally, adds tremendous value to sensiBel's vision and growth strategy. 

Dr. Øyvind Isaksen expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, stating, ”I am honored to join sensiBel as the Chairman of the Board. The company's commitment to redefining the MEMS microphone industry with a true studio-quality MEMS microphone based on optical technology and its dedication to delivering exceptional experiences aligns perfectly with my own passion for pushing technological boundaries. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at sensiBel to shape the future of the MEMS microphone industry.”

The appointment of Dr. Øyvind Isaksen as Chairman of the Board at sensiBel signals an exciting new chapter for our company. With his guidance and industry knowledge, we are poised to accelerate the company’s growth, solidify our market position, and continue to develop the next generation MEMS microphone. 

audioXpress, the leading global audio development & design magazine, features a comprehensive article in their February issue on the MEMS microphone and voice pickup sensors market: https://audioxpress.com/news/audioxpress-february-2023-now-available-what-do-you-want-to-hear

Included in the summary of “Different MEMS Microphone Technologies” is a description of the sensiBel optical MEMS microphone technology;

“Now ranking at the top as the most promising company in the MEMS microphone space is sensiBel, a Norwegian company with patented optical technology that is says is able to offer 80dB SNR, 140dB AOP, and 10Hz low-frequency roll-off”. “The device uses a top port and offers a variety of data interfaces, including I2S, PDM, and TDM. A very impressive set of specifications, for which many in the audio industry have been hoping, breaking the signal-to-noise barrier that would take MEMS technology closer to conventional condenser capsules”.

After several years of development, the sensiBel team has proven that optical technology delivers the differentiated performance as announced. sensiBel is currently sampling the microphone to lead customers who have also verified the performance of the SBM100 product series. “The sensiBel team appreciate the recognition from audioXpress”, says sensiBel CEO Sverre Dale Moen and continues “we are now focused on production line setup and to deliver on our promise to customers”

Joao Martins, Editor-in-chief, audioXpress adds “current and emerging audio and voice applications require new performance levels for MEMS microphones, matching also the relentless pace of innovation in DSP and AI technology. Optical MEMS technology presents the highest potential to match those requirements, and sensiBel is at the forefront of those efforts”.

Breakthrough MEMS microphone performance with 80dBA SNR and 140dB AOP in a small package with digital output.

We are thrilled to showcase the world’s highest performance MEMS microphone at CES 2023.  The microphone is based on patented optical technology and represents a transformational leap forward in MEMS microphone performance compared with conventional MEMS microphone technologies. 

If you are visiting CES, please stop by to see our demo and meet our team. 

When: January 5-8, 2023

Where: Las Vegas, NV, USA

Location:  ALTI VIP Hospitality Suite located at the Venetian in Lido 3101B on the 3rd floor. 

Please email us at sales@sensibel.com to set up an appointment.  

The solution for demanding applications

The microphone is the most fundamental component in the audio processing signal chain, and the SBM100 series is ideal for demanding applications requiring crystal clear recordings, lowest noise data to your AI engine for voice and sound recognition, best-in-class teleconferencing audio, noise-free ANC applications, super-directivity beam forming and many more.

Key benefits 

Norwegian leading financial newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) announces sensiBel as the winner of the 2022 startup of the year award!  This is a prestigious annual award with participants from the entire Norwegian startup community.

The judges of the award committee are made up of successful entrepreneurs, member from academia and venture capital companies. “The sensiBel microphone is a high-tech product with sensor and microchip integrated in one package. sensiBel is well deserving of the award based on the extreme technical complexity of the product”, states Geir Førre to DN. Geir Førre is a serial entrepreneur and one of the members of the award committee.  

Traditionally, MEMS microphones are based on a more than a 100 year old capacitive technology and their performance is limited.  The market is demanding higher performance MEMS microphones, and this is exactly what sensiBel can achieve with their optical technology. This optical technology instantly provided a huge performance upgrade over existing technology and has even more improvements possible in the future. Pilot customers of sensiBel have now measured and verified the breakthrough performance of the optical MEMS microphone, and the company has received their first orders. 

sensiBel CEO Sverre Dale Moen states, ”We are humbled and honored to receive the startup of the year award.  It’s a great testament to the world-class team working tirelessly to bring this complex technology to the market.  We have a differentiated product, very large market and great feedback from customers. The team is very excited about the opportunity ahead of us”

The sensiBel team is proud to receive this award and are eager to continue the journey bringing the differentiated technology to the market with our valued customers.

