SML RFID
SML RFID is a Plano, Texas-based provider of item-level RFID tags, inlays, software platforms, and consulting services for global retail brands and manufacturers, having delivered 20+ billion encoded tags to 600+ brands worldwide under SML Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersPlano, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SML RFID does
SML RFID is a Plano, Texas-based provider of item-level RFID solutions for global retail brands, manufacturers, and adjacent industries. Founded in 2002 and operating as a subsidiary of SML Group (a global branding solutions provider), the company designs and manufactures Inspire™ RFID tags, RFID inlays, washable InfuseRFID tags, and integrated RFID labels and packaging. Its RFID TotalCare™ offering bundles these hardware products with the E-Platform Data Management System, the Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS), Factory Care Solutions including In-Plant Printing, and RFID Consulting and Implementation Services into an end-to-end deployment package. The company operates in-house RFID Tag Innovation Centers across multiple regions and reports having delivered 20+ billion encoded tags to 600+ brands globally.
SML RFID generates revenue through four primary streams: hardware sales of RFID tags, inlays, labels, and packaging; professional services covering ROI consulting and full deployment lifecycle management; subscription or recurring revenue from data management and quality control software platforms; and managed services through Service Bureau encoding and handheld RFID solutions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered through a direct enterprise sales motion with quote-based engagement. The go-to-market combines consultative field sales, content marketing through case studies and webinars, and a self-service Solution Finder tool on the company website. The company maintains technology partnerships with Impinj, NXP, Zebra Technologies, Microsoft, Fujitsu, ELO Touch, Bluebird, and RiElec, and is a launch partner for Pragmatic Semiconductor's NFC Protect PR1311 anti-counterfeit chip alongside Schreiner MediPharm and Jinjia Group.
SML RFID's customer base spans apparel, beauty, footwear, food and QSR, electronics, home goods, and other retail-adjacent verticals, with named reference customers including Stadium, Matalan, and Groupe Beaumanoir. The company reports customer outcomes of up to 98% inventory accuracy and 26x in-store stock count efficiency improvement. The firm is privately held within SML Group, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or regulatory actions in the available data.
SML RFID firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SML RFID
- Legal name
- SML Group
- Website
- https://sml-rfid.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SML RFID is a Plano, Texas-based provider of item-level RFID tags, inlays, software platforms, and consulting services for global retail brands and manufacturers, having delivered 20+ billion encoded tags to 600+ brands worldwide under SML Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SML RFID industry classification
Industry- Product category
- RFID Solutions for Retail and Supply Chain
- NAICS
- Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42344), Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42369), Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers (4241)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- RF, Antennas & Wireless Components Retail (CRACAKAM)
Keywords
Where SML RFID is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plano
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
SML RFID business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- RFID Tags and Labels: SML manufactures and sells Inspire™ RFID Tags, RFID inlays, RFID labels, and packaging with embedded RFID technology. This includes washable InfuseRFID Tags for durable applications. Revenue is generated through product sales with various delivery formats and high-quality source tagging capabilities.
- RFID Consulting and Implementation Services: Professional services including ROI and business transformation consulting, full project lifecycle leadership from investigation through pilot, rollout, training, and support. Also includes Factory Care Solutions and In-Plant Printing services.
- Data Platform and Software: E-Platform Data Management System and Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS) for enterprise-level RFID data management and analytics, enabling data-driven value across the product lifecycle.
- Service Bureau: RFID handheld encoding and service bureau solutions enabling customers to encode RFID tags on-demand without investing in their own infrastructure.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
SML RFID product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SML RFID manufactures and sells item-level RFID hardware (Inspire RFID Tags, RFID Inlays, Washable InfuseRFID Tags, and RFID Labels and Packaging) and delivers them through the RFID TotalCare end-to-end solution for retail inventory management. The company also provides supporting Factory Care Solutions for source tagging, the E-Platform Data Management System, the Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS), and RFID consulting and implementation services. Its customers are major retail brands, apparel manufacturers, and consumer goods companies seeking inventory accuracy, supply chain visibility, and brand protection.
