Datamars

What Datamars does

Datamars SA is a Swiss-domiciled (Lamone, Switzerland) privately held RFID technology group founded in 1988 that designs, manufactures and sells identification, weighing, monitoring and data-management solutions across three core verticals: livestock management and animal-health delivery, pet identification and reunification, and industrial textile identification. The product stack spans passive and active RFID transponders (LaundryChip, NOVO, ORION, TARA, PersonalChip, Z Tags), EID readers, weigh scales and load bars, activity-monitoring collars (Tru-Test Active Tag), autonomous in-paddock weighing (Tru-Test WOW), GPS pet trackers (Kippy), needle-free injectors (Pulse NeedleFree), fence and farm-infrastructure systems (Speedrite, Stafix, Patriot, Prattley), and supporting cloud platforms such as PetLink for pet reunification and Connecterra for dairy data consolidation.

The company operates a vertically integrated model with transponder manufacturing, injection moulding and electronics assembly in-house across 3 R&D hubs and 6 production hubs in New Zealand, Slovakia, Thailand, Brazil, Spain and Switzerland, supported by regional commercial operations in 21+ countries. Revenue mechanics are predominantly B2B hardware sales — RFID tags, readers, weigh systems, handling equipment and injectors — complemented by subscription-style recurring revenue from cloud software (livestock management platforms, pet reunification databases, dairy analytics). Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct regional sales teams (ANZ, Latin America, Europe, North America, emerging markets), branded e-commerce storefronts (Tru-Test, Speedrite, Z Tags, PetLink, Textile-ID), and a North American dealer/distributor network (PartnerPlus) with a Trimble/ThingMagic technology partnership for UHF readers.

Growth has been driven by a deliberate acquisition programme (Zee Tags 2014, Simcro 2018, Prattley 2022, Serket majority stake 2022, Kippy 2023, Pulse NeedleFree 2024) and by sustainability positioning, including membership in the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the Brazilian Roundtable for Sustainable Livestock, and the 2024 launch of the independent Datamars Sustainability Foundation. With approximately 2,000 employees, an installed base of 250+ million RFID tags across 10,000+ installations in 40 countries, and a complete executive refresh in 2025 (new CEO, CFO, CCO Livestock), Datamars is positioning for what management describes as a 'strong 2026' anchored in regulated livestock traceability, smart-farming data services and connected pet wearables.

Name

Datamars

Legal name

Datamars SA

Website

https://datamars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Datamars (Datamars SA, Switzerland, founded 1988) is a global RFID technology company serving livestock producers, pet owners and industrial laundries with identification tags, readers, weighing, activity monitoring and cloud data platforms across 21+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RFID Identification and Animal/Textile Management Technology

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Herd Management Software & Identification (RFID, EID, Data Platforms) (AFAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock Precision Monitoring Software (Herd/Flock Analytics, Health Alerts) (AFAAAFAM), Livestock Identification, Traceability & Recordkeeping Services (Tagging, RFID) (AFAEALAF), Livestock Weighing, Sorting & Handling Facility Services (AFAEALAG), Livestock Identification & Recordkeeping Services (RFID Tagging, Traceability Setup) (AFACAEAH), Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

Keywords

• Livestock RFID identification
• Animal electronic identification
• Industrial laundry RFID
• Pet microchip reunification
• Livestock weighing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Livestock Identification Hardware: Sale of RFID tags, EID tags, visual tags, weigh scales, load bars, and animal handling equipment to livestock producers and farmers.
2. Pet Identification Products: Microchips, RFID identification products, GPS trackers, and reunification platform services for companion animals.
3. Textile RFID Solutions: Sale of RFID transponders (LaundryChips), readers, antennas, and integrated systems for industrial laundry and textile management.
4. Software and Data Platforms: Cloud-based software solutions for livestock management, pet reunification databases, and data analytics platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Datamars develops, manufactures, and sells RFID-based identification hardware (tags, transponders, EID readers, weighing scales, activity monitoring collars, GPS pet trackers, needle-free injectors, fencing systems, animal handling equipment) and complementary cloud-based software/data platforms for livestock management and animal health delivery, pet identification and reunification, and industrial textile identification. Its portfolio spans from patented LaundryChip UHF RFID transponders (used across 10,000+ laundries in 40 countries) to Tru-Test livestock weighing systems and the PetLink reunification platform, integrated with data analytics tools such as Connecterra.

