What Identec does

Identec Limited is a UK-based electronic manufacturing company, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham, that designs and manufactures touch-free active RFID (radio frequency identification) systems for business and institutional clients globally. The company specialises in long-range, hands-free identification, direction sensing, and simultaneous multi-tag reading for tracking people, vehicles, assets, and articles. Its core technology portfolio comprises three brands: Cyphertag® (flagship active RFID readers, tags, aerials and accessories), Census® (patented active RFID with encrypted, scrambled RF communication offering a claimed 1:100 million error rate and multi-tag interrogation), and Feig® (a passive RFID reader line). Notable technical differentiators include hands-free read ranges exceeding 3 metres, reading up to 20 tags per second, direction sensing through portals, noise immunity via lower-frequency operation, and ATEX-certified intrinsically safe versions for hazardous atmospheres.

The company serves multiple verticals including corrections/secure facilities (used in approximately 60% of UK prisons and secure mental hospitals for key compromise prevention), healthcare and hospitals (patient tracking, medication verification, hand hygiene compliance, wanderer control in Spanish care homes), education (accessible campus access at a major UK university), manufacturing/industrial safety (conveyor safety via Safetech's Guardian Ultra), car parking, and logistics (Smart Tote connected containers). Applications span access control, safety roll-call and emergency evacuation, asset tracking, hygiene/infection control, and time & attendance.

Identec operates a direct B2B enterprise sales model, selling bespoke, consultation-based RFID solutions to enterprise and government clients, supplemented by systems integrators for installation and OEM/licensing partners (Safetech, Davis Derby) who embed its technology into their own products. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, sold via multi-year contracts with a one-year no-quibble guarantee. Revenue is derived primarily from RFID hardware sales and custom solution design. The company is privately held, founder/management-led (Gary Vasey, Managing Director), reports being consistently profitable, self-funds its R&D and IP protection, and has no disclosed external funding or parent structure. Reported headcount is very small (1–10 employees).

Name

Identec

Legal name

Identec Limited

Website

https://identec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Identec is a UK manufacturer of touch-free active RFID systems (Cyphertag®, Census®, Feig®) for access control, safety, asset tracking and hygiene, serving prisons, hospitals, care homes, industrial and logistics clients globally via direct B2B and OEM sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Active RFID hardware and identification systems

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom/ASIC & Foundry-Adjacent IDM Services (HDAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical-Grade Device Connectivity & Device Management (MDM) (HLACAFAG)

Keywords

• Active RFID systems
• Touch-free identification
• Access control hardware
• Personnel tracking tags
• Long-range RFID readers

Headquarters

HQ city

Houghton Le Spring

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. RFID Hardware Sales: Sale of active RFID tags and readers including Cyphertag® and Census® product lines. Products include personnel tags, key fobs, vehicle tags, photo ID tags, and various reader models with accessories.
2. Custom RFID Solutions: Bespoke RFID systems designed and manufactured to customer specifications for specific applications including access control, safety monitoring, and asset tracking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Identec manufactures and sells touch-free active RFID hardware systems comprising long-range readers, active tags, and accessories under proprietary brands Cyphertag® and Census® (with passive Feig® readers rounding out the portfolio). The company designs bespoke RFID solutions for enterprise and government clients covering access control, personnel tracking, safety roll call, asset management, hygiene compliance, and emergency evacuation. Products are deployed across healthcare, corrections, industrial safety, education, car parking, and logistics sectors globally.