Product overview
SML RFID offers a comprehensive RFID solutions portfolio combining hardware products with software platforms and professional services. The core offering centers on Inspire™ RFID Tags, RFID Inlays, Washable InfuseRFID Tags, and Inspire™ RFID Labels and Packaging. These hardware products are unified under the RFID TotalCare™ platform, which delivers end-to-end item-level RFID capabilities for retail inventory management. Supporting the platform are add-on modules including Factory Care Solutions for factory workflow optimization and on-demand printing, RFID Consulting and Implementation Services for deployment support, E-Platform Data Management System for data governance, and Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS) for quality assurance. The solution portfolio spans item-level RFID, brand protection and anti-counterfeit, traceability and circularity, digital product passports, and customer engagement applications across retail, apparel, supply chain, and factory operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Inspire RFID Tags High-performance RFID tags and inlay products for retail, available in a wide range of delivery formats with high-quality source tagging at the factory level. Offered in one of the largest ARC inlay designs, manufactured through in-house RFID Tag Innovation Centers located across regions. Target customers are retail brands and manufacturers implementing item-level RFID.
- RFID Inlay RFID inlay components used as the core technology within RFID tags and labels for item-level tracking. Designed and produced at SML's in-house RFID Tag Innovation Centers for retail and supply chain applications.
- InfuseRFID Tags (Washable) Washable RFID tags engineered for durability in textile and apparel applications that require repeated laundering, extending RFID use to garments such as underwear, kids clothing, and performance sportswear.
- Inspire RFID Labels and Packaging RFID labels and packaging solutions that integrate brand labels with RFID functionality, enabling source tagging and item-level identification at the point of manufacture.
- RFID TotalCare Solution End-to-end item-level RFID solution for retail that combines Inspire RFID Tags, RFID Labels and Packaging, Factory Care Solutions, E-Platform Data Management System, TQMS, and consulting services into a unified deployment. Delivers up to 98% inventory accuracy with clear ROI and minimal financial impact, targeting retail brands implementing enterprise-wide item-level inventory management.
- Factory Care Solutions (FCS) with In-Plant Printing Factory workflow solution including In-Plant Printing (IPP) for on-demand RFID printing at manufacturing sites. Helps reduce encoding errors, enhance supply chain visibility, and optimize factory operations for apparel and consumer goods manufacturers.
- RFID Handheld Encoding Handheld RFID encoding solution enabling customers to encode RFID tags on-demand in store or distribution center environments without investing in fixed infrastructure.
- RFID Service Bureau Managed RFID encoding service enabling customers to outsource tag encoding operations to SML without investing in their own encoding infrastructure, supporting on-demand and scalable RFID deployment.
- RFID Consulting and Implementation Services Professional services suite covering ROI and business transformation consulting, full project lifecycle leadership from investigation through pilot, rollout, training, and support, and overall system risk mitigation. Targets enterprises adopting or expanding item-level RFID deployments.
- E-Platform Data Management System Enterprise data management platform for managing RFID-encoded item data, analytics, and lifecycle tracking across retail and supply chain operations.
- Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS) Quality control system for ensuring RFID tag performance and reliability standards are maintained throughout production and deployment.
- Pragmatic NFC Protect (PR1311) Assembly Program NFC-based tamper detection and product authentication solution assembled by SML as a launch partner of Pragmatic Semiconductor's PR1311 chip, enabling smartphone-based product verification for retail and healthcare brand protection.
Quantifiable outcome
- Inventory accuracy of up to 98%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SML RFID
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SML RFID technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
SML RFID partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Pragmatic SemiconductorcoreSML is a launch partner for Pragmatic NFC Protect PR1311, a flexible, low-carbon NFC chip for tamper detection and product authentication. The partnership enables SML to offer enhanced brand protection and anti-counterfeit solutions to their retail and healthcare customers through smartphone-based product verification.
- ImpinjcoreTechnology partnership for RFID reader and tag platform integration. Impinj is listed as an industry partnership logo on SML's website, indicating mutual go-to-market collaboration for retail RFID solutions.
- NXPcoreTechnology partnership for NFC/RFID chip integration. NXP is listed as an industry partnership, indicating collaboration on RFID hardware components for retail applications.
- Zebra TechnologiescoreTechnology partnership for RFID scanning and data capture hardware. Zebra is listed as an industry partnership logo on SML's website.
- MicrosoftsupportingTechnology partnership for cloud platform integration. Microsoft Azure and enterprise software integration for SML's RFID data management systems.
