Sensel was a Sunnyvale, California electronics company that developed touch, force-sensing and haptics technology for computing devices. Founded in 2013 by former Amazon Lab126 engineers Ilya Rosenberg and Aaron Zarraga, it invented PressureGrid, a sensor architecture combining high-precision position tracking, multi-finger force sensing and haptic feedback in a module about 3mm thick. Its Morph input pad won Best in Show at SXSW 2017 and was discontinued in 2022. Sensel haptic touchpads shipped in Lenovo ThinkPad X1, Microsoft Surface and Dell XPS laptops. In April 2025 Cirque Corporation, an Alps Alpine subsidiary, acquired its intellectual property, assets and trademarks.
Sensel has been acquired
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
2013
Employees
51–200
Total Funding
$63.4M
5 rounds
Cirque Corporation, an Alps Alpine subsidiary, took over Sensel's haptic forcepad business and acquired its IP, physical assets and trademarks; terms undisclosed.
Sensel no longer operates independently; sensel.com now redirects to Cirque's site.
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Total raised $63.4M across 5 rounds
Last updated 09-18-2026
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2024 | Series B-II | $16.16M | — | Not disclosed |
| Jun 15, 2022 | Series B Press release | $18.8M | — | Global Lighting Technologies |
| Mar 3, 2020 | Series A TechCrunch | $28M | — | Susquehanna International Group |
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Synaptics
Public semiconductor company that supplies touch, display, and biometric ICs and touchpad solutions to PC and mobile OEMs.
Immersion
Public haptics technology licensor with broad IP across haptic feedback for mobile, automotive, and gaming devices.
Boréas Technologies
Piezo-haptic driver IC startup providing low-power haptic actuator solutions for laptops, automotive, and wearables.
TDK (NextInput)
Force-sensing MEMS technology (acquired by TDK) used in smartphones and HMI applications, competing in force/touch sensing.
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