What Micro I/O does

Microio – Serviços de Electrónica, Lda (trading as Micro I/O) is a Portuguese private limited company founded in 1998 as a spin-off of the University of Aveiro, headquartered in Oiã, Aveiro. The company designs and manufactures integrated hardware and software solutions, combining embedded electronics, multi-protocol wireless communications (GSM, LoRa, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX, NB-IoT, LTE), RFID (MIFARE/ISO 14443 A), and IoT sensor networks into end-to-end products for smart cities, education, and enterprise customers.

Its product portfolio centers on the Unicard platform (Unicard Business for card/access management, Unicard Wallet for digital balance loading) and a broad set of IoT solutions including Smart Parking, Smart Waste, Smart Locker, Smart Bike sharing (5th generation), Smart Vending telemetry, Environmental Monitoring stations, StreetLight signaling, and the B-Live assistive domotics system. Hardware products include the MxReader Card Managed and Zigbee access controllers and a USB RFID Reader. The company also operates an Engineering Department offering custom hardware/firmware/software development for client-specific projects.

Micro I/O serves three primary verticals: Portuguese municipalities and public administration (17+ named municipalities including Lisboa, Coimbra, Cascais, Sintra), the education sector (7 universities and schools via the Unicard/SIGE ecosystem, now partly housed in the Inovar+AZ merged entity), and enterprises such as Bosch, Nespresso, MEO, CTT, Metro de Lisboa, and HFA. Revenue is generated through a mix of custom development projects (project-based pricing, multi-year contracts), proprietary hardware product sales, and recurring Unicard software platform subscriptions. Distribution is direct B2B sales, with international expansion attempted via trade shows in Brazil, Mexico, the UK, and the Netherlands. The company holds ISO 9001:2008, CMMI Level 2, NP4457:2021 R&D, ITMARK certifications and GDPR compliance, and has been awarded PME Líder and PME Excelência status for multiple consecutive years.

Name

Micro I/O

Legal name

Microio – Serviços de Electrónica, Lda

Website

https://microio.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Micro I/O is a Portuguese IoT and embedded systems firm, spun out of the University of Aveiro in 1998, that develops integrated hardware and software solutions — including the Unicard access/payment platform, smart parking/waste/bike systems, RFID readers, and custom electronics — primarily for Portuguese municipalities, universities, and enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IoT Hardware Solutions

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial IoT/Edge Electronics Manufacturing (Gateways, Edge Controllers) (IMAGAGAC)

Keywords

• IoT hardware solutions
• Smart city sensors
• Access control systems
• Embedded electronics development
• RFID card management

Headquarters

HQ city

Aveiro

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Hardware & Software Development: Bespoke integrated hardware and software solutions developed to client specifications, likely project-based with development fees and potentially recurring maintenance/support revenue.
2. IoT Hardware Products (MXReader, USB RFID, Smart Devices): Sale of proprietary hardware products including RFID readers, smart lockers, smart parking sensors, and IoT gateways. Products are sold to B2B clients (municipalities, schools, enterprises).
3. Software Platforms (Unicard Business, SIGE): Software platform licensing and management for card systems, access control, vending, and school management. Includes Unicard Wallet for card balance loading and associated transaction services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Micro I/O (Microio – Serviços de Electrónica, Lda) designs and develops integrated hardware and software solutions, including IoT devices, embedded systems, RFID readers, smart vending telemetry platforms, smart city sensor networks (parking, waste, environmental monitoring, bike sharing), and the Unicard access control and ticketing platform. The company primarily serves Portuguese municipalities, educational institutions, and enterprises with project-based custom engineering as well as proprietary IoT hardware products.

