symbIoTe
symbIoTe is an EU Horizon 2020-funded research project (2016–2019) that built an open-source IoT interoperability middleware, enabling heterogeneous IoT platforms to share resources through semantic interoperability, federated bartering, and four compliance levels, serving platform providers, developers, and smart-city operators across a 14-partner European consortium.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What symbIoTe does
symbIoTe (full name: Symbiosis of smart objects across IoT environments) is an EU Horizon 2020-funded research project launched in 2016 under grant agreement No 688156, coordinated by Intracom S.A. Telecom Solutions (ICOM) in Greece with technical management by the University of Zagreb. The project built an open-source IoT interoperability middleware that enables heterogeneous IoT platforms to expose, discover, and exchange resources through semantic interoperability, rather than forcing adoption of a single protocol or information model. The middleware is structured around four compliance levels — L1 (semantic search and platform integration), L2 (federated bartering/trading), L3 (localized smart-space gateway interaction), and L4 (device roaming across smart spaces) — implemented across three core components: SymbioteCore (central semantic search engine and resource registry), SymbioteCloud (L1/L2 platform-side components), and SymbioteSmartSpace (L3/L4 gateway middleware). Additional modules include Domain Enablers (SMEUR for ecological urban routing, Smart Yachting, Indoor Positioning, Location-Based Filtering), a bartering/trading system with Trust Manager, ABAC-based access control, and blockchain-secured federation. The software spans 130,000+ lines of code across 25+ released components, published on GitHub under open-source licenses through version 3.1.0 (February 2019).
The project served four primary user segments: IoT platform providers seeking cross-platform resource exposure, IoT application developers (SMEs/startups) building cross-domain applications, smart-city and smart-environment operators needing unified services across heterogeneous platforms, and research institutions testing campus-wide interoperability. Distribution was entirely self-serve via GitHub, JitPack client libraries, Docker images, and YouTube tutorials, with ecosystem growth driven through open calls, hackathons (notably HackaTown 2018 at IoT World Congress Barcelona), and IoT-EPI coordination with sister projects BIG IoT, AGILE, BIoTope, VICINITY, and TagITSMART. By 2018, eight IoT platforms plus one Enabler were integrated, and 15 third-party projects were funded through two open calls.
symbIoTe is not a commercial entity: it has no revenue model, no pricing, and no paying customers. The €5 million EU grant constitutes project funding distributed across a 14-partner European consortium for research and development. The active research phase appears to have concluded by 2018–2019, with operating status flagged as 'closed' and no subsequent funding rounds, product updates, or commercial launches documented.
symbIoTe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- symbIoTe
- Legal name
- symbIoTe (Symbiosis of smart objects across IoT environments)
- Website
- https://www.symbiote-h2020.eu/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- symbIoTe is an EU Horizon 2020-funded research project (2016–2019) that built an open-source IoT interoperability middleware, enabling heterogeneous IoT platforms to share resources through semantic interoperability, federated bartering, and four compliance levels, serving platform providers, developers, and smart-city operators across a 14-partner European consortium.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
symbIoTe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IoT Interoperability Middleware
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Cloud Management, Monitoring & FinOps (HDABAMAD)
Keywords
Where symbIoTe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
symbIoTe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Source Framework (No Direct Revenue): symbIoTe is an EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation project (grant agreement No 688156) funded by the European Commission. It operates as an open-source framework without a commercial revenue model. The project publishes all software as open source and does not generate direct revenue from product sales or subscriptions.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
symbIoTe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
symbIoTe is an open-source IoT interoperability middleware that enables heterogeneous IoT platforms to expose, share, and exchange resources through a unified interface. It provides semantic search, platform federation with bartering/trading mechanisms, and four compliance levels (L1–L4) ranging from simple semantic integration to device roaming across smart spaces. The software is published under open-source licenses on GitHub and is available as middleware components, Domain Enablers, and client libraries for Android, iOS, and Java developers.
