Vortex IoT
Vortex IoT designs and deploys maintenance-free IoT sensor systems — including MCERTS-certified air quality monitors, vehicle-mounted LiDAR urban scanners, parking sensors, and rail infrastructure monitors — for UK local authorities, heavy industry, and rail operators, distributed via G-Cloud and channel partners as a Marston Holdings subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSwansea, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vortex IoT does
Vortex IoT is a Wales-based IoT and smart city technology company founded in 2017 by Adrian Sutton and Dr. Behzad Heravi, headquartered in Neath with manufacturing operations, and acquired by Marston Holdings in January 2022. It designs and deploys environmental monitoring and infrastructure management sensor systems — primarily air quality monitors (VTX Air, MCERTS-certified for PM2.5 and PM10), vehicle-mounted continuous urban scanners using LiDAR and HD cameras (VTX City), real-time parking sensors (VTX Park), remote infrastructure monitors for rail and highways (VTX Infra), and a self-healing, self-forming decentralised wireless mesh network (VTX Mesh) — supplemented by the RODIO rail intrusion and obstruction detection product line co-developed with Network Rail, Tata Steel, and Fincore under Innovate UK funding. AI and machine learning are embedded across the stack for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, computer vision-based defect classification, and edge-based auto-recalibration of sensor drift. Customers include UK local authorities (notably the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as the flagship 500-sensor reference deployment), Network Rail, Tata Steel, a large European steel producer, Cardiff Rugby Club, the Irish Heart Foundation, and international deployments across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Revenue is generated through a combination of hardware sales, managed network services, and recurring data and analytics subscriptions, distributed via direct enterprise sales, the UK G-Cloud framework, and channel partners including Lyreco (Wales), TECH9 (Middle East), and technology co-development partners such as Thales, Hitachi Vantara, Cepton, Dell EMC, and AWS.
Vortex IoT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vortex IoT
- Legal name
- Vortex IOT Limited
- Website
- https://vortexiot.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vortex IoT designs and deploys maintenance-free IoT sensor systems — including MCERTS-certified air quality monitors, vehicle-mounted LiDAR urban scanners, parking sensors, and rail infrastructure monitors — for UK local authorities, heavy industry, and rail operators, distributed via G-Cloud and channel partners as a Marston Holdings subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vortex IoT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental IoT Sensors and Smart City Hardware
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (56162)
- SIC
- Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Continuous/Remote Monitoring Systems (IoT Sensors, Telemetry, Networks) (EUAHACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Site Security, Monitoring & Remote Operations (NOC/IoT) (HDAIAKAH), Physical Security, Access Control & Visitor Management (HSAPAPAD)
Keywords
Where Vortex IoT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Swansea
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vortex IoT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Environmental Monitoring Hardware: Sale of air quality monitors (VTX Air), urban scanners (VTX City), parking sensors (VTX Park), and infrastructure monitors (VTX Infra) to local authorities and industrial clients.
- Network Services: VTX Mesh wireless communication network services enabling IoT connectivity for deployed sensors and third-party devices.
- Rail Infrastructure Solutions: RODIO system sales and monitoring services for Network Rail and rail operators for intrusion/obstruction detection and remote condition monitoring.
- Data and Analytics Services: Real-time data dashboards, actionable insights, and reporting services integrated with traffic management and environmental monitoring systems.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Vortex IoT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vortex IoT manufactures and sells maintenance-free IoT sensor hardware and supporting software for environmental monitoring and smart city applications. Its portfolio includes air quality monitors (VTX Air), vehicle-mounted LiDAR urban scanners (VTX City), parking occupancy sensors (VTX Park), remote infrastructure monitors (VTX Infra), and a decentralised self-healing mesh network (VTX Mesh), plus the RODIO rail intrusion and obstruction detection system. Offerings are sold primarily to local authorities, public sector bodies, and heavy industry operators for environmental compliance and infrastructure management.
