IoT Ecosystem Gains Momentum: New Funding, Strategic Partnerships and Global Expansion

THE ECOSYSTEM VIEW: In the latest instalment of his ecosystem column, Antony Savvas charts the latest movers and shakers in the Internet of Things (IoT) industry.

Traxens has secured €20 million ($22.7 million) in a Series C round led by Itochu Corporation, Bpifrance, and Supernova Invest. The capital will accelerate the scaling of its IoT data platform for smart containers and rail freight, and underpin a global expansion with a focus on Asia.

The round also paves the way for Traxens to roll out large‑scale sea‑land tracking solutions on vessels operated by partners such as CMA CGM and MSC. In June, Maersk announced it would become a shareholder and customer, placing an initial order for up to 50,000 Traxens‑enabled containers.

Not Ousted

Ouster, a leading provider of high‑resolution LiDAR sensors for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and mapping, is expanding into Europe and the Asia‑Pacific. New offices will open in Paris, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Ouster says the move will deepen customer relationships and boost support through local field‑application engineering teams, ensuring faster order fulfilment for its worldwide customer base.

“Ouster’s global footprint already includes over 450 customers across nearly 50 countries,” said CEO Angus Pacala. “Expanding internationally is essential to continue delivering exceptional service everywhere we operate.”

DT into eSIMs

Deutsche Telekom has chosen Idemia’s Entitlement Server to launch eSIM‑enabled devices across Europe.

As smartphones, wearables, and connected devices evolve, OEMs are adopting entitlement specifications to streamline device‑network interactions. Idemia’s Smart Connect Entitlement—part of its Smart Connect Platform—provides a cloud‑based, non‑invasive solution that supports both iOS and Android, enabling mobile operators to quickly deploy authentication, entitlement authorisation, subscription notifications, VoLTE/VoWiFi management, and SMS‑free feature registration.

With this platform, Deutsche Telekom will “always have the very latest OEM specifications” and can support a wide range of devices cost‑effectively and with minimal deployment effort.

Tata source

Thales and Tata Communications have teamed up to tackle data‑security challenges in IoT. Together they are developing a secure, global connectivity solution that combines Tata’s MOVE mobility and IoT platform with Thales’ T‑Sure digital‑identity offering, unlocking the value of data from connected vehicles while safeguarding its integrity.

Foresight in China

Israel’s Foresight Autonomous Holdings, a leader in automotive vision systems, has signed a multi‑phase technology‑cooperation agreement with a Chinese Tier One supplier to develop smart‑mobility solutions for China’s automotive industry, targeting two vehicle manufacturers.

The partnership will design, develop, and commercialise automatic safety solutions for those manufacturers, with plans to integrate Foresight’s QuadSight vision system into existing projects.

Both parties intend to seek funding from their respective Innovation Authorities under Israel‑China bilateral programmes, although progress is not contingent on this support.

Build it

In a bid to strengthen its footprint in the IoT space, IKEA has launched a dedicated smart‑home unit—IKEA Home Smart. Since 2012, the furniture retailer has been active in IoT, but the new unit signals a substantial increase in investment and ambition.

Author: Antony Savvas, freelance technology writer.