- FujitsusupportingTechnology partnership for retail technology solutions. Listed as an industry partnership on SML's website.
- ELO TouchsupportingTechnology partnership for touch display integration in retail environments. Listed as an industry partnership on SML's website.
- BluebirdsupportingTechnology partnership for RFID handheld devices and mobile computing. Listed as an industry partnership on SML's website.
- RiElecsupportingTechnology partnership for RFID components and solutions. Listed as an industry partnership on SML's website.
- Schreiner MediPharmsupportingCo-partner in Pragmatic NFC Protect launch for healthcare and pharmaceutical brand protection applications, working alongside SML for tamper detection solutions.
- Jinjia GroupsupportingCo-partner in Pragmatic NFC Protect launch for anti-counterfeit solutions in retail applications, working alongside SML for product authentication.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SML RFID competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Impinj: Impinj supplies RFID chips, inlays, and reader platforms. Although a SML technology partner, Impinj's expanding inlay business places it in partial competition for end-customer wallet share.
Broad incumbents
- Zebra Technologies: Zebra is a major provider of RFID scanning hardware, readers, and enterprise mobility solutions. While a SML technology partner, Zebra also competes in adjacent RFID infrastructure for retail environments.
- Checkpoint Systems: Checkpoint provides RFID-based inventory and loss prevention solutions for retail, with broad portfolio overlap into the same retailers SML serves for item-level tagging.
- Honeywell: Honeywell provides RFID scanning hardware and enterprise mobility solutions used by retailers and logistics operators, overlapping with the data capture layer of SML's TotalCare solution.
- Sensormatic Solutions (Johnson Controls): Sensormatic provides RFID-based retail loss prevention and inventory visibility solutions, comparable to SML's TotalCare offering as part of a broader security-focused portfolio.
Others
- NXP Semiconductors: NXP supplies the NFC and RFID silicon that SML embeds into Inspire tags. As an upstream supplier and named partner, NXP is a critical ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor in tags.
Direct peers
- Tageos: Tageos is an RFID inlay and tag manufacturer serving retail, healthcare, and industrial applications, directly comparable to SML's Inspire inlay portfolio for item-level tagging.
- Avery Dennison (Smartrac RFID): Avery Dennison operates the Smartrac RFID inlay and tag business, directly competing with SML RFID in item-level retail RFID tagging. Both serve the same global apparel and retail brands with comparable inlay technologies.
- Alien Technology: Alien Technology manufactures UHF RFID inlays, tags, and readers used in retail, apparel, and supply chain applications, directly overlapping SML's core tag/inlay product line.
- HID Global (RFID Tags): HID Global offers RFID tags and inlays for industrial, retail, and asset tracking applications, comparable to SML's enterprise RFID tagging offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SML RFID social profiles
Digital presenceSML RFID financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SML RFID leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SML RFID funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SML RFID 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 SML RFID
What does SML RFID do?
SML RFID manufactures and sells item-level RFID hardware (Inspire RFID Tags, RFID Inlays, Washable InfuseRFID Tags, and RFID Labels and Packaging) and delivers them through the RFID TotalCare end-to-end solution for retail inventory management. The company also provides supporting Factory Care Solutions for source tagging, the E-Platform Data Management System, the Tag Quality Control Management System (TQMS), and RFID consulting and implementation services. Its customers are major retail brands, apparel manufacturers, and consumer goods companies seeking inventory accuracy, supply chain visibility, and brand protection.
When was SML RFID founded?
SML RFID was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SML RFID based?
SML RFID is headquartered in Plano, United States, in the North America region.
How does SML RFID make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. RFID Tags and Labels are the primary driver. The others are RFID Consulting and Implementation Services, data Platform and Software and service Bureau.
Who are SML RFID's main competitors?
Impinj is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Zebra Technologies, Checkpoint Systems, Honeywell and Sensormatic Solutions (Johnson Controls). NXP Semiconductors is listed as an others. Direct peers are Tageos, Avery Dennison (Smartrac RFID), Alien Technology and HID Global (RFID Tags).
Does SML RFID have an API?
No public API is recorded for SML RFID.
What industry is SML RFID in?
SML RFID's product category is RFID Solutions for Retail and Supply Chain. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAM, RF, Antennas & Wireless Components Retail. Its NAICS code is 42344 and its SIC code is 5040.