Sonair Raises $6 Million to Accelerate Rollout of World’s First Safe 3D Ultrasonic Sensor for Robots

Sonair, a robotics company for humans, led by Knut Sandven, Shermine Gotfredsen, Gussi Bull, Dag Wang, PhD, Tor Odland, and others, has secured $6 million from Scale Capital and Norway’s state-backed Investinor. The round saw continued support from RunwayFBU (part of the Aker group), SINTEF, and ProVenture, with RunwayFBU significantly increasing its commitment.

Sonair’s $6 million funding will accelerate the global expansion of its ADAR sensor, designed to enable safe human-machine collaboration in warehouses, hospitals, shops, and public spaces, establishing a new category in robotic perception.

Following a strong debut, Sonair’s ADAR sensor is now shipping to manufacturers across Asia, Europe, and North America. Using sound waves for real-time 3D perception, ADAR enables robots to navigate safely in shared spaces. Sonair is also pursuing PLd ISO13849 / SIL IEC 61508 certification, an industry first for 3D ultrasonic sensing, as it scales to meet rising global demand.

Sonair’s patented ultrasound technology delivers precise 3D perception at a fraction of LiDAR’s cost. Tested with 30+ global companies, it now targets autonomous mobile robots in logistics and manufacturing, a market projected to reach $15.6B by 2030. Rising automation, labor shortages, and stricter safety regulations are fueling demand, with U.S. warehouse injuries nearly double the industry average. ADAR’s safe 3D detection, full vertical views, and low compute requirements enable robots to move safely alongside people, reducing risk without added complexity or cost.