Omnisent secures $3M to build AI that hears what humans can’t

Omnisent Raises $3M to Develop Acoustic AI Foundation Model

Munich-based startup Omnisent has secured $3 million in an oversubscribed Pre-Seed funding round led by Atlantic Labs. The company focuses on building hardware and software that interpret acoustic signals beyond traditional speech and text AI. Their innovation centers on proprietary ultra-low-power sonic devices that capture and process mechanical noise, vibrations, and ambient sounds in real time.

Omnisent’s core technology is a Large Acoustic Model (LAM), a foundation model trained on non-speech audio. This approach targets the untapped potential of sound signals found in industrial and environmental settings, creating new possibilities for AI applications where traditional audio models fall short.

Founders with Interdisciplinary Expertise

Founded in late 2024 by Robin Daiber (CEO), Ann-Kristin Balve (Co-CTO), and Adrien Jathe (Co-CTO), Omnisent’s leadership combines backgrounds in physics, machine learning, and mechanical engineering. The trio met during their final year at Cambridge University and share a goal of developing AI technology capable of detecting acoustic signals beyond human hearing.

Since its launch, Omnisent has earned several accolades, including a scientific collaboration scholarship with the Fraunhofer Institute, a founder scholarship from the German government, the Founder Award from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and recognition as one of the top 10 AI startups in the Cambridge and Oxford ecosystem.

Targeting Industrial Efficiency and Beyond

Robin Daiber explains that Omnisent extracts the acoustic layer of the physical world to add a new dimension of intelligence. By combining their sonic devices with the Large Acoustic Model trained on non-speech audio, they convert sound into actionable, real-time insights.

The company’s initial focus is the manufacturing sector, specifically compressed air systems, which account for roughly 1% of global electricity loss due to leaks—a cost amounting to tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars annually. From there, Omnisent plans to expand into energy, defense, space, and smart city applications where acoustic sensing can provide critical advantages.

Investor and Industry Support

Christophe F. Maire, Founder and General Partner at Atlantic Labs, highlights the uniqueness of Omnisent’s approach. Combining scientific expertise from Cambridge and Imperial College with strong execution, the startup’s acoustic hardware and algorithms open up a largely unexplored sensing dimension. Atlantic Labs sees broad potential across infrastructure, manufacturing, defense, and other sectors.

Professor Joachim Bös, Head of Fraunhofer IDMT, noted that Omnisent’s work in making acoustic data intelligent in real time marks a significant advance. He anticipates their solutions will set new standards in energy efficiency and resource management as intelligent systems become more important.

Next Steps for Omnisent

The new funding will accelerate research and development, expand the team, and support preparations for a commercial launch planned for Q4 2025. This positions Omnisent at the forefront of AI innovation that goes beyond speech and text, tapping into the rich information contained in environmental and mechanical sound.

For those interested in AI models beyond traditional text and speech, exploring acoustic AI offers an intriguing direction. Training models on non-speech audio data opens new pathways for industrial efficiency and environmental monitoring.

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