Product overview
symbIoTe is an open-source IoT interoperability middleware consisting of three main components: SymbioteCore (central semantic search engine and registry), SymbioteCloud (L1 compliance components for platforms), and SymbioteSmartSpace (L3/L4 compliance for local gateways and devices). The middleware enables IoT platforms to expose, share and exchange resources through semantic interoperability and platform federations. symbIoTe provides four compliance levels: L1 for semantic interoperability, L2 for federations with bartering, L3 for Smart Space device integration, and L4 for device roaming. The ecosystem includes specialized Enablers (SMEUR for eco-routing, Smart Yachting, Location-Based Filtering, Indoor Positioning) that act as virtual IoT platforms adding domain-specific value. Security features include ABAC-based access control and anomaly detection. The software has been released in versions 1.0.0 through 3.1.0 with over 130,000 lines of code and 25+ components.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- symbIoTe Middleware Open-source IoT interoperability middleware enabling any IoT platform and resource to interact in a trusted and unified way. Provides abstraction layer for integration of new providers and enables platform federations for direct secure interactions. Targeted at IoT platform providers, application developers, and SMEs building cross-platform IoT solutions.
- SymbioteCore Central component containing all services for symbIoTe Core. Implements semantic IoT search engine over resources offered by symbIoTe-enabled platforms. Hosts Core Services for resource registration, search, and discovery.
- SymbioteCloud Cloud-based components that extend existing IoT platforms with interoperability-related features. Includes Registration Handler, Resource Access Proxy, Monitoring, and Authentication & Authorization Manager to achieve L1 compliance.
- SymbioteSmartSpace (SSP) Middleware for local environments (gateways) enabling collocated IoT gateways to share resources deployed in the same physical location. Supports L3/L4 compliance for smart devices with dynamic configuration and roaming capabilities.
- SMEUR Enabler Smart Mobility and Ecological Urban Routing Enabler offering preferable routes for cyclists and pedestrians based on air quality data. Includes Interpolator for air quality estimation and external Routing Services integration. Operational in Vienna, Zagreb and Porto.
- Smart Yachting Enabler Enabler for yacht integration with port systems enabling Smart Mooring (automated mooring procedures) and Automated Supply Chain (goods/service requests). Facilitates data exchange between onboard systems and marina management platforms.
- Location-Based Resource Filtering Enabler Enabler for Smart Residence use case that filters devices based on registered position (building, floor, room). Manages symbolic locations defined for Smart Spaces and classifies them in tree view hierarchy.
- Indoor Positioning Enabler Indoor-location service estimating position based on visible BLE beacons, WiFi access points and mobile network base stations. Returns GPS location or symbiotic location (e.g. building room number).
- symbIoTe Libraries (Android, iOS, Java) Client libraries for symbIoTe-enabled application development published via JitPack for Android, iOS, and Java developers. Allows developers to access diverse IoT resources through unified symbIoTe APIs.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 130,000 lines of code across 25+ released components
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use symbIoTe
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
symbIoTe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature8 records
symbIoTe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- VICINITY ProjectminorsymbIoTe co-organized an IoT meetup workshop with the VICINITY project (November 14, 2018, Madrid) to discuss how interoperable platforms can support business development. The event brought together IoT platform providers, app developers, and sensor providers to discuss open, interoperable, and secure IoT while keeping data ownership.
- BIG IoTcoresymbIoTe partnered with BIG IoT (another IoT-EPI project) for the HackaTown 2018 hackathon at IoT World Congress Barcelona (October 2018). Both projects are members of IoT-EPI and co-organized the joint hackathon to provide creative teams access to interoperable IoT platforms and technologies. symbIoTe provided its libraries and IoT resources while BIG IoT provided its marketplace and APIs.
- IoT-EPI (Internet of Things European Platform Initiative)coresymbIoTe is part of the IoT-EPI cluster alongside BIG IoT, AGILE, BIoTope, VICINITY, and TagITSMART. IoT-EPI aims to deliver an extended IoT web of platforms for connected devices supporting smart environments, businesses, services, and persons. symbIoTe contributes interoperability technology to this EU-wide IoT ecosystem initiative. The project is listed as part of the IoT-EPI to form a vibrant IoT ecosystem.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
symbIoTe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OpenIoT: Open-source IoT platform for semantic sensor data integration. Directly comparable as a fellow EU research project integrating with symbIoTe at L1 compliance.