Link to the article (in Norwegian): https://www.dn.no/arets-nyskapere/her-er-norges-mest-nyskapende-selskaper-fire-ar-etter-oppstarten-gikk-grunderbedriften-en-halv-milliard-i-pluss/2-1-1282442

We are excited to welcome Kieran Harney to the sensiBel team to lead our business development in the Americas. Kieran has been in the MEMS industry for 28 years and he recently served as Managing Director of Audio Products at TDK where he played a leadership role in product development, marketing and business development of MEMS microphones.  Earlier in his career, he started a successful MEMS microphone business at Analog Devices (ADI) in 2005, that was later sold to InvenSense in 2013 and is now part of TDK.

"The sensiBel 80dB SNR, 140dB SPL AOP microphone with digital output represents a major disruption in MEMS microphone performance" Kieran states, and continues "I really look forward to be part of the sensiBel team and bring this technology to customers in the Americas"

Stig Torud, VP Business Development, says " We are thrilled to have an industry veteran like Kieran on the team as we now move to the next phase to introduce our breakthrough optical MEMS Microphone technology to the market."

“sensiBel’s microphone is a breakthrough innovation that could revolutionize e.g. the fields of voice control and sound detection analytics,” comments Dieter Kraft, Managing Director at TRUMPF Venture.

(Oslo, April 19 2022) sensiBel, the disruptive microphone technology company, today announces a successful EUR 15 million funding round led by Germany’s TRUMPF Venture and including The European Council’s EIC Fund, Skagerak Capital, Investinor, and SINTEF Venture IV. sensiBel will use the funding to ramp up production.

Dieter Kraft, Managing Director at TRUMPF Venture, comments on the investment in sensiBel: “We are pleased to be able to accompany an excellent team on its journey to success together with strong syndicate partners. The optical MEMS technology from sensiBel is a breakthrough innovation that will revolutionize e.g. the fields of voice control and sound detection and analytics.”

Most microphones used today are based on century-old technology. sensiBel is breaking with the past and introduces its patented optical technology to the microphones to enable true studio-quality performance in a small size package, a quantum leap in performance compared to today’s mainstream MEMS microphones. sensiBel’s ambition is to disrupt the market and enable new and improved user experiences in a wide range of applications. 

“We were told a few years back it would not be possible to make a MEMS microphone with 10 times better performance than today’s state-of-the art MEMS microphones. We have now proven with our microphone, tested together with customers, we have such a disruptive performance, and are looking forward to further grow the company together with our experienced investors and great team of employees into all markets where such performance is requested”, said Sverre Dale Moen, CEO of sensiBel.

The funding will enable sensiBel to ramp up production and support development and research activities. Consumer electronics are expected to witness significant growth going forward, driven by a boom in audio related technologies. According to market analytics from Yole  Development, audio is the new must-have interface to interact with phones, speakers, cars, and even homes and audio is also bringing new immersive experiences with ANC, and 3D audio, but also sound transparency to better connect with reality (http://www.yole.fr/Microphones_Microspeakers_and_Audio_Processing_YoleGroup_Oct2021.aspx).

Egil Garberg, Investment Manager at longstanding sensiBel shareholder Investor, has followed the company for years: “sensiBel is one of the most exciting deep-tech companies in Norway. We have backed the company since 2018 and are looking forward to working closely with new owners with complementary experience and additional capital as we prepare the company for scaling-up,” Garberg said. 

“We in the EIC Fund are glad to support the high-tech companies growing globally from Europe, and sensiBel is a remarkable example of technology and team's dedication to develop the world-class products. It is our mission to back the innovators with vision and private venture investors taking early stage risks to advance technology and best teams into leading companies in their fields of operations.”, said Heidi Kakko member of the EIC Fund Investment Committee.

Terje Berg-Utby, Principal at Skagerak Capital, said: “The extremely improved performance of the sensiBel MEMS microphone compared to competition, enables performance that have never not been possible”, said Terje Berg-Utby, principal at Skagerak Capital. “We are excited about sensiBel, their technology and team and the great feedback the market provides about the needs and opportunities for the sensiBel products”. 

