Top Hat Engineering
Top Hat Engineering is a 2023-founded Tampa, Florida-based startup that sells ClarityWOS™, an AI-driven warehouse optimization SaaS platform, alongside engineered automation hardware and lifecycle services, targeting distribution centers, 3PLs, and manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersSt. Petersburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Top Hat Engineering does
Top Hat Engineering is a privately held, Tampa/St. Petersburg-based startup founded in 2023 by CEO Calem Harris. It targets distribution centers, third-party logistics providers, and manufacturing operations with a software-first approach to warehouse optimization, engineered automation systems, and lifecycle services. The company's leadership team draws on prior front-line operations experience at Amazon, Staples, and Walmart, with the CEO holding 20+ engineering patents and VP Engineering Sebastian Mora holding 5 U.S. patents.
The company's core technology is ClarityWOS™, an AI/ML-powered Warehouse Optimization System delivered as a Platform as a Service. ClarityWOS™ sits between existing Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), and ERP systems, using proprietary machine learning algorithms to optimize work release, assignment, and completion across manual and automated warehouse operations without requiring data migration. The platform is modularized into five components: Clear Flow (material flow optimization), Clear Gear (equipment management with predictive maintenance), Clear Slot (dynamic slotting intelligence), Clear Team (workforce optimization), and Clear Pick (order fulfillment). The company also provides custom engineered automation solutions (conveyor, sortation, ASRS, AMR, custom automation) using Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC-based control systems, plus lifecycle services covering design, construction, implementation, 24/7 monitoring, and maintenance.
Top Hat Engineering operates a sales-led, event-driven go-to-market model, selling directly via phone, email, and website contact forms to enterprise accounts, and through a verified reseller partnership with Advanced Intralogistics announced at MODEX 2026. Revenue is generated through three streams: ClarityWOS™ SaaS subscriptions (recurring), engineered automation hardware sales, and lifecycle professional services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company's claimed performance outcomes include 95% reductions in leave behinds, 20–50% labor cost reductions, 50% greater capacity, and specific case results such as 125% throughput gains and 75% labor hour reductions, though customer identities are anonymized (Fortune 25, Fortune 100, Fortune 500).
Top Hat Engineering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Top Hat Engineering
- Legal name
- Top Hat Engineering
- Website
- https://tophatengineering.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Top Hat Engineering is a 2023-founded Tampa, Florida-based startup that sells ClarityWOS™, an AI-driven warehouse optimization SaaS platform, alongside engineered automation hardware and lifecycle services, targeting distribution centers, 3PLs, and manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Top Hat Engineering industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Warehouse Management Software
- NAICS
- Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply Chain & Warehouse Automation (Smart Logistics) (IMAIAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Store Fulfillment & Omnichannel Execution (BOPIS/BORIS/Ship-from-Store) (TLAEACAF), Slotting, Wave/Batch Planning & Release-to-Warehouse (TLAEACAI)
Keywords
Where Top Hat Engineering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. Petersburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Top Hat Engineering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- ClarityWOS™ SaaS Subscriptions: Platform as a Service subscription model for the ClarityWOS warehouse optimization system. Includes five modules: Clear Flow, Clear Gear, Clear Slot, Clear Team, and Clear Pick. Low implementation fees and no upgrade costs.
- Engineered Automation Solutions: Custom engineering, design, and implementation of warehouse automation including conveyor systems, ASRS, AMR, batch picking, and sortation systems.
- Lifecycle Services: Strategic consulting, design and engineering, implementation and construction management, and ongoing support and optimization services including 24/7 remote monitoring, on-site emergency response, preventive maintenance, and training.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Clarity System with five integrated modules - Clear Flow, Clear Gear, Clear Slot, Clear Team, Clear Pick |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Top Hat Engineering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Top Hat Engineering sells ClarityWOS™, an AI/ML-driven Warehouse Optimization System delivered as Platform as a Service that unifies a customer's existing WMS, ERP, WES, WCS, conveyor, ASRS, AMR, and handheld systems into a single optimization layer without replacing them. The platform is sold with five modular components (Clear Flow, Clear Gear, Clear Slot, Clear Team, Clear Pick), and is complemented by Engineered Solutions (custom conveyor, sortation, ASRS, AMR, batch picking, and custom automation hardware) and Lifecycle Services (consulting, design, implementation, remote and on-site support).
Product overview
Top Hat Engineering offers a platform-plus-modules architecture built around ClarityWOS SaaS, an AI-driven Warehouse Optimization System Platform as a Service. The core platform unifies disparate warehouse systems into one interface and connects to five modular components: Clear Flow (material flow optimization), Clear Gear (equipment management with predictive maintenance), Clear Slot (dynamic slotting intelligence), Clear Team (workforce optimization), and Clear Pick (order fulfillment efficiency). These modules work individually or together to optimize warehouse operations. The company also provides engineered automation solutions (conveyor systems, ASRS, AMR, custom automation) and lifecycle services (strategic consulting, design, implementation, ongoing support).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ClarityWOS™: Warehouse Optimization System SaaS platform that combines disparate warehouse systems into one actionable interface, using proprietary machine learning to optimize workflows.
- Clear Flow
- Clear Gear
- Clear Slot
- Clear Team
- Clear Pick
Products and services
- ClarityWOS™ SaaS (Warehouse Optimization System) AI/ML-driven Warehouse Optimization System delivered as Platform as a Service that combines disparate warehouse systems into one actionable interface and uses proprietary machine learning to optimize work release, assignment, and completion. Targets enterprise distribution centers, 3PLs, and manufacturing operations.