Product overview

Micro I/O develops integrated hardware and software solutions, primarily centered around the Unicard ecosystem and IoT solutions. The core Unicard platform consists of Unicard Business (card and access management) and Unicard Wallet (digital balance loading), complemented by hardware products including MxReader Card Managed, MxReader Zigbee, and USB RFID Readers for access control. The company offers Smart Vending and Vending Industrial solutions for vending machine telemetry, alongside various smart city IoT projects including Smart Parking, Smart Locker, Smart Waste, and Smart Bike sharing systems. Technical capabilities include LoRa/LoRaWAN/SIGFOX/NB-IoT/GSM/LTE communications, RFID technologies (MIFARE, ISO 14443 A), and custom electronics development. The company also provides B-Live domotics solutions for accessibility and various environmental monitoring IoT solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unicard: Card management and ticketing system platform serving educational institutions and municipalities.
• Unicard Wallet
• Unicard Business
• InovarSige

Products and services

• Unicard Business Integrated card and access management platform that handles user cards, balance loading, access control, and event ticketing for institutions such as schools, municipalities, and enterprises.
• Unicard Wallet Digital wallet platform that enables balance loading onto user cards, with invoicing data capture including name, address, tax identification number, email and mobile number.
• Smart Vending Telemetry solution for vending machines with centralized management, real-time alarming system enabling savings in maintenance and operations.
• Vending Industrial Industrial vending solution with integrated hardware and software components for managing and monitoring vending operations in industrial environments.
• MxReader Zigbee Zigbee-enabled RFID reader for wireless access control and card management systems.
• MxReader Card Managed Standalone access controller that operates autonomously without internet connection, configurable via programming card and supporting up to 250 users per terminal with MIFARE Classic 1K tags.
• USB RFID Reader Portable, high-performance USB RFID reader supporting USB 2.0, ISO 14443 A standard, and compatible tags including NTAG 203, FM 11 RF08, MIFARE CLASSIC 1K and 4K, with plug-and-play HID operation.
• Smart Locker Intelligent locker solution enabling user management, defining opening methods, reservations, and advertising capabilities on the main console touch-screen.
• Smart Parking Wireless parking sensors for monitoring parking space occupancy status with low-power wireless communications (LoRa, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX or NB-IoT) and multi-year battery autonomy.
• Future Cities Smart city solutions project involving sensors and data collection for urban monitoring and management.
• Smart Bike / Electric Bikesharing Fifth-generation bike sharing and integrated management systems with GPS and electronic locking, featuring RFID card readers, GNSS modules, cellular communications (GSM/LTE), and electronic locking.
• B-Live Domotics solution for adapting conventional homes, enabling people with severe functional limitations (such as tetraplegics) to control home functionalities with autonomy.
• Smart Environment (Environmental Monitoring Station) Environmental and meteorological data collection station for real-time pollution mapping, measuring temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, luminosity, solar radiation, noise, PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, NO2, O3, and VOCs.
• LoRa Gateway Gateway component responsible for linking downlink (communications with sensors) to uplink (wired and/or GSM/LTE communications to server-side) and wireless IoT sensor communications via LoRa 868MHz.
• Smart Waste Waste container fill-level monitoring using low-power wireless communication (LoRa, LoRaWAN, SigFox, NB-IOT, GSM/LTE) with 5-year autonomy and optimized waste collection routing.
• StreetLights System Danger zone signaling system for pedestrian crossings, dangerous curves, tunnels, and roundabouts with scalable individual control over brightness and animation sequences.
• Liquid Quality Monitoring IoT solution involving firmware and hardware for monitoring liquid parameters such as water, wines, and sparkling wines using specific wavelength light beams through fiber optic channels.
• Coffee Machine Credit Solution Solution allowing roasters to monitor coffee dispensing at concession locations through integration with machines and RFID cards, enabling maximization of machines in exploration.
• Remote Solenoid Valve Control Solenoid valve control devices with offline scheduling capability, periodic synchronization for following days/periods, water meter monitoring for irrigation control with LoRa, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX or GSM/LTE communications.
• Custom Electronics Development Service (Desenvolvimento de Eletrónica) Custom electronics development service including hardware, firmware and software development; the R&D department conducts research in wireless communication technologies and low-power circuits.
• Unicard SIGE Mobile Application Mobile application complementing the Unicard SIGE school management information system.