Product overview
Vortex IoT offers a portfolio of five environmental monitoring and smart city products. VTX Air provides air quality monitoring for cities and industry with MCERTS-certified sensors measuring particulate matter and gases. VTX City delivers continuous urban scanning using vehicle-mounted LiDAR for road and asset condition monitoring. VTX Park offers real-time parking detection for congestion reduction. VTX Infra enables remote infrastructure monitoring for rail, highways, and urban roads. VTX Mesh serves as the underlying decentralised wireless mesh network that connects all Vortex IoT devices, providing secure and self-healing communication across deployments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VTX Air: Air quality monitoring sensors for cities and industry - maintenance-free environmental monitors measuring PM2.5, PM10, and gaseous pollutants.
- VTX City
- VTX Park
- VTX Infra
- VTX Mesh
- RODIO
Products and services
- VTX Air Maintenance-free air quality monitoring sensor for cities and industry. Measures PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, CO2, and SO2 with hyperlocal spatial resolution and remote configuration. MCERTS-certified for regulatory compliance and supported on the VTX Mesh SIM-free network with a 5-year lifetime warranty.
- VTX City (Continuous Urban Scanner) Vehicle-mounted LiDAR and HD camera system that autonomously monitors road and kerbside condition, classifies surface defects, and supports predictive maintenance and smart city asset management via V2I.
- VTX Park Real-time parking space detection sensor for smart cities. Monitors parking occupancy, analyses usage, identifies restricted-parking violations, and helps reduce congestion by guiding drivers to available spaces.
- VTX Infra Remote condition monitoring solution for smart asset management. Provides real-time monitoring of rail, highways, and city road infrastructure with operational incident notifications to support predictive maintenance and reduce unplanned downtime.
- VTX Mesh Decentralised, wireless mesh network enabling widespread IoT device connectivity. Provides secure, self-healing, and self-forming end-to-end communication between sensors and devices without SIM card dependence.
- RODIO (Rail Optical Detection of Intrusions and Obstructions) Rail-specific IoT intrusion and obstruction detection system using LiDAR, AI, edge computing, and the mesh network. Detects trespassing, rock fall, cable theft, animals on line, and earth movements for Network Rail and other rail operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% improvement in air quality in Hammersmith & Fulham
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Vortex IoT
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vortex IoT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Vortex IoT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Lyreco UK and IrelandcoreKey reseller under Cymru Clean Air Scheme, one of six Welsh suppliers in Well-Being Wales programme supported by Welsh Government. Partnership simplifies access to award-winning air quality monitors for Welsh public sector.
- Thales NDECcorePartnership with world-class technology provider and global market leader Thales to bring products to market using best-of-breed emerging technologies with global scale appeal to solve business and societal challenges.
- Dell EMCcoreProvides Dell EMC with IoT sensors and technology to link physical infrastructure with digital cloud networks. Dell EMC is a powerhouse in data storage, cloud computing, cybersecurity, virtualization, and AI analytics.
- Hitachi VantaracorePartners to deliver innovative rail asset monitoring technology RODIO as part of proposed solution for level crossing safety and rail infrastructure asset monitoring in UK.
- CeptoncorePartnership to turn UK buses into real-time road inspection tools using Cepton's LiDAR-based solutions. Enables award-winning V2I solution for urban asset management.
- National ExpresscorePartnership to run trials and pilot programs for VTX City continuous urban scanner technology on National Express buses operating 1,550 vehicles in West Midlands. Testing CURBS technology before wider national rollout.
- TECH9coreHighly experienced engineering company in Qatar supporting oil, gas, petrochemical, and infrastructure industries. Delivery and service partners for Middle East deployments.
- Amazon Web ServicescoreBuilds comprehensive end-to-end hybrid cloud solution using AWS high-powered and cost-effective products. Enables rapid integration of deep learning techniques to improve data quality.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vortex IoT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aeroqual: New Zealand-based maker of air quality monitors and the AQMesh hyperlocal outdoor air quality sensor network. Closely comparable to VTX Air in product form factor, MCERTS-equivalent regulatory positioning (US EPA approval), and sales into cities and industrial sites.
