SMART FACTORY DIRECT (UK) LTD

What SMART FACTORY DIRECT (UK) LTD does

Smart Factory Direct (UK) Ltd is a UK-based e-commerce retailer incorporated in 2021 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great British Systems Ltd, specializing in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) hardware and software for the surface-mount technology (SMT) electronic assembly manufacturing sector. The company's headquarters are at Unit 12, 44 Springfield Road, Poole, Dorset (BH14 0LQ), and it serves both retail and wholesale customers across 27 countries through its own online storefront, with international shipping via DHL Express and domestic UK delivery via Royal Mail Parcelforce.

The core product line is the SMEMA Adaptor Family, comprising the SMEMA Ethernet Adaptor (Clive, £295), SMEMA Hermes Adaptor single-lane (Quentin, £345) and dual-lane (Austin, £485) devices. These units act as protocol bridges between legacy IPC-SMEMA-9851 equipment and the modern IPC-HERMES-9852 M2M communication standard, enabling SMT manufacturers to retrofit existing conveyors, printers, pick-and-place machines, inspection equipment, and ovens without replacing them. The hardware is built on Raspberry Pi Compute Modules (Broadcom BCM2711, Cortex-A72 SoC @ 1.5GHz) and runs the proprietary MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform, a .NET-based software framework developed by partner Industry4 Ltd. MultiPlug provides browser-based monitoring, a publish-subscribe event architecture, and a marketplace of sandboxed extensions including MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes and MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes.Supervisory for board tracking, work-order creation, and production traceability. Supporting accessories include ED-038 Ethernet SMEMA Interfaces, Neuron BB-400 industrial edge controllers, PoE switches (Brainboxes SW-525/SW-725, TP-Link TL-SG1005LP), USB-C power supplies, mounting kits, dongle cables, and USB relay controllers.

The business model is primarily transactional e-commerce hardware sales, augmented by low-priced perpetual software licenses (£25–£75) that ship bundled with hardware or are sold separately for OEMs and upgrades. The company is not VAT registered, processes payments via PayPal and bank transfer through Barclays Bank UK PLC, and operates without disclosed revenue, headcount, or external funding. Distribution combines direct online ordering (via wishlist-based quoting) with wholesale terms (EXW, customer-arranged courier), targeting SMT manufacturers and Industrial IT/systems integrators seeking to bridge legacy equipment with modern Industry 4.0 communication standards.

Name

SMART FACTORY DIRECT (UK) LTD

Legal name

Smart Factory Direct (UK) Ltd

Website

https://smartfactorydirect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smart Factory Direct (UK) Ltd is an e-commerce retailer of IIoT hardware and software that retrofits legacy SMT electronic assembly equipment to the modern IPC-HERMES-9852 standard, serving manufacturers and integrators in 27 countries from Poole, UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial IIoT Equipment for SMT Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Factory Automation & Control Systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS) (IMAIAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial IoT/Edge Electronics Manufacturing (Gateways, Edge Controllers) (IMAGAGAC), Industrial Networking & Communication Electronics Manufacturing (Ethernet switches, Fieldbus, Wireless) (IMAGAGAE), Industrial Connectivity & Networks (5G/LPWAN/TSN/Industrial Ethernet) (IMAIAMAH)

Keywords

• IIoT industrial equipment
• SMT manufacturing solutions
• SMEMA adapter devices
• Edge computing platform
• Industrial control hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Poole

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Hardware: Direct e-commerce sales of industrial control equipment including SMEMA/Hermes adaptors, Ethernet switches, power supplies, cables, mounts, I/O controllers, and maintenance parts. One-time hardware purchase model with per-unit pricing.
2. Software Licenses: Sales of software licenses for MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform and extensions including MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes and MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes.Supervisory. Licenses are included with hardware purchases or sold separately for upgrades and OEM integration.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smart Factory Direct (UK) Ltd operates an e-commerce platform that retails industrial IoT (IIoT) hardware and software products for SMT (surface mount technology) electronic assembly manufacturing factories. The portfolio centres on the SMEMA Adaptor Family (Ethernet and Hermes protocol adapters) running on the proprietary MultiPlug edge computing platform, enabling legacy production line equipment to communicate via the IPC-HERMES-9852 standard while retaining compatibility with IPC-SMEMA-9851 signals. Supporting products include industrial Ethernet switches, edge controllers, I/O interfaces, cables, mounts, power supplies, and replacement parts.

