Clients & case studies

In late 2007, IDTechEx carried out a technical market analysis and product cost projections for a German company. It involved interviews in Greek, German, Mandarin Chinese and English by IDTechEx technical graduates. The subjects spanned both printed electronics and RFID and required a deep knowledge of both.

Case Study A $40 billion company who was looking to participate in the printed electronics market and leverage their expertise as a global materials company. It needed to understand how it could get involved in this sector based on unmet needs, companies to potentially partner with or even acquire, and company progress, particularly in East Asia. IDTechEx profiled over 150 companies around the world, in particular those in East Asia. Full patent searches, company SWOT reports and analysis was given. Recommendations of partners and unmet needs (i.e. opportunities for the client) were given. The client invested in one of our recommended companies and grew effort on topic accordingly. The client later has attended IDTechEx events for ongoing market updates.

Case Study A $60 billion company sought impartial assessment of their technology and applications they could address over different time scales. IDTechEx analyzed their technologies versus others in the industry to identify what still needed to be done. IDTechEx then looked at all the relevant applications, their technology needs and timelines, and recommended first products. The client grew their R&D activities to focus on unmet needs we identified. The client gave IDTechEx a second follow on study and has attended many IDTechEx events and bought our research publications for ongoing updates.

Case Study A German Venture Capital wanted us to provide due diligence prior to their investment in a UK based plastic electronics startup. IDTechEx provided due diligence on the company and their opportunities in light of the competitive landscape and applicational demands. The VC company invested in the company on our recommendation. The target company has gone on to raise significant funds in later rounds and become a globally recognized leader in its field.

Case Study A multi billion dollar electronics company wanted to get involved in RFID and leverage their skills but did not know the best way to position themselves in the market. IDTechEx analyzed the needs by applicational sector and technology issues, sector profitability and competitive landscape to prioritise the company's strategy in each sector. The company used this information to position themselves in the market and develop appropriate solutions and services.

Case Study A start-up company who had developed a new technology offering some key benefits over existing solutions wanted their technology validated in the competitive landscape and advice on routes of entry and company positioning. IDTechEx examined the opportunity by application sectors, and provided details of other solutions. We recommended best entry points for the company. The company raised money to develop a working solution and used our recommendations to prioritise markets.

Case Study A European venture capital fund wanted to invest in an RFID company and required technology and business due diligence. IDTechEx provided a company assessment after having visited the company and surveying the competitive landscape and industry trends. A SWOT (Strengths - weaknesses - opportunities - threats) followed. The VC company invested in the target RFID company. IDTechEx has done further different work for the VC company.

Case Study A government funded agency wanted to invest up to $75million to develop intellectual property in nanotechnology and other sectors. It wanted to know technology needs and the competitive landscape for packaging of consumer goods. IDTechEx looked at the current range of smart packaging solutions. Consumer goods companies around the world were interviewed to obtain their unmet needs in terms of integration, cost and technology requirements. We concluded with opportunities for R&D and the size of the market and assessment of risks and threats. Based on our recommendation, the company did not pursue investment as the market demand was not strong enough for their particular sector. The company has later sought our advice on other sectors.

Case Study A $30 billion packaging company wanted to learn about new technologies relevant to them. IDTechEx trained key staff (up to board level) in the US, UK and Europe through interactive masterclasses. The company launched new products using technologies we had described and has positioned themselves as an innovator rather than commodity supplier above their competition. The company has later attended IDTechEx events and bought ongoing research.