For more information, visit sensibel.com

Contact:

About sensiBel: sensiBel is a privately held company based in Oslo/Norway. The company has patented and developed a complete new optical MEMS readout technology. The first type of products  from sensiBel using this technology will be the sensiBel MEMS microphones, providing a quantum leap in performance compared to competition. The sensiBel optical MEMS technology can also be used in other MEMS products like e.g. accelrometers. sensiBel was founded in 2016 based on years of research at SINTEF, to commercialize high performance optical MEMS sensor technology. For more information, visit www.sensibel.com 

About TRUMPF Venture: TRUMPF Venture extends the TRUMPF group’s comprehensive activities to promote innovation and to detect disruptive technologies and business models early on. The corporate venture capital unit invests globally in early-stage start-ups whose activities are complementary or adjacent to the TRUMPF core business, such as advanced photonics and smart factory solutions. Funded start-ups benefit from an extensive network, deep domain knowhow, proven skills in scalability as well as support to access the TRUMPF group and its ecosystem.  For more information, vist www.trumpf.com/s/venture

About Skagerak Capital: Skagerak Capital has invested in Nordic deep-tech and SaaS companies since 2006. We focus on companies with an excellent team that drives growth and want to change the world for the better. The Skagerak team is a curious bunch of people with experience from a wide range of industries that devote time and effort to the portfolio companies. For more information, visit www.skagerakcapital.com 

About EIC Fund: Established in June 2020, the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) is a breakthrough initiative of the European Commission to make direct equity and quasi-equity investments (between €500.000 and €15 million) in European high impact and deep tech start-ups and scale ups. With a long-term perspective, the EIC Fund invests in companies from any sector, across all EU member states as well as in associated countries. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialization of disruptive technologies. This is achieved by crowding-in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries. https://eic.ec.europa.eu/investment-opportunities_en

About Investinor: Investinor AS is an investment company. Together with founders, entrepreneurs, and other investors, they turn selected promising companies into world-leading businesses investing risk capital in some of the most promising companies in their respective markets. Investinor can make direct investments in companies, invest in seed capital and venture funds, make matching investments jointly with private investors in seed- and venture phase businesses, as well as facilitate pre-seed investments either in funds or by matching. Investinor manages the Norwegian state’s interests in seed capital and pre-seed funding scheme. For more information, visit www.investinor.no/en/ 

About SINTEF TTO/Venture: SINTEF is one of Europe's largest research institutes with multidisciplinary expertise in science and technology. SINTEF TTO/Venture manages several early-stage investment funds focused on the commercialization of research results. The funds have a capital base over NOK 900 million provided by SINTEF, the European Investment Fund and a number of private institutional Norwegian investors. For more information, visit www.sintef.no/en/tto/

Location:  Oslo, Norway

sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company developing the next generation MEMS microphone.  The microphone is based on a patented optical readout technology enabling professional grade performance in a small package.  Our ambition is to disrupt the market and enable new and improved user experiences in a wide range of applications. It all comes down to the fundamentals in the audio signal processing chain – the microphone. We believe in professional grade audio for everyone!

About the job

It’s an exciting time to join sensiBel on our journey to bring the next generation microphone technology to the market. You will be part of a highly skilled, committed and motivated team that embraces challenging tasks every day. Our microphone contains unique state-of-the-art integrated readout circuitry that samples audio signals. As a full-time digital IC design engineer, you will be at the heart of our engineering activities, creating a crucial part of our microphone. You will be a key contributor to our success and have fun along the way. 

Key responsibilities 

Qualifications and skills

We are seeking a M.Sc. or B.Sc in electrical engineering or similar with good verbal and written communication skills, attention to details, and minimum 5 years of experience from digital/mixed-signal IC RTL design. Experience from several of the following areas is highly desirable:

Personal skills

We are looking for an ambitious, self-motivated team player with strong collaboration skills. You are accountable and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. You communicate well and are dedicated to getting things done. We are searching for a team member who has a passion and interest in growing with their job, take an active role in an open informal work environment, genuine interest to perform at the highest of their ability and ultimately contribute to the success of bring the next generation microphone to the market. And passion for audio is a big plus!

