Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for railroads. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising Sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) startups.

Heat Map: 5 Top Sensors & IoT Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Platform, covering 1.116.000+ startups & emerging companies, we looked at innovation in the field of sensors & IoT for the railway industry. For this research, we identified 38 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and technology among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing sensor & IoT solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 38 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.

Vortex IoT – Obstacle Detecting Sensor
Traditional methods of rail track maintenance and repair affect operators as the cost of manually detecting and clearing obstacles are quite high. From a fallen tree on the track to crucial misalignments, there are currently various innovative solutions in development that aim to help operators run trains without unnecessary delays.

British startup Vortex IoT develops RODIO – Railway Optical Detection of Intrusions and Obstructions, a railway condition monitoring system that detects obstacles on the rail tracks. Easily scalable and cost-effective compared to traditional methods of obstacle detection, this simple yet powerful solution could potentially make rail transportation safer.

TransRail Innovation Group – Freight Load Sensor
While loading freight, human error can lead to expensive spills, damages, or even theft. Those workers loading freight usually are exposed to the threat of injury or exposure to harmful chemicals. Railway freight operators are increasingly adopting technology to make their operations safer for their workers, more cost-effective, and better for the environment.

Canadian scaleup TransRail Innovation Group develops sensors for loading liquid freight into car tanks. TLoad helps terminal operators improve worker safety by rethinking the loading processes and XLoad is designed for freight operators to conduct accurate level measurements for the load. Their solution eliminates the need to open tanks for calculating such data, a sensor placed inside and around the car tank provides and monitors the level constantly.

Auza Tech – Rail Crossing Sensor
Many countries today have trains and extensive railway networks. However, they also lack basic safety mechanisms and public awareness about railroad safety is quite low. Given this, it is no surprise that the number of rail line crossing deaths is quite shocking. The IoT is set to play a major role in ensuring railway safety standards are maintained, implemented, and improved.

Indian startup Auza Tech develops smart line crossing sensors designed for the railway sector in India. Their sensor is placed on the boom barriers and provides clear information to the station authority to make decisions regarding train signals. The real-time monitoring of line or level crossings ensures the authorities can take swift action in response to violations.

Elecsys Corp – Rail Friction Sensor
In most railway locomotives sand is used as a lubricant for the tracks to ensure there is no skidding during slippery or icy conditions. Other forms of lubricators are also used to improve rail friction balance. Top-of-rail wetness is a particularly common issue faced by operators in many parts of the world. IoT sensors for monitoring such processes save operators cost and time.

The US-based company Elecsys Corp develops IoT solutions for remote monitoring of rail friction. Their solution notifies operators when the lubricator tank is empty or if it is malfunctioning. The tank can be opened or closed remotely and can be monitored in real-time with the help of cellular networks. This also frees up time for crews to attend to only the most pressing maintenance works.

Mowic – Rail Track Ice Sensor
With increasing cases of unpredictable and rather extreme weather conditions, countries that operate train lines even during icy and snowy conditions require precise knowledge about which parts of the track and route are iced or buried in snow. Advancements in communication technologies along with smart IoT sensors aims to allow operators to relax even in tough environmental conditions.

Swedish company Mowic develops TrackIce Rail, an ice warning system designed to improve railway safety. Their system is battery operated and wireless. The distance between the sensors can be up to 100 meters and has an operation time of up to 60 months. This system has been designed to minimize the time taken for installation, deployment, support, and maintenance of railway network sensors.

What About The Other 33 Sensors & IoT Startups?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence so you can achieve your goals faster. The 5 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 38 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.