Wiliot named to Time list recognizing 2023’s best inventions

IoT data carrier platform company Wiliot has received recognition for its ambient IoT Pixels and Visibility Platform, named to Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023 list.

The platform connects the digital and physical worlds using IoT Pixels — stamp-sized, self-powered, low-cost compute devices. These pixels can attach to any thing to connect it to the internet, including fresh produce and vaccine vials, according to a news release.

Once connected, products transmit real-time information about their location, temperature, humidity and carbon footprint, increasing transparency and enhancing supply chain sustainability.

Wiliot added humidity sensing to the platform in September.

“Inefficiencies and waste across supply chains have a significant impact on the planet,” Antony Yousefian, Wiliot vice president of Climate and Circularity, said in the release. “Wiliot addresses these inefficiencies by creating an ambient IoT that brings intelligence and internet connectivity to every single ‘thing’ in the global supply chain, enabling products to transmit item-level information about their location, temperature, and carbon footprint. We are honored to have Wiliot and our breakthrough ambient IoT Pixels recognized by the editors of TIME.”

Time solicited nominations for the 2023 awards from editors and correspondents around the world, paying special attention to growing fields such as artificial intelligence, green energy and sustainability. Nominees were evaluated on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition and impact.

“The result is a list of 200 groundbreaking inventions (and 50 special mention inventions) — including the world’s most powerful supercomputer, a game-changing entertainment venue, and a new shape — that are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible,” Time editors wrote.

Wiliot’s ambient IoT Visibility Platform is also helping food producers and retailers comply with new FDA traceability rules. As part of the Food Safety and Modernization Act’s Rule 204 (FSMA 204), companies must track the safety of food products and share traceability data with the FDA and consumers.

“What could once only be tracked roughly, in the aggregate, and on an annual basis, can now be tracked in-real-time, at the item-level, and with complete accuracy — a reality that will have a profound impact on planetary sustainability,” Yousefian said.

Wiliot has partnered with leading smart tag manufacturers including Avery Dennison, Identiv, and Tadbik to scale its platform, according to the release.