Cognesense Acquires Leading UK Explosion Protection Firms

Acquisition of Pyroban, Pyropress, Ex-tech, Petrel and Ex Solutions strengthens Cognesense's global capabilities in hazardous environment safety solutions.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 8:07am

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a polished metal cylinder, a sleek sensor module, and a set of industrial safety valves arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background, conceptually representing Cognesense's capabilities in industrial safety, environmental monitoring, and explosion protection.Cognesense's acquisition of leading UK explosion protection firms strengthens its integrated technology stack for industrial safety and environmental monitoring.Hillside Today

Cognesense, a worldwide technology company specializing in environmental measurement, monitoring and protection, has announced the acquisition of five leading UK-based providers of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions: Pyroban, Pyropress, Ex-tech, Petrel and Ex Solutions. These businesses will join Cognesense's portfolio alongside its existing brands Varec, L&J Technologies, Shand & Jurs and Sonitus Systems.

Why it matters

The acquisition deepens Cognesense's capabilities across its four critical impact areas: protecting the planet, safeguarding public health, preserving natural resources, and driving industrial safety and operational excellence. The combined company now offers a comprehensive technology stack from sensor to intelligence, providing 'certified plus intelligent' solutions for customers in highly regulated industries like energy, chemicals, aviation, and more.

The details

Cognesense is built around four critical areas of environmental impact, and the addition of the UK firms expands its expertise in explosion protection, hazardous-area compliance, inspection services and aftermarket support. The combined business now owns every layer of the technology stack from sensor to intelligence, including precision measurement, certified physical protection, real-time monitoring, terminal automation, environmental analytics and predictive intelligence.

  • Cognesense announced the acquisition on April 8, 2026.

The players

Cognesense

A worldwide technology company specializing in environmental measurement, monitoring and protection. Cognesense has acquired several leading firms to expand its capabilities in explosion protection and hazardous environment safety solutions.

Pyroban

A UK-based provider of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions, now part of the Cognesense portfolio.

Pyropress

A UK-based provider of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions, now part of the Cognesense portfolio.

Ex-tech

A UK-based provider of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions, now part of the Cognesense portfolio.

Petrel

A UK-based provider of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions, now part of the Cognesense portfolio.

Ex Solutions

A UK-based provider of ATEX and IECEx-certified explosion protection and safety solutions, now part of the Cognesense portfolio.

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What they’re saying

“'By bringing these businesses into Cognesense, we are deepening our ability to measure, monitor and protect across all four areas. AI is revolutionising digital workflows, but reliable intelligence starts with trusted data from the physical world. World-class certification expertise, combined with our Clairvoyance technology and analytics capabilities, means we can offer customers 'certified plus intelligent' solutions — one company for complete regulatory coverage.'”

— Paul Dhillon, CEO of Cognesense

“'We have built these businesses over decades by earning the trust of customers who operate in the most demanding and regulated environments on earth. Joining Cognesense means our customers now have access to an integrated technology stack from sensor to intelligence — while continuing to rely on the certified products and expert service they have always known. This is an exciting natural next step for our businesses and our people.'”

— Steve Noakes, Managing Director of Cognesense UK

What’s next

Cognesense plans to integrate the newly acquired UK firms into its existing operations, combining their expertise in explosion protection and hazardous environment safety with Cognesense's broader technology capabilities. The company aims to offer customers a comprehensive 'certified plus intelligent' solution stack covering measurement, monitoring and protection across regulated industries.

The takeaway

This acquisition strengthens Cognesense's position as a global leader in environmental measurement, monitoring and protection technologies. By bringing together specialized expertise in explosion protection and hazardous environment safety with its existing analytics and intelligence capabilities, Cognesense is poised to provide innovative, end-to-end solutions for customers in highly regulated industries.