From Larvik to the world: BabySensor brings Norwegian sensor technology into the nursery

BabySensor was founded in 2018 by Anita Fevang, a sociologist and mother of four. But the idea began when the father of her newborn baby woke up night after night to check that the little one was okay. He wanted more than sound and video. He wanted enough information to feel reassured and actually go back to sleep.

Fevang knew that worry well herself. It made her question the solutions already on the market: Why should parents have to choose between a traditional baby monitor offering only sound and video, and a sock that measures the baby’s signals but can give false alerts?

The answer was to bring more information together in one solution. Today, the company is based in Larvik in Vestfold, developing technology designed to give parents greater peace of mind, a better overview and a little less worry in everyday life.

BabySensor Relax is a smart baby monitor consisting of a soft sensor wristband, a base station, an HD camera and a mobile app. Together, these give parents information about their baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels, skin and room temperature, sound and video, as well as crying, movement and changes in readings. The app also stores historical data, allowing parents to follow changes over time.

When something changes, parents receive an alert directly on their phone. Built-in 4G connectivity also means the system can be used outside the home Wi-Fi network, where mobile coverage and the service are available.

The sensor uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a wireless technology with low power consumption. BabySensor has also focused on material choices and physical safety in developing the wristband, which has been tested for falls and large temperature variations in collaboration with the University of South-Eastern Norway.

BabySensor Relax is a consumer product and is not classified as a medical device. It is not a substitute for medical care. There is also a version for twins.

Turning the idea into a product took time. For more than eight years, BabySensor has worked with researchers, technologists, designers and international development teams. The work has received support from organisations including Innovation Norway, the Research Council of Norway, and European research and innovation programmes.

The journey has taken the company from an idea and years of research to a commercial product with customers in Norway and nearly 40 international markets. BabySensor is now expanding its distribution in Europe while exploring opportunities in the UK, the US, the Middle East, South America and India.

What sets BabySensor apart is its combination of sensor technology, user-friendly design and an understanding of what parents actually need. A traditional baby monitor lets parents hear and see their child. BabySensor goes a step further, providing information about the baby’s physical signals as well.

The idea is simple: the technology can be advanced on the inside, but it should be easy to use on the outside. It reflects values the team associates with Norway: trust, quality, care and a belief that technology should make people’s lives better.

Fevang believes Norway’s strengths are an important part of that story:

“Norway has strong research communities, a high level of technological expertise and a culture of putting people first. BabySensor is an example of how we can use these strengths to develop products that address universal challenges.”

The product is relevant both for families with healthy babies and for babies who may need some extra attention, for example because they were born prematurely.

For some parents of premature babies, the move from hospital to home is a big step. They may have spent weeks surrounded by professional support and continuous monitoring. Then, suddenly, they are home with a healthy baby and told to trust their instincts and simply “watch the baby.” That can feel daunting. Some parents take the advice quite literally and sleep in shifts.

BabySensor wants to help bridge the gap between continuous monitoring in hospital and no monitoring at home, reducing unnecessary worry and supporting families through a demanding transition.

The company is also developing contactless sensor technology through its PreCare research project, aimed at premature and sick babies. The project grew out of a Eurostars project and is being developed further with support from the Research Council of Norway and Regional Research Funds, in collaboration with Østfold University College and hospitals in Norway and abroad.

For a small Norwegian company with international ambitions, building trust matters when meeting new distributors, partners and customers. Norway is associated internationally with quality, responsibility, strong research communities and technological expertise, and these are values BabySensor wants to represent.

For the team, being Norwegian is about more than geography. It is about where the idea began, the expertise behind the technology and design, and the values that have shaped the product.

“We are proud to be a Norwegian entrepreneurial company. The Made in Norway label helps us tell the story of where we come from, what we stand for and what Norwegian technology can contribute internationally. Our ambition is for BabySensor to become a name that parents around the world associate with innovation, quality and peace of mind,” concludes Fevang.