Benefits

Apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to the hiring manger: endre.bjorsvik@sensibel.com

Location:  Oslo, Norway

sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company developing the next generation MEMS microphone.  The microphone is based on a patented optical readout technology enabling professional grade performance in a small package.  Our ambition is to disrupt the market and enable new and improved user experiences in a wide range of applications. It all comes down to the fundamentals in the audio signal processing chain – the microphone. We believe in professional grade audio for everyone!

About the job

It’s an exciting time to join sensiBel on our journey to bring the next generation microphone technology to the market. You will be part of a highly skilled, committed and motivated team that embraces challenging tasks every day. Our microphone contains unique state-of-the-art integrated readout circuitry that samples audio signals. As a full-time analog IC design engineer, you will be at the heart of our engineering activities, creating a crucial part of our microphone. You will be a key contributor to our success and have fun along the way. 

Key responsibilities 

Qualifications and skills

We are seeking a M.Sc. or B.Sc in electrical engineering or similar with good verbal and written communication skills, attention to details, and minimum 5 years of experience from analog/mixed-signal IC design. Experience from several of the following areas is highly desirable: 

Personal skills

We are looking for an ambitious, self-motivated team player with strong collaboration skills. You are accountable and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. You communicate well and are dedicated to getting things done. We are searching for a team member who has a passion and interest in growing with their job, take an active role in an open informal work environment, genuine interest to perform at the highest of their ability and ultimately contribute to the success of bring the next generation microphone to the market. And passion for audio is a big plus!

Benefits

Apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to the hiring manger: endre.bjorsvik@sensibel.com

Location:  Oslo, Norway

sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company developing the next generation MEMS microphone.  The microphone is based on a patented optical readout technology enabling professional grade performance in a small package.  Our ambition is to disrupt the market and enable new and improved user experiences in a wide range of applications. It all comes down to the fundamentals in the audio signal processing chain – the microphone. We believe in professional grade audio for everyone!

About the job

It’s an exciting time to join sensiBel on our journey to bring the next generation microphone technology to the market. You will be part of a highly skilled, committed and motivated team that embrace challenging task every day.  As a full-time test and verification engineer, you will be at the heart of our engineering activities, including testing and verification at various stages of our product development, verification and qualification. You will be a key contributor to our success and have fun along way. 

Key responsibilities

We are seeking a M.Sc. or B.Sc in electrical engineering or similar with good verbal and written communication skills,  attention to details and experience from several of the following fields:

Personal skills

We are looking for an ambitious, self-motivated team player with strong collaboration skills. You are accountable and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. You communicate well and are dedicated to getting things done. We are searching for a team member who has a passion and interest in growing with their job, take an active role in an open informal work environment, genuine interest to perform at the highest of their ability and ultimately contribute to the success of bring the next generation microphone to the market. And passion for audio is a big plus!

Benefits

Apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to the hiring manger: geir.bredholt@sensibel.com

Location:  Oslo, Norway

sensiBel is a Norwegian deep-tech company developing the next generation MEMS microphone.  The microphone is based on a patented optical readout technology enabling professional grade performance in a small package.  Our ambition is to disrupt the market and enable new and improved user experiences in a wide range of applications. It all comes down to the fundamentals in the audio signal processing chain – the microphone. We believe in professional grade audio for everyone!

About the job

It’s an exciting time to join sensiBel on our journey to bring the next generation microphone technology to the market. You will be part of a highly skilled, committed and motivated team that embrace challenging task every day.  As a full-time applications engineer, you will be the technical interface to customer dedicated to their success making products with the sensiBel microphone. You will be a key contributor to our success and have fun along way. 

Key responsibilities

Qualifications and skills

Personal skills

We are looking for an ambitious, self-motivated team player with strong collaboration skills. You are accountable and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. You communicate well and are dedicated to getting things done. We are searching for a team member who has a passion and interest in growing with their job, take an active role in an open informal work environment, genuine interest to perform at the highest of their ability and ultimately contribute to the success of bring the next generation microphone to the market. 

Benefits

Travel

As required, estimated at 20%

Apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to jobs@sensibel.com