Smart Industry

What Smart Industry does

Smart Industry is a B2B online media brand that delivers news, analysis, and educational content on manufacturing technology, covering digital transformation, IT/OT convergence, industrial cybersecurity, automation, IIoT, and AI in manufacturing. The publication operates a diversified content portfolio that includes a core website (smartindustry.com), a twice-weekly and monthly email newsletter cadence, the Great Question manufacturing podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Podbean, sponsored and editorial webinars, white papers, monthly e-handbooks, the annual Crystal Ball prediction series, and the (R)Evolutionizing Manufacturing video franchise. Its flagship branded initiative is the Industrial Transformation Awards (ITAs), co-presented with Cisco, which recognizes organizations for operational excellence and digital transformation.

The product is built on standard web-based digital media infrastructure; Smart Industry does not offer proprietary software, SaaS, APIs, or developer tooling. A site membership program provides registered users with premium content access, article bookmarking, and newsletter management. The publication was originally founded in 2013 as an annual industry conference, expanded into a print magazine (June 2015), and discontinued both the conference (after 2019, never restarted post-COVID) and the print magazine (2023), continuing exclusively as a digital property.

Monetization is anchored in advertising and sponsorship sales to manufacturing technology vendors and solution providers seeking reach into a manufacturing IT/OT audience, supplemented by membership and newsletter subscriptions. Smart Industry is operated as a brand within Endeavor Business Media, a privately held diversified B2B media company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and has a stated headcount of 1-10. The company does not publicly disclose revenue, funding, or ownership structure beyond its Endeavor Business Media parent.

Name

Smart Industry

Legal name

Smart Industry

Website

https://smartindustry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smart Industry is a B2B online media brand covering manufacturing technology, including digital transformation, IT/OT convergence, cybersecurity, IIoT, automation, and AI, serving manufacturers, IT/OT decision-makers, and technology vendors through editorial content, podcasts, newsletters, webinars, white papers, and a Cisco co-presented Industrial Transformation Awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Manufacturing Media

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (MPAAADAC)

Keywords

• B2B manufacturing media
• Industrial technology news
• Industry 4.0 content
• Manufacturing digital transformation
• Industrial technology publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaumburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: Primary revenue stream from advertising and sponsorship sales to manufacturing technology providers, vendors, and solution companies seeking to reach the manufacturing audience.
2. Membership/Subscription: Site membership model offering premium content access, bookmarking features, and newsletter subscription management. Members gain access to articles and editorial e-books.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Smart Industry is a B2B online media publication and content platform delivering news, editorial coverage, podcasts, webinars, white papers, e-handbooks, and awards programming focused on Industry 4.0, manufacturing technology, digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity, IIoT, and automation. It operates as a brand of Endeavor Business Media, serving manufacturing stakeholders with editorial content while providing advertising and sponsorship opportunities to manufacturing technology vendors.

Product overview

Smart Industry is a B2B online media publication that provides news, information, and resources for manufacturing professionals. The core offering is the Smart Industry website/platform delivering editorial content across multiple formats: the Great Question podcast series, twice-weekly and monthly newsletters, webinars with industry experts, white papers, monthly eHandbooks, the annual Crystal Ball prediction series, and the Industrial Transformation Awards program. The publication also offers a membership program providing premium content access. Smart Industry does not offer a SaaS platform, software product, or developer API—the company is a content and media platform covering topics such as AI in manufacturing, IIoT, IT/OT convergence, cybersecurity, digital transformation, additive manufacturing, 5G deployments, and automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast: A manufacturing podcast delivering news and information for people who make, store and move things and those who manage facilities.
• Crystal Ball Series
• Industrial Transformation Awards (ITAs)

Products and services

• Smart Industry Website/Platform A B2B online media publication providing news, information, and resources focused on Industry 4.0, manufacturing technology, digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity, IIoT, and automation. The platform delivers articles, blogs, news items, podcasts, webinars, white papers, and e-handbooks to manufacturing professionals and technology decision-makers.
• Smart Industry Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,224+ content pieces available across articles, blogs, news, podcasts, videos, and webinars

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CiscoflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026Cisco co-presents the Industrial Transformation Awards (ITAs) with Smart Industry, recognizing organizations for operational excellence and digital transformation. The partnership provides sponsorship for the awards program and video interviews with winners featured on Smart Industry's platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Plant Engineering: CFE Media brand covering plant-floor operations, maintenance, reliability, and digital transformation. Highly comparable to Smart Industry on persona (plant engineers and operations leaders), multi-format content mix, and B2B advertising/sponsorship model.
• IndustryWeek: A leading B2B media brand covering manufacturing operations, technology, and digital transformation. Directly comparable to Smart Industry in audience (manufacturing executives and plant leaders), editorial focus (Industry 4.0, automation, AI), and revenue model (digital advertising, sponsored content, webinars, awards/events).
• Manufacturing.net: B2B digital publication serving manufacturing professionals with news, feature articles, and multimedia content on industrial technology. Directly overlaps Smart Industry in audience (manufacturing decision-makers), editorial topics, and advertiser base.
• IMPO (Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operations): B2B publication covering plant maintenance, reliability, and industrial operations. Directly comparable to Smart Industry on persona (plant operations leaders), editorial topics (digital transformation of plant operations), and digital advertising/sponsorship revenue model.
• ASSEMBLY Magazine: B2B media brand covering automated assembly, robotics, and discrete manufacturing technology. Comparable to Smart Industry in advertising-led business model and in covering adjacent automation/robotics topics that overlap with Smart Industry's IIoT and automation editorial.
• Control Engineering: CFE Media title focused on industrial control, instrumentation, and automation. Direct competitor to Smart Industry for advertising spend from automation vendors and for the IT/OT convergence, cybersecurity, and AI audience overlap.
• Design World: B2B engineering media brand covering motion control, machine design, automation, and digital manufacturing. Overlaps with Smart Industry on automation and digital transformation coverage and competes for the same engineering audience and vendor advertising budgets.
• Automation World: B2B media publication covering industrial automation, control systems, and manufacturing technology. Closely comparable to Smart Industry on target buyer (engineers, plant managers, automation professionals), content formats (articles, podcasts, webinars), and advertiser base (automation and control vendors).

Emerging players

• ARC Advisory Group: Industrial software and automation research/advisory firm producing syndicated research, analyst reports, and advisory services for manufacturing technology buyers. Comparable as a competing source of authority and lead-generation content for the same IIoT and manufacturing-tech vendor ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Thomas Publishing: Long-established B2B industrial sourcing platform and media publisher serving manufacturers and industrial buyers. Comparable in audience reach (manufacturers and industrial buyers) and content-led monetization, though operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmartIndustryUS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SmartIndustryTV-lm7ef
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Smart-Industry/812743562101378
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6589692

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 Smart Industry