Softbank-Backed IoT Company Releases Starter Kit

Wiliot, an Internet of Things provider whose combination of self-powered, stamp-sized computers and cloud-based privacy and sensing enables trillions of “things” to communicate with manufacturers, has announced the Wiliot Starter Kit.

Wiliot is a SaaS company whose platform uses IoT Pixel tagging technology and tiny computers that power themselves to add intelligence to logistics and supply chains. The IoT Pixels can sense a range of physical and environmental data, such as temperature, fill level, motion, location changes, humidity, and proximity. The solution can be added to plastic crates, pharmaceuticals, packaging, clothes, and other products, connecting them to the internet and changing the way things are made, distributed, sold, used, reused, and recycled.

The kit contains everything retailers need to use the IoT solution, including the stamp-sized computers – the IoT Pixels – pre-mounted on both cardboard and a coffee cup. The kit also includes small Bluetooth bridge devices that energize and read the IoT Pixel tags. The harvested data is relayed to the Wiliot Cloud via gateways, including smartphones, via the Wiliot mobile app – which is now compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Through the Starter Kit, retailers can explore potential use cases, from inventory management, consumption monitoring, anti-counterfeiting, product traceability, and more. The Starter Kit’s “Open Release” enables any retailer or brand to begin working with Wiliot. Previously, the company’s controlled-release initiative was only open to a select group of the world’s largest retailers and brands.

“This is a milestone in democratizing the Internet of Things”, said Tony Small, Wiliot’s Chief Business Officer. “We chose NRF because it represents a gathering of the entire ecosystem of industry leaders – partners, retailers, brands – who will appreciate the power of the Starter Kit and its ability to scale access to Wiliot’s vision of IoT.

“That vision – which is now a reality – is to transform the Internet of expensive Things to the Internet of everyday Things by adding intelligence and connectivity to everything from packaging to containers and clothing – for just pennies”.

The launch of the Wiliot Starter Kit comes on the heels of a $200M venture capital round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2.

You can find more information about the Wiliot Starter Kit on the company’s website.

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