Norway-based sensiBel, a deep-tech company developing next-generation MEMS microphones, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €7M led by Sennheiser.

Existing investors, including TRUMPF Venture, Skagerak Capital, Investinor, SINTEF Venture, MP Pensjon, and Halden Kommunale Pensjonskasse, also participated in the round. 

The company will use the funds to expand production and invest in scalability.

Led by Sverre Dale Moen, sensiBel has developed optical MEMS microphones that demonstrate a generational shift in sound quality despite their miniature size. 

sensiBel says its miniature microphones enable a new and improved experience in application areas such as consumer electronics, automotive, conferencing solutions, and medical devices.

“sensiBel shares the same vision as Sennheiser and we are proud to welcome Sennheiser as an investor,” says sensiBel CEO Sverre Dale Moen. He continues: “We believe an investment from such a highly recognised audio company speaks of the merits of the technology and the potential for optical MEMS technology to shape the future of miniature microphones.”

sensiBel: Manufactures optical MEMS microphones

sensiBel‘s technology utilises light waves to measure the movement of the diaphragm. 

Unlike conventional MEMS microphones that measure an electric field between the moving diaphragm and a backplate, SensiBel’s optical system uses a laser to generate light beams that are projected onto the microphone membrane and reflected on a photodetector. 

The reflected beams are captured and processed digitally in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). 

This technology enables the microphone to measure very small movements, hence capturing very low noise levels, even when there is a high level of loud background noise. 

Additionally, the optical MEMS microphone can withstand high sound pressure levels providing a large dynamic range to the users. This technology generates significantly better sound quality than previous MEMS solutions in the market. It comes with a specification of 80 dBA SNR (14 dBA noise floor), 132 dB dynamic range, 24-bit digital output, and low power consumption, while being compact.

“We want to grow sustainably as a company. In addition to investments in our existing business, this also includes investments in promising future fields outside of our company, providing these align well to our company and our vision,” explains Co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser. Andreas Sennheiser adds: “sensiBel’s innovative optical MEMS technology is clearly this type of promising emerging field. As investors, we look forward to actively driving forward this groundbreaking development.”