- Clarity Movement: US-based operator of hyperlocal air quality sensor networks serving governments and enterprises (notably NextEra/Google integrations). Direct match to Vortex's Hammersmith & Fulham-style dense deployment model with PM and gas monitoring.
- Kunak: Spanish manufacturer of wireless air quality monitoring stations and environmental IoT sensors. Comparable product mix (multi-parameter gas + particulate, mesh wireless), reference-grade certification positioning, and direct sales to municipalities and industry.
- Aclima: US-based provider of hyperlocal air quality and climate intelligence combining dense sensor networks with advanced analytics. Direct overlap with Vortex on the 'sensor network plus AI attribution' value proposition and government/enterprise customer base.
- EarthSense: UK-based provider of Zephyr air quality sensors and dispersion modelling. Strong geographic overlap with Vortex (UK smart cities and environment agencies) and a similar multi-sensor air quality product targeting local authorities.
Broad incumbents
- Sensirion: Swiss manufacturer of environmental and gas sensors used in many air quality monitors including competing networks. Comparable sensor-level technology, broader industrial and automotive footprint, and significantly greater scale than Vortex.
- Honeywell: Global industrial conglomerate with a broad environmental monitoring portfolio (sensors, compliance reporting, building controls). Competes in the same regulatory-grade air and emissions monitoring RFPs that Vortex targets post-MCERTS.
- Siemens: Operates smart infrastructure businesses covering building automation, urban mobility, and environmental sensing. Competes with Vortex's smart city / smart building play at the portfolio level rather than a dedicated air quality product.
- Campbell Scientific: Established environmental measurement equipment manufacturer (data loggers, weather, air quality). Adjacent competitor in regulated environmental and infrastructure monitoring, with deeper heritage but less of a smart-city GTM focus.
Emerging players
- Libelium: Spanish IoT sensor platform vendor (Waspmote, Pervasive Technologies) covering air quality, water, agriculture, and parking. Similar customer base and integration partner motion; partial overlap with VTX Park and VTX Air.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vortex IoT social profiles
Digital presenceVortex IoT compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Vortex IoT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vortex IoT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Vortex IoT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vortex IoT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vortex IoT
What does Vortex IoT do?
Vortex IoT manufactures and sells maintenance-free IoT sensor hardware and supporting software for environmental monitoring and smart city applications. Its portfolio includes air quality monitors (VTX Air), vehicle-mounted LiDAR urban scanners (VTX City), parking occupancy sensors (VTX Park), remote infrastructure monitors (VTX Infra), and a decentralised self-healing mesh network (VTX Mesh), plus the RODIO rail intrusion and obstruction detection system. Offerings are sold primarily to local authorities, public sector bodies, and heavy industry operators for environmental compliance and infrastructure management.
Is Vortex IoT a public or private company?
Vortex IoT is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Vortex IoT founded?
Vortex IoT was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vortex IoT based?
Vortex IoT is headquartered in Swansea, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Vortex IoT make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Environmental Monitoring Hardware is the primary driver. The others are network Services, rail Infrastructure Solutions and data and Analytics Services.
Who are Vortex IoT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aeroqual, Clarity Movement, Kunak, Aclima and EarthSense. Broad incumbents are Sensirion, Honeywell, Siemens and Campbell Scientific. Libelium is listed as an emerging player.
Does Vortex IoT have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vortex IoT.
What industry is Vortex IoT in?
Vortex IoT's product category is Environmental IoT Sensors and Smart City Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHACAL, Continuous/Remote Monitoring Systems (IoT Sensors, Telemetry, Networks), with a secondary code of HDAIAKAH, Site Security, Monitoring & Remote Operations (NOC/IoT). Its NAICS code is 56162 and its SIC code is 4900.