Product overview

Datamars operates as a vertically integrated technology company offering three distinct business units: Livestock Management, Pet Identification and Reunification, and Textile Identification. The Livestock division encompasses Tru-Test weighing and EID solutions, Tru-Test Active Tag activity monitoring collars, Tru-Test Walk Over Weighing (WOW) systems, Z Tags RFID, Speedrite/Stafix fence management, Simcro/NJPhillips animal health delivery, Pulse Needleless Injector, Connecterra data consolidation platform, and Prattley handling equipment. The Pet ID division provides PetLink reunification platform with RFID identification hardware, plus Kippy GPS trackers acquired in 2023. The Textile ID division, originating from the 1990 invention of the LaundryChip, offers the NOVO transponder family (NOVOwork, NOVOlinen), ORION, TARA, and PersonalChip RFID tags, along with portal, cabinet and tunnel UHF reading systems. All divisions are supported by cloud-based software platforms for data management and insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tru-Test: Weighing and EID (Electronic Identification) solutions for livestock management
• Speedrite
• Stafix
• Z Tags
• PetLink
• Patriot
• Simcro
• NJ Phillips
• Connecterra
• LaundryChip
• Pulse Needleless Injector
• Walk Over Weighing (WOW)

Quantifiable outcome

• Bulk scanning of up to 1000 items in less than 10 seconds with 99%+ accuracy
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Brazilian Roundtable for Sustainable Livestock (MBPS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023Datamars joined as member to advance sustainable livestock production in Brazil, participating in working groups on traceability, land use, and animal welfare alongside DSM, Cargill, and industry organizations.
• Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2022Datamars joined GRSB to support sustainable beef production through leadership, science, and stakeholder engagement, aligning with global sustainability goals.
• OSPRIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2022Partnership with Agtrac (51% owned by Datamars) to provide streamlined TBFree programme solutions testing 2.6 million animals annually using Datamars Livestock software and hardware.
• AsureQualitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2022New Zealand government-owned organization using Datamars Livestock cloud software and app to test and track animals for tuberculosis disease, achieving significant productivity gains.
• AgtraccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2022Agricultural service provider 51% owned by Datamars developing solutions with Datamars Livestock software, readers, and training for livestock disease tracking.
• The Roslin InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020World-leading institute for animal science research partnering with Datamars on PigBoost developmental project to improve Ugandan pig smallholder productivity through data-driven breeding decisions.
• AbacusBiosupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Genetics specialists contributing expertise to PigBoost project alongside Datamars, The Roslin Institute, and Ugandan organizations.
• Vetline ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Ugandan-based veterinary organization partnering on PigBoost project to deliver technology and training to pig farmers.
• Makerere UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Ugandan university collaborating on PigBoost project with research and academic support for smallholder pig productivity improvements.
• Panthera BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Four-year partnership with Datamars Livestock to reduce jaguar retaliation killings by cattle farmers through electric fence solutions, supporting both conservation and sustainable agriculture.
• ThingMagic (Trimble)coreTechnology or Integration · 30 June 2014Collaboration to sell ThingMagic UHF readers as part of comprehensive UHF asset management and tracking system for industrial laundry applications in garment rental, healthcare, hotel, and party rental industries.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Allflex Livestock Intelligence (Merck Animal Health): Closest direct competitor in livestock visual and electronic identification (ear tags, RFID tags, readers). Acquired by Merck Animal Health in 2019 for ~$3.7B, giving it a far larger R&D budget and global pharmaceutical-distribution channel that competes head-to-head with Datamars Livestock.
• Nedap: Dutch technology company with a strong livestock management division (Nedap Livestock Management) offering cow identification, activity monitoring, and dairy farm automation that directly competes with Tru-Test Active Tag and WOW systems.
• Lely: Global leader in dairy farming automation (milking robots, feeding, barn equipment). Increasingly overlaps with Datamars Livestock in data-driven dairy management, competing for the same large-herd customers and channel partners.
• DeLaval: Large dairy farm solutions provider (Tetra Pak-owned) offering milking, cooling, and herd management technology. Competes with Datamars Livestock in dairy automation and farm infrastructure across global markets.
• HID Global (Animal ID): Offers RFID and identification solutions including animal identification tags and microchips, directly competing with Datamars Pet's microchip and PetLink reunification platform across veterinary and animal shelter channels.
• Tractive: Austrian GPS pet tracker company offering subscription-based activity and location monitoring for dogs and cats. Closely comparable to Datamars' Kippy GPS tracker acquired in 2023, with overlapping consumer pet-tech positioning.
• BouMatic: Global dairy milking equipment and farm management solutions provider that competes with Datamars Livestock in large-herd dairy operations, particularly for integrated farm infrastructure deals.

Broad incumbents

• Avery Dennison (Smartrac RFID): Through its Smartrac acquisition, Avery Dennison is a dominant supplier of UHF RFID inlays and tags for retail, apparel, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to Datamars Textile ID's LaundryChip, ORION, TARA, and NOVO families in the apparel RFID space.
• Impinj: US-based RFID chip and reader platform provider serving retail, logistics, and industrial verticals including some animal ID applications. A relevant infrastructure-level comparable given Datamars' reliance on RFID silicon and reader technology.

Emerging players

• Fi: US-based GPS dog collar company with a strong consumer subscription model. Comparable to Kippy as an emerging pet-tech entrant in the connected pet wearable category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TruTestGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/datamars-sa

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors9 records

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

M&A4 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Datamars