- Engineered Solutions Custom warehouse automation engineering services covering conveyor and sortation systems, batch picking and unit sortation, ASRS, AMR and advanced robotics, print and apply, custom automation, and picking solutions for distribution, 3PL, and manufacturing environments.
- Lifecycle Services End-to-end warehouse lifecycle services spanning strategic consulting, design and engineering, implementation and construction management, 24/7 remote monitoring, on-site emergency response, preventive maintenance, and training.
Quantifiable outcome
- 125% increase in cartons per hour throughput (236 to 530 cartons/hour)
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Top Hat Engineering
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Top Hat Engineering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
Top Hat Engineering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Advanced Intralogisticsflagship/coreStrategic partnership and mutual reseller agreement where Advanced Intralogistics serves as a verified reseller of Top Hat's ClarityWOS™ warehouse optimization system. The partnership was unveiled at MODEX 2026, with both companies exhibiting together at Booth A4514. Customers of both companies gain access to an expanded portfolio of integrated automation solutions combining Advanced Intralogistics' warehouse automation hardware with Top Hat's AI-driven ClarityWOS™ optimization system. Early client results show 16% increase in cartons-per-hour throughput and 18% improvement in units-per-hour processing.
Scale indicators12 records
Top Hat Engineering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Locus Robotics: Locus Robotics provides AMR-based picking optimization as a SaaS-managed service for warehouses. Shares the software-as-a-service delivery model and target warehouse customers with Top Hat, though focused specifically on goods-to-person picking rather than full WOS scope.
- Symbotic: Symbotic applies AI and robotics to end-to-end warehouse automation for distribution and retail customers. Comparable in software-first automation philosophy and target verticals, though at significantly larger scale and with a more capital-intensive hardware stack.
Broad incumbents
- Swisslog: Swisslog provides integrated warehouse automation and software (including SynQ WMS/WCS) with strong positions in ASRS, AMR, and item-picking robotics. Cited by Top Hat as a competitor; similar customer base but much larger global footprint.
- Dematic: Dematic is a global, vertically integrated warehouse automation provider combining ASRS, conveyors, and WMS/WCS software. Top Hat explicitly positions against Dematic; the overlap is in distribution center automation, but Dematic's scale and breadth far exceed Top Hat's.
- Honeywell Intelligrated: Honeywell Intelligrated delivers integrated warehouse automation including conveyors, sortation, ASRS, robotics, and execution software. Listed as a direct competitor by Top Hat and competes broadly across the same distribution, 3PL, and manufacturing accounts.
Direct peers
- Manhattan Associates: Manhattan Associates' Manhattan Active WM is a leading cloud-native warehouse management platform that increasingly bundles optimization and execution features overlapping with ClarityWOS™. Both compete for enterprise distribution and 3PL software budgets.
- Logiwa: Logiwa offers cloud-based WMS and fulfillment optimization for high-volume distribution and 3PL operations, with a SaaS delivery model and integration with warehouse automation that competes with ClarityWOS™ on similar use cases.
- Blue Yonder: Blue Yonder provides AI-driven supply chain and warehouse management solutions, including WMS and warehouse execution/optimization capabilities that directly compete with ClarityWOS™ as an intelligence layer above WMS. Both target distribution and manufacturing enterprises with ML-driven optimization.
- Softeon: Softeon provides WMS and warehouse optimization software focused on distribution and manufacturing, with a comparable systems-agnostic integration approach and similar target customer profile to Top Hat Engineering.
- Körber: Körber Supply Chain offers WMS, WCS, and WES software plus warehouse automation integration — a directly comparable portfolio to Top Hat's ClarityWOS™ + engineered solutions + lifecycle services combination for distribution and 3PL customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Top Hat Engineering social profiles
Digital presenceTop Hat Engineering financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Top Hat Engineering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Top Hat Engineering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Top Hat Engineering 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 Top Hat Engineering
What does Top Hat Engineering do?
Top Hat Engineering sells ClarityWOS™, an AI/ML-driven Warehouse Optimization System delivered as Platform as a Service that unifies a customer's existing WMS, ERP, WES, WCS, conveyor, ASRS, AMR, and handheld systems into a single optimization layer without replacing them. The platform is sold with five modular components (Clear Flow, Clear Gear, Clear Slot, Clear Team, Clear Pick), and is complemented by Engineered Solutions (custom conveyor, sortation, ASRS, AMR, batch picking, and custom automation hardware) and Lifecycle Services (consulting, design, implementation, remote and on-site support).
Is Top Hat Engineering a public or private company?
Top Hat Engineering is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Top Hat Engineering founded?
Top Hat Engineering was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Top Hat Engineering based?
Top Hat Engineering is headquartered in St. Petersburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Top Hat Engineering make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. ClarityWOS™ SaaS Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are engineered Automation Solutions and lifecycle Services.
Who are Top Hat Engineering's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Locus Robotics and Symbotic. Broad incumbents are Swisslog, Dematic and Honeywell Intelligrated. Direct peers are Manhattan Associates, Logiwa, Blue Yonder, Softeon and Körber.
Does Top Hat Engineering have an API?
No public API is recorded for Top Hat Engineering.
What industry is Top Hat Engineering in?
Top Hat Engineering's product category is Warehouse Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAIAMAJ, Supply Chain & Warehouse Automation (Smart Logistics), with a secondary code of TLAEACAF, Store Fulfillment & Omnichannel Execution (BOPIS/BORIS/Ship-from-Store). Its NAICS code is 33392 and its SIC code is 3550.