- BIG IoT: Sibling IoT-EPI project offering a marketplace and APIs for cross-platform IoT resource access. Directly comparable as a co-organizer of HackaTown 2018 and fellow EU Horizon 2020 IoT interoperability project.
- FIWARE: Open-source IoT platform with a Context Broker (Orion) for interoperability across heterogeneous data sources. Closely comparable as a European open-source IoT middleware initiative with semantic interoperability focus.
- AGILE: IoT-EPI project developing a modular IoT gateway with software/hardware components for rapid prototyping. Directly comparable as a sibling IoT-EPI project focusing on interoperability.
- BIoTope: IoT-EPI project building an IoT marketplace and interoperability framework for businesses. Directly comparable as a sibling IoT-EPI project with cross-platform IoT resource sharing goals.
- VICINITY: IoT-EPI project offering a decentralized IoT interoperability platform with semantic discovery. Directly comparable as a sibling IoT-EPI project with whom symbIoTe co-organized workshops in Madrid (2018).
- TagITSMART: IoT-EPI project focusing on smart object tagging and interoperability across IoT ecosystems. Directly comparable as a sibling IoT-EPI project under the same EU funding programme.
Emerging players
- Eclipse IoT (openHAB): Eclipse-hosted IoT working group including openHAB, Mosquitto, and Kura. Comparable as an open-source IoT platform that symbIoTe integrates with at L1 compliance for cross-platform interoperability.
Broad incumbents
- AWS IoT Core: Hyperscaler IoT platform offering device management, messaging, and federation at scale. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering native IoT interoperability features that compete with symbIoTe's middleware approach.
- Microsoft Azure IoT Hub: Hyperscaler IoT platform with built-in device twins, routing, and protocol translation. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering IoT interoperability absorbed into a commercial cloud platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
symbIoTe social profiles
Digital presencesymbIoTe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
symbIoTe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
symbIoTe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
symbIoTe 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 symbIoTe
What does symbIoTe do?
symbIoTe is an open-source IoT interoperability middleware that enables heterogeneous IoT platforms to expose, share, and exchange resources through a unified interface. It provides semantic search, platform federation with bartering/trading mechanisms, and four compliance levels (L1–L4) ranging from simple semantic integration to device roaming across smart spaces. The software is published under open-source licenses on GitHub and is available as middleware components, Domain Enablers, and client libraries for Android, iOS, and Java developers.
Is symbIoTe a public or private company?
symbIoTe is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently closed.
When was symbIoTe founded?
symbIoTe was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is symbIoTe based?
symbIoTe is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does symbIoTe make money?
One revenue line is on record: open Source Framework (No Direct Revenue).
Who are symbIoTe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OpenIoT, BIG IoT, FIWARE, AGILE, BIoTope, VICINITY and TagITSMART. Eclipse IoT (openHAB) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are AWS IoT Core and Microsoft Azure IoT Hub.
Does symbIoTe have an API?
Yes. symbIoTe provides a unified interface for open IoT resources enabling Cloud-based IoT platforms to open and expose their devices/services in a uniform way. The API supports REST and OData protocols for resource access. Developers can search for resources via Core Search Engine, fetch resource endpoints via Resource Access Monitor (RAM), and access resources (sensors, actuators, web services). Resources can be accessed through OData or REST protocols, and applications can receive notifications via WebSockets. Security is managed through ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control) with Guest tokens for public resources and Home tokens for protected resources. symbIoTe libraries are available via Jitpack at https://jitpack.io/#symbiote-h2020/SymbIoTeLibraries/ for Java developers. Developer documentation is at github.com/symbiote-h2020/SymbioteCore.
What industry is symbIoTe in?
symbIoTe's product category is IoT Interoperability Middleware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAMAD, Hybrid Cloud Management, Monitoring & FinOps. Its NAICS code is 5415 and its SIC code is 7372.