Nanotron Technologies

Name

Nanotron Technologies

Legal name

Nanotron Technologies GmbH

Website

https://nanotron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nanotron Technologies, a Berlin-based RTLS and location-aware IoT platform developer (now part of Inpixon), provides UWB and Chirp Spread Spectrum hardware, the nanoLES location engine, and Edge Analytics software for industrial safety, mining, manufacturing, railway, and livestock customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) and Location-Aware IoT Hardware

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)

akta.pro primary industry

Wi‑Fi Location Services & RTLS (BLE/UWB/Wi‑Fi positioning) (HDAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Asset Tracking, RTLS & Industrial Visibility (IMAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Real-time location systems
• Ultra-wideband positioning
• Industrial IoT sensors
• Asset tracking modules
• Chirp spread spectrum

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (RTLS Tags, Modules, Anchors): Sale of RTLS hardware components including swarm bee modules (Chirp and UWB variants), tags, anchors, and transceivers. Revenue generated from product sales to enterprise customers, integrators, and distributors globally.
2. Software Licenses (nanoLES Location Engine): Licensing of nanoLES location engine and server software for real-time location processing. Software runs standalone or as background service, available for Windows and Linux distributions.
3. 360° Edge Analytics Platform: Analytics software platform delivering real-time event recognition from sensor and location data, built on ClearBlade IoT Edge Computing platform. Sold as part of integrated RTLS solutions.
4. Integrated RTLS Solutions: Turnkey RTLS solutions combining hardware and software, such as the PDS2400 Collision Avoidance System developed with partners. Revenue from complete system deployments in mining and industrial environments.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nanotron Technologies develops and sells a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) platform consisting of wireless RTLS anchors, tags, transceiver chips, and tag-ready swarm bee modules (Chirp and UWB variants), paired with the proprietary nanoLES Location Engine software. The platform enables precise indoor and outdoor positioning for industrial customers in mining, manufacturing, healthcare, railway, and livestock operations, supporting applications such as collision avoidance, safety zones, and asset tracking.

Product overview

Nanotron Technologies provides a comprehensive RTLS (Real-Time Location System) portfolio for professional location-awareness, centered on the 'Location Running' concept. The product ecosystem consists of hardware components including RTLS Anchors (fixed readers), RTLS Tags (wireless transmitting devices), RTLS Transceiver Chips, and RTLS Modules (including Swarm Chirp and Swarm UWB modules) that work together with the Location Engine (nanoLES) software to deliver real-time positioning. The platform supports multiple RF technologies including Ultra-Wideband (UWB) for centimeter-level accuracy (+/- 40 cm) and Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) for long-range coverage (up to 1,000 meters). Solutions include Collision Avoidance, Safety Zones, and Asset Tracking for industrial applications in mining, manufacturing, and healthcare. The company was acquired by Inpixon and its products are now branded under the Inpixon RTLS portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• swarm bee: Tag-ready smart RF modules for location awareness, available in Chirp and UWB variants
• nanoLES
• nanoLOC

Products and services

• RTLS Anchors Fixed-position readers that detect and locate signals from transmitting RTLS tags and devices. Anchors timestamp received signals and exchange location data with the location engine to calculate tag positions, using nanotron's Sea of Anchor TDOA wireless synchronization.
• RTLS Tags Wireless transmitting devices attached to people, assets, equipment, or mobile objects to determine their location. Tags send data-encoded signals at continuous intervals for tracking and proximity detection.
• Location Engine (nanoLES) Proprietary Location Engine and Server software that processes received location and IoT data from RTLS hardware to calculate real-time positions of tracked people or objects. Supports both UWB and Chirp technologies, runs on Windows and Linux as standalone or background service, and scales to 5,000+ tracked objects.
• Inpixon Swarm Chirp Module 2.4 GHz chirp transceiver module enabling long-range RTLS applications with ranges up to 1,000 meters, built on Inpixon nanoLOC technology, with low-power consumption and embedded 3D acceleration and temperature sensors. Formerly known as nanotron swarm bee LE.
• Inpixon Swarm UWB Module Ultra-wideband transceiver module enabling precise RTLS applications with +/- 40 cm location accuracy, built on Decawave UWB technology, with low-power consumption and embedded 3D acceleration and temperature sensors. Formerly known as nanotron swarm bee.
• Inpixon CO2 Sensor Module Compact IoT sensor module using non-dispersive infrared technology for high accuracy monitoring of ambient air quality within commercial buildings; integrates with building automation and HVAC systems.
• RTLS Transceiver Chips Transceiver chips serving as the core component of RTLS-enabled devices, powering wireless communication for real-time locationing and acting as the starting point for custom RTLS device development.
• Collision Avoidance Solution Proximity-based safety solution using RTLS technology to prevent accidents between vehicles, equipment, and personnel through real-time proximity warnings and collision alerts. Sold as a turnkey system with partners such as Selectronic.
• Safety Zones Solution Location-aware geofencing solution that creates virtual safety perimeters around personnel, equipment, or hazardous areas, with configurable warning zones and automated alerts.
• Asset Tracking Solution Real-time location and tracking solution for assets, equipment, and inventory across industrial facilities using RTLS technology for improved asset management and utilization.
• 360° Edge Analytics Edge analytics platform that processes sensor and location data at the edge, extracting real-time event information from raw sensor and location data. Supports any sensor with any radio location technology with configurable event definitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accuracy down to 10cm with UWB technology in optimal conditions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, flagship and minor.

• BraemacmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 March 2020Sensera signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Braemac (founded 1984, 200+ employees, 21 offices globally) to extend market coverage with particular strength in the Pacific Rim region including Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
• MeglabcoreTechnology or Integration · 14 August 2019Meglab, a mining technology specialist, integrated nanotron's swarm bee location-awareness technology into its Imagine mine management system to provide real-time underground mine visibility. Nanotron's technology enables tracking of mining equipment and workers with collision awareness throughout North American mines.
• Arrow ElectronicsflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 July 2019Sensera (parent of nanotron) signed a global distribution agreement with Arrow Electronics to distribute its entire product portfolio worldwide. Arrow's technical sales teams and field application engineers provide consultancy, design-in support, system integration, and deployment assistance to over 200,000 customers globally.
• ClearBladecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2019Nanotron deepened its partnership with ClearBlade to jointly develop the 360° Edge Analytics platform solution, converting real-time sensor and location data into actionable business insights. ClearBlade's IoT Edge Computing platform provides the secure software infrastructure while nanotron supplies location-aware IoT sensors and Edge Anchors.
• Schaeffler TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2019Nanotron contributed to a 3.5-year collaborative FreiForm project led by Schaeffler Technologies to develop free-form autonomous sensors for Industrial IoT applications. Nanotron demonstrated swarm bee technology for tracking and collision awareness of transport equipment.
• SelectroniccoreTechnology or Integration · 24 January 2019Nanotron and Selectronic jointly launched the PDS2400 Collision Avoidance Solution for open-pit mine safety. Selectronic, a German industrial safety solutions provider, leverages nanotron's swarm bee products to create a modular, turnkey proximity detection solution with accuracy down to 10cm and range up to 500m.
• Protran TechnologycoreTechnology or Integration · 25 September 2018Nanotron and Protran Technology (a Harsco Rail company) signed a volume supply agreement to integrate nanotron's swarm bee LE smart RF sensor modules into Protran's Roadway Worker Protection solution for collision warning systems protecting railway workers.
• DecaWavecoreTechnology or Integration · 11 July 2018Nanotron and DecaWave signed an IP License and Co-operation Agreement for next-generation micro-location technologies. Nanotron licenses its patented SDS-TWR technology to DecaWave for use with their DW1000 UWB chip. DecaWave's UWB technology is used in nanotron's swarm bee product family. The companies also co-developed the 'Blink' protocol enabling interoperability of tags from different vendors with nanotron's Edge Anchors.
• SmartbowcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 October 2017Smartbow GmbH, a leading farm animal health solution provider, signed an exclusive supply agreement with nanotron for location chips for use in livestock health monitoring. Nanotron provides its location awareness technology for real-time tracking and health management of dairy farm animals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Quuppa: Quuppa is a Finland-based UWB RTLS specialist offering BLE/UWB hybrid positioning with its Intelligent Locating System, serving manufacturing, healthcare, sports, and smart-building customers. It is a direct UWB-RTLS competitor with comparable accuracy claims and a similar channel-driven GTM.
• Zebra Technologies: Zebra Technologies offers enterprise asset tracking and RTLS solutions (MotionWorks, WhereNet, Savanna data platform) for industrial, healthcare, and retail customers. It is the largest dedicated enterprise RTLS vendor and competes head-to-head with Nanotron in industrial visibility and asset-tracking use cases.
• CenTrak: CenTrak delivers enterprise RTLS using UWB, BLE, and hybrid technologies with strong positioning in healthcare and senior living. It overlaps with Nanotron in healthcare RTLS and clinical-grade asset/patient tracking use cases.
• Sewio Networks: Sewio Networks provides UWB-based real-time location systems (RTLS) for indoor tracking in manufacturing, sports, warehousing, and smart buildings. It targets the same customer profile as Nanotron with comparable centimeter-level accuracy positioning technology.
• Ubisense: Ubisense is a UK-based provider of UWB and ultra-wideband RTLS solutions for industrial manufacturing, automotive, and smart infrastructure. It directly competes with Nanotron's swarm bee UWB and TDOA-based positioning offering.
• Sonitor Technologies: Sonitor provides ultrasound-based RTLS primarily for healthcare, with high accuracy in challenging indoor environments. While using a different technology, Sonitor competes for the same hospital and clinical workflow tracking budgets as Nanotron's healthcare RTLS offering.

Broad incumbents

• Inpixon: Inpixon is the Nasdaq-listed parent company that acquired Nanotron in October 2020 for $8.7M, integrating it as Inpixon GmbH. It provides indoor mapping, wayfinding, and now RTLS, combining Nanotron's industrial tracking with its own indoor positioning portfolio.
• Aruba Networks (HPE): Aruba (an HPE company) offers Wi-Fi-based location services and asset tracking via the Meridian platform and Aruba Tags, serving enterprise customers at scale. It is a broad incumbent whose location services overlap with Nanotron's RTLS but is not a dedicated UWB-RTLS specialist.
• Qorvo (formerly DecaWave): Qorvo acquired DecaWave, the UWB chipmaker that Nanotron licenses SDS-TWR from and partners with on the Blink protocol. It is simultaneously a critical supplier and an adjacent location-services player, making it both enabler and competitor.
• Cisco (DNA Spaces / Cisco Spaces): Cisco's DNA Spaces/Cisco Spaces platform provides Wi-Fi-based indoor location and IoT services to enterprise customers. It competes indirectly with Nanotron's RTLS by addressing asset/people visibility through the existing Cisco wireless infrastructure footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nanotron-technologies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 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 Nanotron Technologies