Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co.

What Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co. does

Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co., Ltd. (also known as ZKONG) is a Hangzhou-based IoT company founded in 2005 that designs, manufactures, and sells cloud-based Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) systems and related digital signage for retail and adjacent verticals. The company reports a global footprint spanning more than 60 countries, 3,000+ retail brands, and 200,000+ stores, with named customers including Carrefour, 7-Eleven, Hema Fresh (Freshippo), SONY, Xiaomi, Mercedes-Benz, Estée Lauder, Watsons, RT-Mart, ICA, CONAD, China Duty Free Group, X5 Retail Group, Magnit, and Dr. Max. Headcount is reported in the 251–500 range.

ZKONG's product portfolio centers on a family of ESL hardware — Quantum, Arrow, Shield, Valley, Blade, and Essence series — in sizes from 2.13 to 13.3 inches, paired with Bluetooth 5.0 and 4G/Wi-Fi multi-mode networking and e-ink displays engineered for 10+ year battery life at three daily refreshes. The ZKONG Cloud Platform is positioned as the industry's first true cloud-native SaaS architecture for centralized management of ESL, LCD, and AI camera devices, with open APIs integrating into ERP, OA, booking, facility, and hospital information systems. The company holds 220+ patents and has actively expanded its line with the Sparkle Dual Screen LCD (January 2025), Arrow Series (September 2025), Blade Series (claimed world's thinnest ESL, 2024), and Essence Series four-color ESL (2025).

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of ESL tags and LCD signage, supplemented by recurring SaaS revenue from the cloud platform and professional services delivered via regional channel partners. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year enterprise contracts and 2–4 week delivery lead times. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for marquee accounts with regional system integrators in Spain (ETE/Aeme), Greece (Mindsys), Brazil (Etiquetas.io), and Sweden (Wraptech), a formal global partner program, and heavy participation at retail-tech exhibitions including EuroShop, EuroCIS, NRF, and CHINASHOP. ZKONG is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds or ownership changes.

Name

Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co.

Legal name

Hangzhou Zkong Networks Co., Ltd.

Website

https://zkong.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co. designs and manufactures cloud-based Electronic Shelf Label hardware, LCD digital signage, and a SaaS management platform. The company serves 3,000+ retail brands across 60+ countries in supermarkets, convenience, electronics, pharmacy, and smart-office segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Shelf Labels & Retail IoT Hardware

NAICS

Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (334)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) & Shelf-Edge Hardware (HDACAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Shelf & Content Syndication Services (CRAOAOAH)

Keywords

• Electronic shelf labels
• Retail IoT hardware
• Cloud ESL platform
• Digital signage solutions
• Smart retail technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Hangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) Hardware: ZKONG generates primary revenue from selling ESL hardware products including multiple series (Quantum, Arrow, Shield, Valley, Blade, Essence) with varying sizes (2.13 to 13.3 inches) and features (black/white, multi-color, LCD). Hardware includes mounting accessories and customization options.
2. LCD Digital Signage: Revenue from LCD digital signage products including Sparkle Series and Legendary Series for retail, education, and other application fields.
3. ZKONG Cloud Platform SaaS: Cloud-based platform as a service enabling remote content updates, real-time status management, and integration with OA, booking, and facility systems. The platform connects product data, pricing, and store devices.
4. ESL Accessories: Supporting products and accessories for ESL deployment including mounting solutions, rails, hooks, tabletop stands, brackets, and adhesive mounts.
5. Professional Services: Implementation and deployment services provided through channel partners for large-scale ESL deployments, including system integration and customization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZKONG manufactures and sells electronic shelf labels (ESL), LCD digital signage, and provides a cloud-based SaaS management platform for centralized retail device control. The company integrates IoT infrastructure, wireless communication, and e-ink/LCD hardware to enable real-time price updates, inventory visibility, and in-store digital management for retailers across 60 countries.

Product overview

ZKONG offers a comprehensive IoT-based smart retail ecosystem consisting of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) product lines, LCD Digital Signage displays, and a cloud-based management platform. The product portfolio includes the Quantum Series and Arrow Series ESLs (primary retail solutions), Shield Series and Valley Series ESLs (specialized variants), Blade Series (ultra-thin form factor), and Essence Series (color-capable displays). The Sparkle and Legendary LCD Series provide digital signage capabilities. All hardware products are managed through the ZKONG Cloud Platform, the industry's first true cloud architecture using SaaS model, which enables centralized control of pricing, inventory, and store operations. ESL accessories complement the hardware ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZKONG Cloud Platform: Industry's first true cloud architecture using SaaS model for smart hardware device management including ESL, LCD, and AI cameras.
• Quantum Series ESL
• Arrow Series ESL
• Shield Series ESL
• Valley Series ESL
• Blade Series ESL
• Essence Series ESL
• Sparkle Series LCD
• Legendary Series LCD

