Munich-based Omnisent raises €2.6M to help machines ‘hear’ the world around us

Munich-based Omnisent, a startup with scientific roots in Cambridge University and Imperial College, has raised $3M (nearly €2.62M) in an oversubscribed pre-Seed round led by Atlantic Labs.

Christophe F. Maire, founder & GP at Atlantic Labs, says, “At Atlantic Labs, we back category-defining technologies – and Omnisent is exactly that. The team combines deep scientific expertise from Cambridge University and Imperial College with impressive execution.”

“Their proprietary acoustic hardware and algorithms unlock a sensing dimension that has been largely untapped. We see immense potential for this technology across multiple industries, from infrastructure and manufacturing to defence and beyond. Omnisent is building a new data layer for the physical world – and we’re proud to support them from day one.”

Building acoustic AI

Omnisent is developing a full-stack solution for acoustic intelligence, combining custom hardware and software to turn environmental sound into real-time machine understanding. 

Founded in 2024 by Robin Daiber, Ann-Kristin Balve, and Adrien Jathe, who met during their final year at Cambridge University, the company brings together backgrounds in Physics, Machine Learning, and Mechanical Engineering.

At the core of Omnisent’s technology are ultra-low-power sonic devices that capture real-time acoustic signals from the physical environment. These signals feed into the training of a Large Acoustic Model (LAM)—a foundation model focused entirely on non-speech audio. 

This enables machines not only to detect sound but to interpret it as a signal source for decision-making, alerting, or autonomous response.

The company’s applications span infrastructure monitoring, manufacturing systems, health diagnostics, and environmental sensing, where early detection of anomalies through subtle acoustic cues can provide critical operational value.

By making the unheard understandable, Omnisent is creating a new category of AI focused on listening beyond human limits.

Capital utilisation

The funding will support the company’s research and development, team expansion, operational growth, and preparation for a commercial launch in Q4 2025.

Robin Daiber, co-founder & CEO of Omnisent, says, “Omnisent is extracting the acoustic layer of the physical world to unlock a new dimension of intelligence. By pairing ultra-low power sonic devices with a large acoustic model (LAM) trained on non-speech audio, we turn sound into real-time intelligence.”

“We’re starting with the manufacturing industry, applying our tech to compressed air systems – tackling 1 per cent of global electricity loss from air leaks, worth tens to hundreds of billions of dollars every year.”

“From there, we’re expanding into energy, defence, space, and smart cities – sectors where sound is the next frontier. I’m incredibly grateful to be on this journey alongside my amazing co-founders, Ann-Kristin and Adrien.”

Prof. Tim Minshall, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing at Cambridge, adds, “Omnisent is a standout example of how cutting-edge research and deep technology can be transformed into real-world impact through entrepreneurial ambition. It captures the spirit of innovation we champion at Cambridge and the Institute for Manufacturing, where science, engineering, and entrepreneurship intersect.”

“We’re incredibly proud to see our alumnus Robin and his team driving this forward, and we remain excited about Omnisent’s journey and its potential to shape a new frontier in Acoustic AI.”