Product overview

Identec is a UK manufacturer of touch-free active RFID systems comprising three core product brands: Cyphertag®, Census®, and Feig®. Cyphertag® is the flagship active RFID platform featuring long-range readers (REV1, RELV1, RVR1) with loop aerial controllers and compatible tags (TV1–TV7, TV6-125) and accessories. Census® is a parallel active RFID platform with patented technology offering high-speed multi-tag reading, encrypted communication, and an extensive reader (CR1, CR1-DS, CR1-DS1, CR1-MS, CR1-DS-MS, ELC1, EC1) and tag (TC1–TC8) ecosystem with aerial options. Feig® rounds out the portfolio as a passive RFID reader line. Beyond hardware, Identec's technology powers the Smart Tote connected logistics container solution. The company operates from Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham, UK, and has been serving global clients since 1982.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cyphertag®: Active tagging RFID product line featuring long-range readers, tags, and accessories for hands-free identification and tracking applications.
• Census®

Products and services

• Cyphertag® Identec's flagship active RFID system providing long-range, hands-free identification with direction sensing. Includes a range of readers (REV1, RELV1, RVR1/X-X), tags (TV1–TV7, TV6-125), aerials, and accessories for enterprise and security-critical deployments.
• Census®

Quantifiable outcome

• Tags can be read simultaneously at speeds of 20 per second per antenna
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smart TotecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration where Identec provides RFID technology to Smart Tote, a logistics visibility solution. Gary Vasey (MD of Identec) worked with Carl Mason (founder of Smart Tote) to develop a digital chain of custody system that tracks when containers are accessed, by whom, where, and when. Smart Tote transforms standard logistics containers into connected intelligent assets.
• Davis Derby LtdminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerExclusive supplier of ATEX (Intrinsically safe) approved versions of TC1, TC2, and TC4S tags for hazardous environments. Davis Derby distributes Identec's explosion-proof RFID tags for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
• SafetechcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSafetech integrates Identec's Cyphertag® product into their Guardian Ultra conveyor safety system globally. Safetech specialises in conveyor system supply and uses Identec RFID technology to detect personnel presence in hazardous zones, automatically stopping machinery when someone enters the danger area.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HID Global: Major RFID and access control player serving enterprise and government customers with touch-free identification solutions. Direct competitor to Identec in access control, particularly for government and security-sensitive deployments.
• Identiv: Identity and RFID security solutions company with a comparable enterprise/government customer base. Overlaps with Identec in physical access and asset tracking applications, with a similar mid-sized niche-specialist profile.
• Impinj: Pure-play RFID technology company focused on UHF passive RFID. While Identec is active RFID and Impinj is passive, both serve enterprise asset tracking and identification use cases and compete for the same buyer budgets.
• STid: French RFID reader and access control specialist serving high-security applications including government, defense, and healthcare. Comparable niche focus on secure, touch-free RFID with strong European footprint similar to Identec's UK base.
• Feig Electronic: German RFID reader manufacturer whose products Identec distributes under the Feig® brand. As both a supplier and adjacent competitor, Feig is highly comparable in RFID reader technology for access control and industrial applications.
• Elatec: RFID reader and IoT authentication specialist for access control, industrial, and healthcare applications. Comparable in product breadth (readers + tags), verticals served, and mid-sized European identity/RFID market position.
• Jadak (ThingMagic RFID): RFID reader and module manufacturer (ThingMagic brand) within Novanta, providing embedded RFID solutions for medical, industrial, and logistics OEMs. Direct comparable in OEM RFID module sales similar to Identec's Safetech and Davis Derby channels.

Broad incumbents

• Zebra Technologies: Large enterprise technology company with a significant RFID and asset tracking portfolio across healthcare, retail, logistics, and industrial verticals. Overlaps with Identec in RFID-based tracking but offers a much broader enterprise software and hardware stack.
• ASSA ABLOY: Global leader in access control and physical security solutions with overlapping RFID-based identification capabilities through brands like HID (parent). Provides Identec a strategic comparable for both competitive overlap and potential exit/M&A pathway.
• Honeywell: Diversified industrial conglomerate with significant building management, access control, and worker safety offerings. Comparable in serving industrial safety, healthcare, and security verticals, though as a much larger incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdldVV5yNqTKzlF7VVQ7P5g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/identeclimited

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Identec