Named customers30 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature16 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Universidade de Aveiro (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Micro I/O was founded as a spin-off of the University of Aveiro in 1998. The university serves as the company's foundational research partner, with ongoing collaborations through the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics (DETI) and the School of Technology and Management of Águeda (ESTGA). The partnership involves joint R&D projects, doctoral programmes in enterprise, and technology transfer.
• Inovar+majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose strategic partner, with whom Micro I/O completed a merger in November 2023, integrating Micro I/O's Education division (SIGE business) into the combined entity. Inovar+ is a long-term partner in educational software and management systems, and is also listed as a website host (microio-inovacao.pt).
• Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institution partner for telecommunications and IoT research collaborations, listed among institutional partners alongside UA and Inovaria.
• InovariamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation intermediary and business support organization that organizes the Luso-Brazilian Technology Seminar and other innovation events where Micro I/O participates.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft was a co-promoter of the Living Usability Lab collaborative R&D project (with Micro I/O, PLUX, University of Aveiro, IEETA, FEUP, and INESC Porto), focused on developing innovative technology services for quality of life using next-generation networks.
• PLUXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLUX joined Micro I/O and Microsoft as co-promoters of the Living Usability Lab project, contributing biosensor technology expertise for ambient intelligence and assistive technology solutions.
• Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação da Região Centro – Rovisco Pais (CMRRC-RP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner for the B-Live domotics project, providing medical expertise and conducting design studies and prototype testing with patients. The partnership also includes a medical team for validation of the assistive technology solution.
• IEETA (Instituto de Engenharia Electrónica e Telemática de Aveiro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute partner within the University of Aveiro ecosystem, contributing to collaborative R&D projects including the Living Usability Lab and B-Live domotics development.
• FEUP / INESC PortocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and INESC Porto were academic partners in the Living Usability Lab project, contributing to research on innovative technology services for next-generation networks.
• Microio Inovação Unipessoal LdacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly founded spin-off company established in January 2025 by Microio Serviços de Electrónica Lda, with headquarters in the same facilities. Represents a new organizational structure for the innovation area of the company.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Libelium: Spanish IoT sensor and platform manufacturer offering integrated hardware/software solutions for smart cities, environmental monitoring, parking, and waste—closely overlapping Micro I/O's smart-city vertical and Iberian regional profile.
• Kerlink: French manufacturer of LoRaWAN gateways and IoT network infrastructure; directly competes in the same product category as Micro I/O's LoRa Gateway and IoT edge-electronics portfolio.
• Ubiwhere: Portuguese smart-city platform and IoT software provider—simultaneously Micro I/O's technology partner and a closely comparable domestic peer serving municipal digital-twin and mobility use cases.
• Sigfox / UnaBiz: Global LPWAN connectivity provider whose 0G network uses SIGFOX—explicitly one of the protocols Micro I/O supports—competing for the same low-power IoT connectivity decisions in smart-city deployments.
• Worldsensing: Barcelona-based industrial IoT company providing wireless monitoring solutions (LoRa-based) for smart infrastructure and mining, comparable to Micro I/O's LoRa IoT gateways and smart-parking/smart-waste sensor offerings.
• LORIOT: Swiss LoRaWAN network management and IoT platform provider; competes with the software/server-side stack of Micro I/O's IoT deployments across municipalities and enterprises.
• Cantaloupe Systems: US-listed provider of vending telemetry and cashless-payment solutions—a directly comparable peer to Micro I/O's Smart Vending and Coffee Machine Credit telemetry offerings.
• Smart Parking PLC: UK-listed company providing wireless smart-parking sensors and management software; directly comparable to Micro I/O's Smart Parking sensor line (LoRa/SIGFOX/NB-IoT-based magnetometer detection).

Broad incumbents

• ASSA ABLOY: Largest global access-control and lock manufacturer; competes in the Smart Locker and access-control space where Micro I/O operates, but across a vastly broader product portfolio.
• HID Global: Global leader in RFID readers, access control cards, and identity technology; competes broadly with Micro I/O's Unicard / MxReader access-control portfolio but as part of a much wider security offerings suite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/169580086426132
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/micro-i-o---servi-os-de-electr-nica-lda

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Micro I/O