Jiobit

What Jiobit does

Jiobit, legally Jio Inc., is a Chicago-based hardware and software company that designs and sells the Jiobit Smart Tag, a compact real-time location tracker (18g, 37x50x12mm, IPX8 waterproof, up to 30-day battery) built around patented Progressive Beaconing Technology that switches between GPS, LPWA CatM1 cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to maintain connectivity indoors and outdoors. The device is paired with a free iOS and Android mobile app and is sold direct-to-consumer at $99.99–$149.99, with a mandatory monthly cellular data subscription (~$8.33/month or ~$100/year) plus optional premium tiers: Jiobit Plus (extended timeline, SMS/email alerts, desktop portal) and Jiobit Protect (Noonlight-powered SOS Mode, Alert Button, and 911 dispatch). Security is delivered through the proprietary TrustChip, a dedicated hardware security processor with government-level encryption and cryptographically signed firmware.

The company targets families with children, pet owners, caregivers of seniors with dementia, and families of individuals with special needs, with secondary exposure to government and law enforcement customers including an SBIR Phase II Award from the U.S. Air Force. Jiobit was founded in 2015 by former Motorola executive John Renaldi, secured approximately $12.5M in funding across 2016–2018, and was acquired by publicly listed Life360 (ASX: 360) for $37M in September 2021, after which it operates as a Chicago-based development center for Life360 with additional engineering presence in Silicon Valley. Distribution and certification remain US-only despite usage claims across every populated continent.

Name

Jiobit

Legal name

Jio Inc.

Website

https://jiobit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jiobit designs and sells a compact GPS/cellular/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth location tracker hardware-plus-subscription product for families, pet owners, seniors, and special-needs caregivers, operating as a Life360 subsidiary since its 2021 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wearable GPS Trackers

NAICS

Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (33421)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Care & Consumer Tracking IoT (Feeders, Pet Doors, GPS Trackers) (HSAPAQAL)

Keywords

• Wearable GPS trackers
• Personal safety devices
• Child location monitoring
• Pet tracking technology
• Real-time tracking systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Device Sales: Jiobit generates revenue from the sale of the Jiobit Smart Tag device. The device is sold directly through the company's website at $129.99 MSRP. One-time hardware purchase required to use the service.
2. Monthly Subscription (Cellular Data Plan): Jiobit requires a monthly subscription data plan to stay connected. The subscription includes national US and worldwide cellular data. Pricing starts at approximately $8.33/month (~$100/year). The subscription is required for the device to connect and transmit location data.
3. Premium Subscriptions (Plus and Protect): Jiobit offers premium subscription tiers: Jiobit Plus (30-day timeline, SMS/email notifications, desktop portal) and Jiobit Protect (911 emergency dispatch, Alert Button notifications, powered by Noonlight). These are premium add-ons to the base subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jiobit designs, manufactures, and sells a hardware-enabled real-time GPS location tracking platform built around the Jiobit Smart Tag — a small, waterproof, cellular-connected tracker for kids, pets, seniors, and special-needs individuals. The hardware is paired with a free mobile companion app and a recurring cellular data subscription that enables unlimited-distance tracking via combined GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LPWA CatM1 cellular radios.

Product overview

Jiobit, a subsidiary of Life360, offers a unified location tracking platform centered on the Jiobit Smart Tag hardware device paired with the Jiobit mobile app. The core offering consists of real-time GPS tracking with multi-radio technology (cellular, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) supporting unlimited distance tracking. Premium features are available through two subscription tiers: Jiobit Plus (extended timeline history, SMS/email notifications, desktop portal) and Jiobit Protect (911 emergency dispatch via Noonlight, SOS Mode, Alert Button). The product portfolio is complemented by attachment accessories including the Strap Clip, Secure Loop, Hem Lock Clip, Protective Silicon Sleeve, Pin Lock Pouch, Fabric Sleeve, and Flex Rings. The platform incorporates patented Progressive Beaconing Technology and Jiobit TrustChip hardware-level encryption for security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jiobit Smart Tag: The award-winning location monitor designed for people and pets - the world's smallest and longest-lasting real-time GPS tracker
• Jiobit Next
• Jiobit Plus
• Jiobit Protect

