HID, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced it has acquired Sewio Networks (Sewio), a leading provider of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) platforms for asset management, intralogistics, and improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
The addition of Sewio expands HID’s growing RTLS portfolio, particularly for asset tracking use cases in automotive and manufacturing.
“Welcoming the Sewio team into the HID family reinforces our commitment to being a major player in the RTLS space,” said Björn Lidefelt, EVP and Head of HID. “With Sewio’s technology and expertise, we are in a better position to help automotive and manufacturing customers enhance their smart factory and warehouse operations.”
Sewio’s UWB RTLS platform is comprised of hardware, software and professional services. The hardware consists of two devices, including signal transmitters called Tags, used for tracking assets, and signal receivers, called Anchors, used for receiving signals from Tags. The software component includes an all-in-one on-premise platform which allows for smooth deployment, maintenance, and control of the platform, as well as a cloud-based software, which offers business intelligence, including device care and track and trace capabilities.
Marc Bielmann, SVP and Head of Identification Technologies, HID, said, “We are laser focused on enhancing our RTLS technology suite to solve for additional use cases in our targeted vertical markets, such as Industrial. Adding Sewio and their high precision UWB platform is yet another step in this direction, and we look forward to extending our offering to meet the unique needs of users in the automotive and industrial space.”
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, Sewio is now part of HID’s Identification Technologies Business Area. The Sewio solution will merge into HID’s Internet of Things Services (IOTS) Business Unit and benefit from HID’s sales and other global functions to support its offering.
“At Sewio, we are proud of not only the technology we have developed, but of the relationships we have built with our partners and end users across the globe,” said Milan Simek, CEO, Sewio. “As we enter this new journey with HID, we are excited to expand our reach by helping even more customers generate value through enhanced, real-time visibility of their operations.”
“For me, this is an especially significant moment, as I have been working with Milan and Lubo for over a decade, since well before I joined YSV, as we first met when I was a member of the JIC – business with a purpose team. I know how hard they worked to achieve this and I am 100% sure that their success is fully deserved. They are the kind of founders every VC wishes to back and I am grateful that I could have played a small role in their journey” says Lukas Konecny, Junior Partner at Y Soft Ventures.