Product overview

SMART FACTORY DIRECT is an e-commerce retailer of IIoT solutions for SMT (Surface Mount Technology) electronic assembly manufacturing. The portfolio consists of the SMEMA Adaptor Family as the core hardware product line and the MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform as the software backbone. The SMEMA Adaptor Family includes the SMEMA Ethernet Adaptor (Clive), SMEMA Hermes Adaptor single-lane (Quentin), and SMEMA Hermes Adaptor dual-lane (Austin) devices that provide protocol bridging between legacy IPC-SMEMA-9851 equipment and modern IPC-HERMES-9852 standards via Ethernet. These hardware devices run on Raspberry Pi Compute Modules and are powered by the MultiPlug .NET edge computing platform, which enables browser-based monitoring, publish-subscribe event architecture, and extensibility through MultiPlug Extensions. The software ecosystem includes MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes OEM license (enabling Hermes protocol support and remote SMEMA interfacing) and The Hermes Standard Supervisory App (providing board tracking dashboards and production traceability). Supporting products include ED-038 Ethernet SMEMA Interface and Neuron BB-400 edge controller for remote/local I/O; SW-525/SW-725 industrial PoE switches and TP-Link TL-SG1005LP for network infrastructure and power over Ethernet; SMEMA Adaptor Family PoE power supply, USB-C power supplies in regional variants, and 32GB Micro-SD cards for storage; Din Rail, Wall, and Magnetic mounting options; SMEMA Male/Female dongle cables; Signal Tower and Single SMEMA USB relay controllers for auxiliary device integration; and 2032 coin cell batteries for RTC backup. The company operates globally serving customers in 27 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMEMA Ethernet Adaptor for Single Lane SMT IPC-SMEMA-9851 (Clive) Hardware device enabling SMEMA IPC-SMEMA-9851 interface via Ethernet connections and event-based architecture for single-lane SMT production lines. Runs on Raspberry Pi Compute Module with MultiPlug edge computing platform and acts as SMEMA middleman for interlocking and data exchange between legacy SMT equipment.
• SMEMA Hermes Adaptor for Single Lane SMT IPC-HERMES-9852 Retrofits (Quentin) Retrofit device that upgrades legacy single-lane IPC-SMEMA-9851 equipment to support the newer IPC-HERMES-9852 standard by retrieving Hermes board data and converting it to SMEMA signals for legacy equipment interpretation.
• SMEMA Hermes Adaptor for Dual Lane SMT IPC-HERMES-9852 Retrofits (Austin) Dual-lane version of the SMEMA Hermes Adaptor for retrofitting legacy dual-lane IPC-SMEMA-9851 manufacturing equipment (conveyors, printers, pick-and-place, inspection, ovens) to support the IPC-HERMES-9852 standard.
• MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform Software License Extensible .NET-based edge computing platform that makes applications IoT-ready. Runs locally on Windows, Linux, or Raspberry Pi OS, providing browser-based web apps, publish-subscribe architecture, and an extension marketplace for reusable MultiPlug extensions.
• MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes Software License OEM Software license for the MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes extension enabling IPC-HERMES-9852 support and remote SMEMA interfacing. Used by SMT OEMs for equipment upgrades; includes Digital Twin, Service Description, Notifications, Supervisory, Station Setup, Scan Station, and SMEMA States features.
• The Hermes Standard Supervisory App for IPC-HERMES-9852 MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes.Supervisory dashboard software providing Board Tracking Dashboards, Work Order Creation, and Production Traceability for IPC-HERMES-9852 compliant SMT lines. Supports Microsoft Windows and Debian Linux.
• ED-038 Ethernet SMEMA Interface Remote I/O device providing Ethernet to 3 Form A Relay and 3 Digital Inputs interface for SMEMA remote operation. Supports Upstream: 1 Input, 2 Outputs; Downstream: 2 Inputs, 1 Output. Features Software APIs for Visual Basic, C# and more.
