The 10 Coolest IoT Hardware Companies: The 2023 Internet Of Things 50

As part of CRN’s Internet Of Things 50, here’s a look at 10 hardware developers impacting the industry.

Without innovation in hardware, the world of IoT would be quite stale.

Thankfully, there are plenty of vendors working on new chips, systems and other hardware that are pushing IoT forward in critical areas like processing power, connectivity and sensors.

As part of CRN’s Internet Of Things 50, here’s a look at 10 hardware developers impacting the industry.

Butlr

Honghao Deng, Co-Founder, CEO

Butlr seeks to help organizations keep track of building occupancy, utilization and activity with a wireless sensing platform that is easy to set up and less expensive than legacy alternatives. The partner-focused startup, based in Burlingame, Calif., last summer raised a $20 million Series A funding round from investors, including Carrier Global, which is using Butlr’s hardware and software.

Cisco Systems

Chuck Robbins, Chair, CEO

Cisco covers a wide range of IoT infrastructure needs, from industrial sensors and network connectivity to edge computing and data control. Most recently, the San Jose, Calif.-based company enhanced its cloud-based IoT Operations Dashboard with improved remote management and security monitoring and refreshed its portfolio of ruggedized Catalyst network hardware.

Dell Technologies

Michael Dell, Founder, Chairman, CEO

Dell Technologies is enabling IoT applications for manufacturing, retail and other verticals with its portfolio of edge servers, gateways and storage appliances. Most recently, the Round Rock, Texas-based company launched a new validated design for retail edge deployments, which enables applications designed to prevent theft and optimize product placement, among other things, thanks to integration with Deep North’s intelligent video analytics platform.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Antonio Neri, President, CEO

HPE is tackling IoT with a portfolio of edge servers, networking gear and other offerings. The Spring, Texas-based company’s Aruba division has expanded its offerings with Aruba Central NetConductor, which simplifies and automates network policy provisioning using artificial intelligence; includes self-locating indoor access points; and offers IoT Transport for Azure, which enables data streaming from Aruba access points to Microsoft Azure.

Intel

Pat Gelsinger, CEO

Intel is addressing IoT needs with chips, software and validated system designs. The chipmaker’s latest offerings include IoT variants of the 13th-generation Core lineup as well as the Atom x7000E series, both of which come with hardware-based AI acceleration. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company also has introduced new software platforms for computer vision and digital twins.

Kinexon

Alexander Hüttenbrink, Oliver Trinchera, Co-Founders, Co-­CEOs

Kinexon combines location-tracking sensors and devices with software to go after applications in a diverse range of verticals, from manufacturing and logistics to sports and entertainment. Last year, the Munich, Germany-based company raised a $130 million Series A funding round from investors, include BMW’s venture arm, to accelerate development and expand sales.

Lantronix

Paul Pickle, President, CEO

Lantronix says it has the “core building blocks” of an IoT solution, from gateways and switches to software and components. The most recent additions to the Irvine, Calif.-based company’s portfolio include the E213 ruggedized IoT router for Cat-M and NB-IoT cellular networks and its Open-Q family of system-in-package chipset modules.

Lenovo

Yang Yuanqing, Chairman, CEO

Lenovo is going after IoT opportunities in consumer and commercial spaces. The Hong Kong-based company recently introduced the new ThinkEdge SE10, an entry-level client edge device that was built to collect analog data such as temperature and humidity. The device also has the ability to set up devices with a single touch through the Lenovo Open Cloud Automation software.

Morse Micro

Michael De Nil, Co-Founder, CEO

Morse Micro is enabling long-range, low-power connectivity with IoT devices with its Wi-Fi HaLow chip technology. The New South Wales, Australia-based company says its integrated chip technology can support more than 8,000 devices on a single access point. The Wi-Fi HaLow chip technology also supports ranges of more than 1 kilometer and lasts multiple years on a single battery.

Nvidia

Jensen Huang, Co-Founder, President, CEO

Nvidia is serving IoT and edge computing needs with a growing portfolio of chips, systems and software. Among the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company’s latest offerings is its new family of Jetson Orin Nano system-on-modules for entry-level edge artificial intelligence as well as the Nvidia IGX platform for high-precision artificial intelligence.