Wiliot, the semiconductor pioneer and innovator, has demonstrated the first-ever sticker-sized Bluetooth sensor tag incorporating an ARM processor powered solely by scavenging energy from ambient radio frequencies.
They showcased this at the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2019: Retail's Big Show in New York City. The company also raised a $30 million series B for a total of $50 million in funding after the demonstration.
A Wiliot chip glued to a simple antenna printed on plastic or paper can authenticate the proximity of a product by transmitting an encrypted serial number along with weight and temperature data from a device the size of a postage stamp. Eliminating most of the components associated with traditional Bluetooth, these tags lower sale and maintenance costs to previously unachievable levels. The tags use Wiliot's breakthrough in nanowatt computing to communicate with any device enabled by Bluetooth Low Energy, such as smartphones, Wi-Fi access points and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can connect to digital displays, Wi-Fi and LTE cellular networks.
On the heels of their first successful tests, Wiliot, whose R&D department is based in Israel, closed a Series B round of funding with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Investment Arm, Samsung Venture Investment Corp., and Avery Dennison. These organizations have joined Norwest Venture Partners, 83North, Grove Venture Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, and M Ventures to raise an additional $30 million of funding.
Examples of Real-life applications for Wiliot tags:
- Bluetooth tags can be embedded in the production phase of consumer goods, allowing real-time tracking through the manufacturing process, to the warehouse and from the store to the end consumer - all while being sensed for critical information.
- At the retail level, the Wiliot transponder can overcome the limits of human-readable product information on tags or packaging, unlocking interactive engagement through the consumer's own phone or displays.
- At home, consumers can communicate with their products to get instructions and reminders of when and how to use them, and Wiliot-enabled containers can automatically reorder themselves when empty.
- Valuable products can be tracked in case they are lost or stolen without having to add a dongle with limited battery life.
- Clothing with Wiliot tags can communicate with washing machines to ensure whites never turn pink.
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