Smart speakers. Smart thermostats. Smart Cities.

The aforementioned are objects residing within the Internet of Things, widely known as IoT, which is the network of devices interconnected through the Internet. Without human intervention, each of these digitally intelligent objects communicate and exchange data with one another thanks to the ubiquity of computer chips and wireless networks.

Of late, IoT has stemmed beyond household services, becoming a critical aspect of business, health, government and safety. Below is a list of the top 15 companies—and their adjoining package of devices—to watch for.

1. SimpliSafe: SimpliSafe owns various 24/7 home security devices that connect throughout homes and alert owners of possible intruders. All SimpliSafe devices connect to a base station, can communicate with one another, do not require a constant power supply, and can easily be observed and controlled by an accompanying smartphone app.
2. Phillips: One of the leading IoT innovators with their color-changing intelligent light bulbs, Philips’ HUE light line allows users to control light settings and color at the touch of a smartphone.
3. Sensory: Sensory encodes a variety of biometrics that detects facial features, voice and touch. Using VoiceHub technology, Sensory IoT devices allow users to communicate and control devices with their voices. VoiceHub technology supports dozens of languages by using ‘wake words,’ or specific words linked to activating the device.
4. Samsara: Samsara provides an operations sensor platform for businesses to track and manage online orders efficiently. The technology is an all-in-one platform that can track with GPS, log specific reports, access dashcam footage, check on vehicle maintenance and determine the best direct routes for transportations vehicles.
5. MagicCube: MagicCube allows business owners to accept credit card payments without any additional hardware or readers, but instead via integration within an API. Cybersecure, each transaction is hardware-grade protected and tokenized.
6. Medtronic: Medtronic is disrupting a specific sect of the IoT space—the medical world. The company develops intelligent devices to read glucose levels, cardiovascular movement and brain activity. Its central goals? Innovate healthcare, empower patients, and achieve a safe means toward robot-assisted surgery.
7. Foobot: Boasting low cost, energy savings, improved comfort and healthier indoor air at large, Foobot’s smart HVAC system provides offices with optimal air conditioning systems powered by AI-sensors. The company operates under the hypothesis that better air quality leads to better working conditions, and thereby increased productivity.
8. Superpedestrian: Superpedestrain’s army of robotic vehicles—smart scooters and bicycles, namely—provide instant geofencing, city compliance, dual maintenance, and theft detection when used. IoT-operated, its vehicles can sense a rider’s motion and adjust its pedal power accordingly.
9. Smarter: Smarter has released a series of IoT kitchen appliances, including a fridge camera, iKettle and a smart coffee maker. Linking up Smarter devices to its conjoining app allows users to receive footage of inside their fridge, brew coffee at just the right temperature and turn on a kettle directly from their smartphone.
10. Cooler Screens: The Chicago-based company replaces old glass cooler doors with IoT-powered digital smart screens that display the cooler’s inventory, while also enabling brands to offer promotions, retailers to obtain out of stock alerts and more data.
11. Amazon: Move aside, Echo Dot and Alexa. AWS IoT is Amazon’s technology service, offering a number of devices that provide industrial, consumer and commercial solutions. Known for their widely-acclaimed cloud infrastructure, AWS IoT provides cloud technology to test third-party IoT devices.
12. Tile: Tile has become one of the most recognized IoT franchises, boasting trackable cards, tiles and stickers. Using GPS satellite technology, bluetooth capabilities and its smartphone app, users can track missing keys, phones and even pets. Tile is also compatible with voice-powered Smart Home devices.
13. Lenovo: Lenovo introduced their ThinkCentre M90n IoT computer system with all the capabilities of a standard PC, but at a fraction of the size. Lenovo uses IoT technology to allow its device to connect to other Lenovo devices—all with the additional benefit of a quieter machine that can be taken anywhere.
14. Clear Blade: Offering personalized IoT cloud platforms that support railway systems, manufacturing businesses, aerospace and entertainment facilities, Clear Blade has developed a sensor system that alerts when railway stops have failed, reduces inspection costs and increases safety for railway crossings.
15. Bitdefender: With the onslaught of objects connected to the internet, the IoT network is increasingly at risk. Melding cybersecurity and IoT, Bitdefender’s sizable catalogue of products was recently named a heavyweight of the smart home security industry by Ovum. It not only distributes IoT hardware that protects IoT-connected devices, but develops IoT devices to help secure non-IoT devices.

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