• Neuron Industrial Edge Controller BB-400 Industrial edge controller powered by Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ combined with Arduino. Provides DIO, Serial, Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, USB, and Ethernet connectivity. Supports MQTT, OPC-UA, REST, and Modbus protocols for interfacing with industrial equipment.
• SW-525 Industrial 5 Port PoE+ 10/100 Ethernet Switch Industrial 5-port PoE+ Ethernet switch with 4 PoE+ capable ports (IEEE 802.3af/at compliant, up to 30W per port). 90W PoE power budget at 70°C. Industrial operating temperature range -40°C to +70°C.
• SW-725 Hardened Industrial 5 Port PoE+ 10/100 Ethernet Switch Hardened industrial-grade 5-port PoE+ switch with redundant dual power inputs (+44V to +57V DC). Extended temperature range -40°C to +70°C. Suitable for harsh industrial environments.
• TL-SG1005LP 5 Port Gigabit (4 PoE+ port) Ethernet Switch 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch with 4 PoE+ ports (IEEE 802.3af/at compliant, up to 30W per PoE port, 40W total). Plug and play, no configuration required.
• SMEMA Adaptor Family PoE Power Supply PoE (Power over Ethernet) power supply supporting IEEE802.3 af/at. Provides 5V/4A output via Type-C connector for powering SMEMA Adaptor Family devices through PoE network switches.
• SMEMA Adaptor Family Din Rail Mount Kit Din Rail mounting solution for SMEMA Adaptor Family products including Quentin, Austin, Clive, Oscar, and Jasper models. Includes two screws for self-assembly.
• SMEMA Adaptor Family Wall Mount Wall mounting solution for any SMEMA Adaptor Family products.
• SMEMA Adaptor Family Magnetic Mount Magnetic mounting solution for SMEMA Adaptor Family products including Quentin, Austin, Clive, Oscar, and Jasper models.
• SMEMA Male Dongles (Pair) SMEMA Male to RJ12 dongle cables (1.0 metre pair) for direct SMT equipment connections with female sockets. Shorter design for neater installations.
• SMEMA Female Dongles (Pair) SMEMA Female to RJ12 dongle cables (1.5 metre pair) intended for use with existing extension cables. Slightly longer than Male Dongles for flexible routing.
• Signal Tower USB Relay Controller USB 4-channel relay controller for interfacing LED Signal Towers with SMEMA Adaptor Family products. Fully USB-powered with DIN rail mounting clips.
• Single SMEMA USB Relay (Output) Controller Single-channel USB relay controller for adding additional SMEMA output for foreign machine communication, including PCB board flipping applications with SMEMA Ethernet Adaptor. Features OMRON G5V-1 relay.
• 32GB Micro-SD Card Raspberry Pi A2-class Micro-SD Card 32GB for use as replacement storage in SMEMA Adaptor Family products. Supports higher bus speeds (DDR50 and SDR104) with Command Queueing extension.
• 2032 Coin Cell Battery Coin cell battery (3V, 2032, Lithium Manganese Dioxide, 230 mAh) for Real Time Clock backup in SMEMA Adaptor Family devices.
• USB-C Power Supply - UK Plug 100-240V USB-C power supply (5V 3A, 15W) with UK plug for SMEMA Adaptor Family products. Features over temperature, short circuit, over current, and over voltage protection.
• USB-C Power Supply - US Plug 100-240V USB-C power supply (5V 3A, 15W) with US plug for SMEMA Adaptor Family products. Features over temperature, short circuit, over current, and over voltage protection.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Great British Systems LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Parent company of Smart Factory Direct (UK) Ltd. Formed Smart Factory Direct in 2021 as a subsidiary. Great British Systems Ltd is a manufacturer of SMEMA Adaptor Family products including Quentin, Austin, Clive, Oscar, and Jasper adaptors. Smart Factory Direct serves as the e-commerce retail channel for Great British Systems products.
• PayPalminorOthersPayment processor for customer transactions on the e-commerce platform. Customers can send payment to [email protected] using PayPal's internal send monies tool.
• DHL ExpressminorOthersPrimary international shipping partner for orders outside the UK. Provides 1-3 working day delivery to European Union and 3-10 working days to rest of world. All international orders shipped on DAP (Duties At Place) basis.
• Royal Mail ParcelforceminorOthersUK domestic shipping partner providing 1-3 working day delivery with tracking for orders within the United Kingdom.
