Sequoia Scientific, Inc. began operations in February 1995. The company's main business is to manufacture scientific instruments and software, and carry out academic research.

The company's technological expertise is in electro-optics. As such, it began with the LISST-100 laser particle size distribution analyzer as its first product. Soon thereafter, derivative LISST products were added: LISST-ST for settling velocity distribution observations, and the LISST-25 suspended sediment concentration sensor. The company began manufacture of the capacitance based water-level sensor AQUAROD in 1997 under license from the U of Washington, Seattle. The highly successful scientific software product HYDROLIGHT was transitioned from research to a commercial product in 1998. The newest product, LISST-Portable was introduced in the year 2000.

Sequoia maintains multiple research and instrument development contracts funded by various sources, including the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and other recognizable commercial and government sponsors. These research contracts involve theoretical and observational studies in sediment transport in marine boundary layers, and in optical oceanography.

Sequoia Scientific, Inc. is located in Redmond, Washington, thirty minutes east of downtown Seattle. All research and commercial activities of the company are performed at the Redmond facility.