Seek Thermal™ Announces It Will Bring Next-Generation Thermal Imaging To Mass Market

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- After two years in stealth mode, Seek Thermal today announced that it is readying a consumer device that will bring true thermal imaging to the consumer market. Seek Thermal was founded by a team of industry pioneers who have spent decades advancing the state of military and professional-grade thermal technology. The company's new consumer camera will be available this fall and will be the smallest, most powerful and least expensive device of its kind.

Co-founders Bill Parrish and Tim Fitzgibbons have raised $30 million in funding, from private equity and institutional investors. Seek Thermal is Parrish's third thermal startup, and the first to focus on the consumer market. He and Fitzgibbons direct a world-class team of engineers, and have assembled a leadership team being led by President and CEO Robert Acker. The company is based in Santa Barbara, home to the world's foremost research and development facilities in thermal or infrared technology.

Thermal imaging measures heat and, based on even the slightest temperature differences, transforms it into a visual image. Unlike visible light, all objects radiate heat, or infrared "light," that can be seen by true thermal cameras. Whether in daylight or complete darkness, the average consumer will for the first time be able to see heat. The Seek Thermal Camera will allow people to find their cat hiding in a hedge, spot where heat is escaping from inefficient insulation, trace a water leak across a wall, know where a frying pan or grill is too hot or cold, or find objects floating in the water off a boat at night. The possibilities are literally endless.

"The high price of thermal imaging products have always restricted their use to firefighters, law enforcement professionals, high end contractors and military personnel," said Acker. "Seek Thermal will enable average consumers to 'see heat' for the first time. The killer app will be different for different people, but our beta testers are already identifying dozens of applications in home improvement, security, cooking, health and other areas."

For the past two years, Seek has worked in close collaboration with defense and aerospace leader, Raytheon, as well as Freescale, a leader in embedded processing solutions. Together the companies have developed a breakthrough 32,000 thermal pixel imaging chip. Combined with Seek's proprietary software and custom lenses, the resulting camera core will for the first time enable high quality thermal imaging at true consumer price points.

Seek is working with a variety of product manufacturers who are developing custom cameras around its core. The company will also release its own line of smartphone-connected cameras for both iOS and Android devices this fall.

About Seek Thermal
Seek Thermal is making high quality thermal imaging available at consumer price points. With global headquarters in Santa Barbara, California, the global hub of thermal imaging innovation, the company has developed a breakthrough camera core that will enable a range of affordable products for use at home, work and play. For more information visit www.thermal.com.

SOURCE Seek Thermal