GelSight, Inc

WALTHAM, MA · Founded 2011 · Robotics · Private

High-resolution tactile sensor based on elastomeric imaging technology that digitizes touch through compact optical and illumination configurations

New patent · Oct 13

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Updated Oct 23, 2026 · gelsight.com

Sector: Robotics
Headquarters: WALTHAM, MA
Founded: 2011
Latest Form D: $1.0M, Feb 2023
Total capital: $22.9M

Federal grants: $3.1M; 3 awards · 2017–2025; Rank in peer group#12 of 17
Private capital raised: $13.2M; 4 Form D · last Feb 2023; 44 months since last filing
Federal contracts: $6.6M; 18 awards · Justice, Defense, NASA; Rank in Robotics#18 of 544
Granted patents: 13; 27 pending · first 2020; Rank in peer group#4 of 17

Capital timeline

Latest events

Apr 2026Federal contractNASA · Gelsight Gs Mobile System Purchase$57K
Oct 2025Federal contractDefense · Compact Tactile Fingertips For Intelligent Grasping In Industrial Environments$1.3M
Sep 2025Federal contractDefense · Gelsight Max Mobile/software License/surface Pro/cartridge/certificate Of Calibration/training Iaw Item Description$58K
Aug 2025Federal contractDefense · Gelsight System$53K
Jun 2025Federal contractDefense · This Is A Sequential Phase II Requirement Arising Under SBIR Topic NSF 17 544 High-resolution Digital Tactile Sensors For Streamlined Maintenance Workflows Funding For: Tacfi Gelsight, Inc. PY25.2PROPOSAL Number: F2-18998 Topic Number: NSF 17-544$2M
Jun 2025Federal grantDefense · Phase II · This Is A Sequential Phase II Requirement Arising Under SBIR Topic NSF 17 544 High-resolution Digital Tactile Sensors For Streamlined Maintenance Workflows Funding For: Tacfi Gelsight, Inc. PY25.2PROPOSAL Number: F2-18998 Topic Number: NSF 17-544$2M
Jan 2025Federal contractDefense · Gelsight Software$2K
Feb 2023Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 4th filing$1.0M
Oct 2021Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 3rd filing$6M
Aug 2019Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 2nd filing$6.2M
Jul 2014Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 1st filing$40K

Show 14 earlier federal awards

Sep 2024Federal contractDefense · Software License$59K
Sep 2024Federal contractDefense · Handheld 3D Surface Analyzer$46K
Aug 2024Federal contractDefense · One (1) Gs Max System Standard Pro Package With One (1) Microsoft Surface Pro.$50K
Jul 2024Federal contractDefense · Gelsight Surface Inspection 3D Modeler Or Equal In Accordance With (iaw) The Item Description And Statement Of Work.$44K
Sep 2023Federal contractDefense · Purchase Gelsight 3D Tactile Sensor$43K
Sep 2023Federal contractDefense · Elastomeric Inspection Study$2.7M
Sep 2023Federal contractNASA · Wstf - RD111 - Gelsight$31K
Mar 2023Federal contractDefense · Gelsight Mobile SERIES-2 System$40K
Sep 2021Federal contractDefense · Handheld 3D Gel Sensor$30K
Apr 2021Federal contractDefense · Gelsight Mobile (military)$26K
Apr 2020Federal grantNSF · Phase II · SBIR Phase II: A High-Resolution Digital Fingertip$874K
Dec 2017Federal grantNSF · Phase I · SBIR Phase I: A High-Resolution Digital Fingertip$194K
Jul 2013Federal contractJustice · Lab Equipment$43K
Feb 2013Federal contractJustice · Lab Equip$43K

Node area is scaled to amount. Form D reports securities sold, which can differ from an announced round; filings are numbered in the order they were made.

Federal first

17months

from GelSight, Inc’s first federal award to its first private round.

First federal award · Feb 2013: Justice · $43K
First Form D · Jul 2014: $40K · 1st Form D
Awards before first raise: 2 awards

An association in public records, not a cause or a prediction.

Standing among 17 peers

Line = median

Robotics · Device

Federal grantsBelow median
Granted patents#4 · top 24%

Cumulative measures favor older companies. Rankings describe position today, not outcome. Below the median, ranks show as a band rather than a number.

