Teledyne FLIR and Teledyne DALSA Company Profile: History, Ownership and Products
Updated: 7 days ago
Teledyne FLIR and Teledyne DALSA are two imaging businesses of Teledyne Technologies: one known for thermal cameras, the other for image sensors and industrial cameras. FLIR was founded in 1978 and bought by Teledyne in 2021 for USD 8 billion; DALSA was founded in 1980 in Waterloo, Ontario. This profile sets out their history, ownership and products.
At a Glance
Fact | Teledyne FLIR | Teledyne DALSA |
Founded | 1978 | 1980 |
Founder | Not stated | Savvas Chamberlain |
Headquarters | Wilsonville, Oregon | Waterloo, Ontario |
Employees | 4,179 in 2020 | About 1,000 in 2011 |
Parent | Teledyne Technologies | Teledyne Technologies |
Main products | Thermal imaging cameras and sensors | Image sensors, cameras, frame grabbers and software |
Teledyne FLIR
FLIR Systems was founded in 1978 to develop infrared imaging systems for use on aircraft. It went public in 1993 and grew through acquisitions. For machine vision the most relevant was Point Grey Research, bought in 2016 for USD 259 million. Revenue in 2020 was USD 1.923 billion. Teledyne Technologies announced in January 2021 that it would buy the company for USD 8 billion, and the deal closed in May 2021, when the business became Teledyne FLIR LLC.
Key milestones
1978: Founded.
1993: Initial public offering.
1998: Acquires Agema Infrared Systems.
2004: Acquires Indigo Systems for USD 190 million.
2010: Acquires Raymarine.
2016: Acquires Point Grey Research for USD 259 million.
2019: Acquires Aeryon Labs and Endeavor Robotics.
May 2021: Acquired by Teledyne.
Teledyne DALSA
Savvas Chamberlain, a former professor of electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo, founded DALSA in 1980. It listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1996, bought a wafer foundry in Bromont from Zarlink Semiconductor in 2002 and acquired Coreco in 2005. Image sensors made by the company were used on NASA's Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity Mars rovers.
Key milestones
1980: Founded in Waterloo.
1996: Listed in Toronto.
2002: Bromont wafer foundry acquired.
2005: Coreco acquired.
2023: Linea2 4k multispectral line scan camera announced.
Products
Business | Products |
Teledyne FLIR | Thermal imaging cameras and sensors for government, defense, security and industrial use; machine vision cameras from the Point Grey line |
Teledyne DALSA | Image sensors, area and line scan cameras, frame grabbers, imaging software, MEMS and high-voltage chips |
Can You Invest?
Not in either business directly. Both belong to Teledyne Technologies, which is a listed company. This is general information, not investment advice.
What Is Not Covered
The date and price of Teledyne's acquisition of DALSA, current employee numbers and current division leadership are not stated consistently in the sources used, so they are left out.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
Deep sensor technology, including the group's own chip manufacturing.
A leading name in thermal imaging.
A broad camera range for industrial vision.
Challenges
Two large product families with overlapping brands.
Strong competition in standard machine vision cameras.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 21 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
Teledyne FLIR and DALSA FAQ
Who owns FLIR?
Teledyne Technologies, which completed the USD 8 billion acquisition in May 2021.
When was FLIR founded?
In 1978.
Who founded DALSA?
Savvas Chamberlain, in 1980 in Waterloo, Ontario.
What does Teledyne DALSA make?
Image sensors, cameras, frame grabbers and imaging software.
What happened to Point Grey Research?
FLIR acquired it in 2016 for USD 259 million.
Sources
Wikipedia: Teledyne FLIR
Wikipedia: Teledyne DALSA