• Brainboxes LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of ED-038 Ethernet SMEMA Interface and industrial edge controllers (BB-400, SW-525, SW-725) sold through Smart Factory Direct. Products are integrated with SMEMA Adaptor Family for remote I/O and Ethernet connectivity solutions.
• Industry4 LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of MultiPlug software platform and extensions. Products shared with Great British Systems for customer service purposes. MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes and MultiPlug.Ext.SMEMA extensions are core to SMEMA Adaptor Family functionality.
• Barclays Bank UK PLCminorOthersBanking partner for customer payments. Handles international bank transfers (IBAN: GB06BUKB20114373205207, SWIFTBIC: BUKBGB22) and UK domestic transfers (Account: 73205207, Sort Code: 20-11-43).
• Raspberry Pi LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationHardware platform provider. SMEMA Adaptor Family products are powered by Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ and run Raspberry Pi OS Lite. 32GB Micro-SD Cards (A2-Class) are sold as replacement parts. Raspberry Pi 4 Model B referenced as compatible platform for MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Koh Young Technology: SMT inspection and process control equipment vendor integrated into SMT lines that use SMEMA/Hermes protocols. Comparable as a participant in the SMT connectivity ecosystem, primarily serving Asian electronics manufacturing markets.
• Mycronic: European-headquartered SMT assembly equipment manufacturer whose product lines include pick-and-place and solder paste printing systems using SMEMA/Hermes interfaces. Comparable as an SMT ecosystem participant, primarily operating in Europe and Asia rather than as a direct retail competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ASMPT (ASM Pacific Technology): Major SMT equipment manufacturer whose machines increasingly embed Hermes-compatible M2M communications natively. Comparable as a player shaping the SMT line connectivity standards that Smart Factory Direct's retrofit adaptors address.
• Advantech: Industrial IoT and embedded computing platform vendor offering edge controllers, industrial Ethernet switches, and IIoT gateways. Comparable to Smart Factory Direct's edge controller and industrial networking product positioning.
• Siemens Digital Industries: Dominant industrial automation incumbent whose SIMATIC, RUGGEDCOM, and IoT portfolio addresses factory connectivity, edge computing, and SMT line integration. Relevant as the broad incumbent against whose ecosystem Smart Factory Direct's retrofit solutions compete.
• HMS Networks: Established industrial communication and IIoT connectivity specialist offering protocol bridges, gateways, and edge connectivity products. Directly comparable to Smart Factory Direct's protocol-bridging value proposition but at much larger scale and broader scope across multiple industrial protocols.
• Phoenix Contact: Global industrial connectivity, networking, and I/O vendor offering industrial Ethernet switches, PoE solutions, and edge I/O. Comparable to Smart Factory Direct's accessory networking and I/O product lines but across a vastly broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Great British Systems Ltd: Parent company and original manufacturer of the SMEMA Adaptor Family. Most directly comparable because it produces the same core hardware (Quentin, Austin, Clive adaptors) that Smart Factory Direct resells, targeting the same SMT retrofit use cases and standards.
• Brainboxes Ltd: Technology partner that manufactures the ED-038 Ethernet SMEMA Interface and BB-400 Neuron industrial edge controller sold through Smart Factory Direct. Comparable as a provider of industrial I/O and edge connectivity products to the SMT and broader factory automation market.
• Industry4 Ltd: Developer of the MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform and extensions that are core to Smart Factory Direct's offering. Highly comparable as an IIoT edge platform vendor serving the same SMT and Industry 4.0 retrofit use cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SmartFactoryDirect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-factory-direct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 FACTORY DIRECT (UK) LTD