Products and services

• Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) Electronic display devices placed on shelf-edges that replace traditional paper price labels. Connected to the merchant's database through wireless networks, they display real-time price information accurately and instantly for retail stores.
• ZKONG Cloud Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 40x faster drug price adjustments (15 days → 0.8 hours)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• UB CarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 April 2026UB Care, South Korea's leading healthcare IT platform company, selected ZKONG's ESL solution for pharmacy digitalization, marking official partnership start for advancing ESL adoption in South Korea's pharmacy sector.
• ETE and Aeme innovación tecnológica Group S.LcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 March 2026Local Spanish implementation partners who collaborated with ZKONG to deploy ESL solutions for Fútbol Factory stores in Spain. Partners provided local deployment, integration, and ongoing support services.
• ADCOOPflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024ADCOOP (Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society) partnered with ZKONG to launch UAE's first 100% ESL store, a flagship deployment demonstrating full digital shelf management.
• SONYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSONY partners with ZKONG for growing retail - ZKONG provides digital shelf edge labels for SONY retail stores globally, enabling real-time pricing and product information displays.
• MindsyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMindsys provided ZKONG ESL solution for KAFKAS in Greece, implementing digital transformation in Greek retail operations.
• Etiquetas.iocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEtiquetas.io partnered with ZKONG to deliver ESL solution for Loja do Mecânico in Brazil, advancing digital evolution in the retail sector.
• UrovostrategicTechnology or IntegrationZKONG and Urovo announced strategic partnership to drive IoT-powered smart industry solutions, combining Urovo's hardware with ZKONG's ESL and digital signage technology.
• WraptechcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWraptech collaborated with ZKONG and ICA Supermarket for ESL project in Sweden, deploying ZKONG's cloud ESL solution across ICA stores.
• EHI Retail InstitutestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerZKONG joined EHI Retail Institute, leading a new chapter in smart retail innovation and gaining access to European retail industry network and best practices.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SES-imagotag (VusionGroup): Global ESL market leader (parent of VusionCloud), offering electronic shelf labels, cloud software, and retail IoT solutions. Directly comparable to ZKONG in product scope and enterprise retail customer base, with materially larger scale and a public listing.
• Hanshow Technology: Chinese-headquartered direct competitor providing ESL hardware, All-Star cloud SaaS platform, and digital signage to global retailers. Closest functional peer to ZKONG, with comparable product portfolio (ESL, LCD, cloud) and overlapping geographic footprint.
• Pricer AB: Swedish-listed ESL pioneer providing electronic shelf labels and cloud-based retail in-store solutions to grocers worldwide. Comparable core offering with emphasis on large supermarket deployments, similar to ZKONG's Carrefour/ICA/RT-Mart customers.
• SoluM: South Korea-based ESL and digital signage provider, spun out from Samsung SDI. Competes head-to-head with ZKONG in retail ESL, with comparable color e-paper and cloud platform capabilities, particularly active in Asia and North America.
• Displaydata: UK-based specialist in full-graphical color and monochrome ESLs with a proprietary Aercloud platform. Direct competitor in the premium/color ESL segment and comparable cloud SaaS architecture to ZKONG's cloud platform.

Others

• E Ink Corporation: Leading e-paper display technology provider that supplies the underlying displays used in ESL products. Comparable through enabling technology relationship — ZKONG's ESL portfolio depends on E Ink panels, making it both a supplier and an indirect competitor in display innovation.

Broad incumbents

• Samsung Electronics (Retail Displays): Provides commercial LCD digital signage and smart retail display solutions for enterprise retail. Overlaps with ZKONG's LCD signage line (Sparkle, Legendary) and competes for in-store digital signage budgets, though ESL is not its core focus.
• LG Electronics (Business Solutions): Provides commercial-grade digital signage, displays, and retail solutions. Overlaps with ZKONG's digital signage product line and competes for retail customer display budgets as part of a broader commercial hardware portfolio.
• STRATACACHE: US-based provider of digital signage, in-store media, and retail IoT solutions at enterprise scale. Comparable through retail digital signage and store-experience offerings, serving many of the same large enterprise retail customers as ZKONG.

Emerging players

• Urovo Technology: Chinese IoT hardware company specializing in smart POS, mobile terminals, and barcode scanning with an explicit strategic partnership with ZKONG. Comparable through IoT-enabled retail hardware and a partnership that places Urovo as a complementary ecosystem player to ZKONG's ESL offering.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zkong_esl
• Facebookfacebook.com/zkongesl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zkong

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hangzhou ZKONG Network Co.