Founders and team

Researcher links verified by same-company patents and grants

Janos Kimo RohalyResearcherExecutive Officer, DirectorLinked by 2 patents
Micah K JohnsonResearcherExecutive Officer, DirectorLinked by $1.1M in grants as PI
David A HurleyDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Edward Kimo AdelsonDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Elliot K. KatzmanDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
John K. HoDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings

Show all 12 people

Lt. General Judith A FedderDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Pierre K. VilleneuveDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Rony K. AbovitzDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Vice Admiral David K. BussDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
William J. YostExecutive Officer, DirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Youssef BenmokhtarExecutive Officer, DirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings

What it has protected

USPTO · 13 granted of 40

Oct 13, 2026New patentAbrasion-resistant CompositeUSPTOUS 12,759,263
Aug 4, 2026GrantedGel Compositions With Tunable HardnessUSPTOUS 12,698,364
Jul 30, 2026PendingSystems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceUSPTOApplication 19372143

Show all 40 patent records

Abrasion-resistant CompositeOct 13, 2026 · US 12,759,263Granted
Gel Compositions With Tunable HardnessAug 4, 2026 · US 12,698,364Granted
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceJul 30, 2026 · Application 19372143Pending
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsApr 7, 2026 · US 12,598,369Granted
Systems And Methods For Touch SensingFeb 26, 2026 · Application 19253895Pending
Motion Compensation Using Illumination SuperpositionFeb 19, 2026 · Application 19367625Pending
Fluid Tactile SensorsJan 1, 2026 · Application 19237556Pending
Systems And Methods For Touch SensingJul 1, 2025 · US 12,346,524Granted
Fluid Tactile SensorsJun 17, 2025 · US 12,332,046Granted
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceMay 15, 2025 · Application 18797405Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceJan 30, 2025 · Application 18764042Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceDec 5, 2024 · Application 18671910Pending
Retrographic SensorsNov 21, 2024 · Application 18542988Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceSep 26, 2024 · Application 18614669Pending
Retrographic Sensor CartridgeSep 24, 2024 · US D1,043,990Granted
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceAug 29, 2024 · Application 18427502Pending
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsAug 27, 2024 · US 12,075,148Granted
Retrographic Sensor CartridgeAug 13, 2024 · US D1,038,773Granted
Retrographic SensingJul 25, 2024 · Application 18627060Pending
Abrasion-resistant CompositeJul 4, 2024 · Application 18428467Pending
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsJun 11, 2024 · US 12,010,415Granted
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceJun 6, 2024 · Application 18179348Pending
Retrographic SensorsDec 19, 2023 · US 11,846,499Granted
Retrographic Sensor CartridgeJun 20, 2023 · US D,989,637Granted
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsMar 30, 2021 · US 10,965,854Granted
Continuous Contact-based Three-dimensional MeasurementFeb 25, 2020 · US 10,574,944Granted
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsJan 9, 2020 · Application 16491032Pending
Methods of and Systems for Three-Dimensional Digital Impression and Visualization of Objects Through an ElastomerApr 17, 2014 · Application 14056817Pending
Retrographic Sensors with Air Egress and Low FrictionApplication 62727816Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceApplication PCTUS2025052973Pending
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsApplication 62467783Pending
Continuous Contact-based Three-dimesnsional MeasurementApplication PCTUS2014022196Pending
Methods Of And Systems For Three-dimensional Digital Impression And Visualization Of Objects Through An ElastomerApplication PCTUS2013065523Pending
Methods of and Systems for Inspection and Measurement of Relatively Large SurfacesApplication 61774953Pending
Surface Topography Measurement SystemsApplication PCTUS2018021217Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceApplication 63712903Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceApplication PCTUS2024041367Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceApplication PCTUS2024036832Pending
Systems And Methods For Tactile IntelligenceApplication PCTUS2024030652Pending
Motion Compensation Using Illumination SuperpositionApplication PCTUS2024026088Pending

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Sources

Federal grants from SBIR/STTR, NIH, NSF and DoD records. Federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Private capital from SEC Form D. Patents from USPTO. Publications from OpenAlex. Regulatory activity from the Federal Register. Press matched on company name.

How to read this page

Figures show associations in public records, not causes or predictions. Nothing here is investment advice. An em-dash means no record was found under this company's name, not that none exists.

Data freshness

SEC Form D filings through Oct 23, 2026. SBIR and STTR awards through Oct 21, 2026.