Tunable

Market position

Tunable describes itself as a Norwegian deep tech company and a leading global provider of plug-and-play multi-gas analysers, supplying natural gas and emission analysers to the international marine market and expanding into on-land industrial applications. Its investors GTT and TRUMPF characterise the company as digitising the electronic nose and as implementing laboratory-device functionality in a compact MEMS design.

Tunable's analysers use direct optical detection of gas molecules via infrared transmission spectroscopy rather than indirect chemical-reaction sensing, built around a proprietary electronically tunable Fabry-Perot filter and a sensitive optical microphone fabricated with micro- and nano techniques. The company describes the resulting device as highly compact and versatile, programmable for new gases and remotely upgradable, low in required calibration and maintenance, and robust against vibration because it is optical. Gas Fingerprint Recognition adds classification of unknown or complex gas mixtures, a capability beyond conventional targeted multi-gas measurement.

Technology

The sensor principle rests on two core components fabricated with micro- and nanotechnology: a novel tunable Fabry-Perot optical filter and a highly sensitive optical microphone. The Fabry-Perot filter consists of two closely spaced parallel mirrors forming a resonant cavity; precisely controlling the gap tunes the transmitted wavelength continuously and electronically across a wide range. Broadband infrared light is scanned across wavelengths, and where it overlaps a gas's characteristic absorption spectrum energy is absorbed and intensity attenuated in proportion to concentration; a detector plus algorithms identify gas type and concentration. This supports two complementary modes: targeted multi-gas analysis of known gases, and gas fingerprinting via full-spectrum sweeps that match spectral patterns against an established baseline. The design is programmable for new gases, remotely upgradable, miniaturised for low maintenance and easy installation, and insensitive to vibration.

Go-to-market

Tunable sells directly to industrial and maritime customers and works through partners, including Babcock's LGE business for gas analytics and Matelco SA. It builds credibility through classification-society type approvals (DNV, Bureau Veritas) and hazardous-area certifications (ATEX, IECEx), customer field tests such as the trial aboard the FSRU Höegh Galleon, participation in trade events including Achema, SENSOR+TEST and THINGS eBazaar Smart Factory, accelerator participation in the DeepTech Alliance Industry 4.0 programme, and publicly funded research projects such as Sensor4Fruit and N2OCEMS.

Shipowners and operators of LNG carriers and FSRUs, maritime and marine emissions stakeholders, natural gas pipeline and processing operators, power stations, industrial process operators, engine operators, and fresh produce supply chain participants such as BAMA and ASKO.

Geography

Headquartered at Kabelgata 8, 0581 Oslo, Norway. The company sells into international markets, serving the international marine market and on-land industrial applications, and holds a "Made in Norway" certification. Investors include the French LNG technology group GTT and Germany-based TRUMPF Venture, both of which were engaged to support entry into new international markets and verticals.

History

The technology was developed over years by a team spanning nanotechnology, optics, electronics and spectroscopy, and was founded by Thor Bakke, who serves as CTO; Kristian Hovet is CEO. By 2021 the company was supplying natural gas analysers and emission analysers to the international marine market and had begun expanding into on-land industrial applications, having raised NOK 65 million led by GTT and TRUMPF Venture with existing shareholders Skagerak Capital and Skeie. Subsequent milestones published by the company include IECEx and ATEX certification, DNV and Bureau Veritas type approvals, a "Made in Norway" certification, a partnership with Babcock's LGE business, the introduction of Gas Fingerprint Recognition at Achema 2024, a further NOK 40 million raise, and the establishment of an advisory board.