Products and services

• Jiobit Smart Tag (Gen 1) The original Jiobit Smart Tag is a waterproof (IP68), shock-resistant, real-time GPS tracker that combines GPS, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. Designed for kids, pets, seniors, and special-needs individuals, with up to 30-day battery life under ideal conditions.
• Jiobit Next Second-generation Jiobit Smart Tag device with an improved antenna system for better coverage in rural areas and signal-dead zones, leveraging LPWA CatM1 (5G-compatible) cellular networks for improved indoor and rural performance.
• Jiobit Mobile App Free iOS and Android companion application for the Jiobit Smart Tag. Delivers real-time location streaming, Care Team multi-user sharing, geofencing (Trusted Places), Live Mode turn-by-turn tracking, SOS Mode activation, Timeline history, and proximity/Bluetooth alerts.
• Jiobit Strap Clip Modular attachment accessory designed to lock the Jiobit Smart Tag onto backpack straps, belts, and pet collars. Includes a JioKey removal tool.
• Jiobit Secure Loop Attachment accessory for securing the Jiobit Smart Tag to button holes, belt loops, and other fabric loops.
• Jiobit Hem Lock Clip Attachment accessory for elastic waistbands, hems, and pockets, expanding the Jiobit Smart Tag's wearing options.
• Jiobit Protective Silicon Sleeve Custom-molded silicone sleeve that protects the Jiobit Smart Tag and is available in multiple colors for customization or camouflage.
• Jiobit Pin Lock Pouch Secure, tamper-resistant attachment pouch using a magnetic locking system that fully encloses the Jiobit Smart Tag and requires a special magnetic key for removal.
• Jiobit Fabric Sleeve Breathable fabric sleeve with an elastic loop for attaching the Jiobit Smart Tag to collars, leashes, belts, and buckles — popular for pet use.
• Jiobit Flex Rings Pack of six colored rings that absorb twisting and bending stress when the Jiobit Smart Tag is attached to rigid materials such as rigid collars or harnesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30-day battery life under ideal conditions (typically 1 week under normal use)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Life360coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2021Life360, the global leader in family location and safety services, acquired Jiobit for $37 million. Life360 is expanding its presence in the family safety space with Jiobit's hardware and integrated software solutions. Jiobit operates as a Chicago-based development center for Life360.
• NoonlightcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 March 2021Jiobit partnered with Noonlight to create Jiobit Protect, providing 24/7 monitoring service with direct link to 911 dispatch centers. When SOS Mode is activated, emergency details and real-time location are sent to professional dispatchers who contact users immediately. This integration eliminates the need for users to interface with 911 during emergencies.
• KultureCityminorOthers · 1 April 2019During Autism Awareness Month, Jiobit donates a portion of proceeds to KultureCity, a non-profit supporting individuals with autism and sensory disorders. This is a charitable partnership focused on community support rather than commercial benefit.
• AWS IoTcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 February 2017Jiobit works with AWS IoT to develop its secure wearable platform for kids. Amazon Web Services provides the cloud infrastructure for Jiobit's IoT device connectivity and data processing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tile: Consumer Bluetooth tracker brand (now owned by Life360, Jiobit's parent) competing in the same find-my-things category; both target the same household with subscription-attached tracking hardware.
• Apple AirTag: Apple's item/kid tracker leveraging the Find My network of over a billion Apple devices; closest direct competitor on form factor and real-time location updates, and a major share threat in the kids/pet use case.
• AngelSense: GPS tracker purpose-built for special-needs children, autistic individuals, and seniors with wandering alerts; highly comparable to Jiobit's special-needs and senior-care segments.
• Whistle (Tractive-style pet GPS): GPS pet-activity and location tracker with subscription; competes directly with Jiobit in the pet-owner segment, including feature parity on geofencing and activity monitoring.
• Tractive: Subscription-based GPS pet tracker popular in Europe and globally; directly competes with Jiobit on pet use cases and notably demonstrates the international distribution model Jiobit lacks.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin (inReach & GPS dog devices): Established GPS hardware incumbent with satellite communicators (inReach) and dedicated dog-tracking handhelds; overlaps with Jiobit on cellular/satellite-enabled tracking but operates as a broader wearables and outdoor-tech portfolio.
• Samsung SmartThings Tracker: Samsung's LTE-based location tag for people and pets, part of the broader SmartThings IoT platform; competes with Jiobit on real-time cellular tracking and benefits from Samsung's device ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Fi Smart Dog Collar: Premium GPS dog collar with LTE tracking and activity monitoring; focused exclusively on pets but comparable to Jiobit's pet segment in technology stack and subscription model.

Others

• Life360: Parent company and family-safety software platform; the channel through which Jiobit is distributed post-acquisition and the strategic owner that shapes Jiobit's go-to-market and product roadmap.
• Noonlight: Connected-safety and 911-dispatch platform that powers Jiobit Protect's SOS Mode; an ecosystem/integration partner rather than competitor, but a proxy for the broader personal-emergency-response software category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life360
• Instagraminstagram.com/jiobit
• Xx.com/jiobit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jiobit