About Smartbox
Smartbox is a company based in Bristol (United Kingdom) founded in 2003 by Pierre Edouard Sterin was acquired by Verdane in January 2026. It operates as a Product-as-a-Service and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C). Smartbox has raised $489 thousand across 1 funding round from investors including CareTech UK, Tobii Dynavox and Openfund. Smartbox has completed 2 acquisitions, including Rehavista and Zyteq. Smartbox offers products and services including Grid Software, Grid Pad, Talk Pad, Eye Gaze, and Communication Boards. Smartbox operates in a competitive market with competitors including Tobii Dynavox, Control Bionics, AbleNet, Brain Dynamics and Laronix, among others.
- Total Equity Funding$489K (USD)
in 1 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$489K (USD), Seed
Dec 2014
- InvestorsCareTech UK
& 3 more
- Investments & AcquisitionsRehavista
& 1 more
- Acquired by
Products & Services of Smartbox
Smartbox offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Grid Software, Grid Pad, Talk Pad, Eye Gaze, and Communication Boards.
Software is developed for augmentative communication support needs.
Device is designed for communication with AAC support.
Device is built for speech-impaired communication assistance.
Technology is created for communication via eye tracking.
Boards are provided for non-verbal communication support aids.
Apps and channels of Smartbox
Smartbox publishes 1 mobile app; its YouTube channel Smartbox Assistive Technology has 2.54K subscribers and 30 videos.
Videos from Smartbox
The most watched videos on Smartbox's YouTube channel, Smartbox Assistive Technology (2.54K subscribers). Click a video to play it here.
More on Smartbox Assistive Technology.
Funding Insights of Smartbox
Smartbox has successfully raised a total of $489K through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $489 thousand completed in December 2014. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $489,004
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Seed — $489,004
- First Round $489,004
(Dec 2014)
- Investors Count 1
All 1 funding rounds of Smartbox with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2014 | $489,004 | Seed | – | – |
4 investors in total: 4 institutional.
Investors in Smartbox
Smartbox has secured backing from 4 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include CareTech UK, Tobii Dynavox and Openfund.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- | – | theopenfund.com | - | |
Venture capital firm and funds of fund focused on technology-enabled and sustainable companies | – | verdane.com | Oslo, Norway | |
Assistive communication solutions via eye-tracking are provided for differently-abled individuals. | 1983 | tobiidynavox.com | Danderyd, Sweden | |
Provider of residential care and education for children and adults with complex needs | 1993 | caretech-uk.com | Potters Bar, United Kingdom |
Investor details for Smartbox
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Smartbox
29 people are tracked at Smartbox (16 in leadership, 13 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Pierre Edouard Sterin | Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Fiona Reed | Finance And Operations Director | Leadership |
Dougal Hawes | Group CEO At Smartbox Assistive Technology | Leadership |
Michael Hooks | Senior Vice President | Leadership |
Simon Poole | Group CTO | Leadership |
Natasha Roberts McIpr | Head Of Group Communications | Leadership |
Jarrod Inott | Chief Financial Officer | Leadership |
Sabrina Plazio | Director Of Operations | Leadership |
Daisy Clay | Head Of Content Development, SLT | Leadership |
Roland Neal | Group Operations Director | Leadership |
Michele Rimmel | Vice President Of US Operations | Leadership |
Roy M. | Head Of Production | Leadership |
Hannah Church | Group Chief Marketing Officer | Leadership |
James Reichelt | Head Of User Experience | Leadership |
Charlotte Alderson | Sales And Marketing Director | Leadership |
Emma Haines | Head Of Global Partner Sales | Leadership |
Sonia P. | Customer Experience Specialist | Team |
Hannah Craven | Product Marketing Manager | Team |
Daniel Stead | Hardware Manager | Team |
Athira Yesudas | Repair Manager | Team |
9 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for Smartbox
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by Smartbox
Smartbox has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 2 companies. Notable acquisitions include Rehavista and Zyteq.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Speech-generating devices are developed for individuals with disabilities. | zyteq.com.au | Port Melbourne, Australia | 2008 | Jul 2025 | •••• | |
Speech and therapy services are provided in Bremen, Germany. | rehavista.de | Bremen, Germany | 1999 | Nov 2021 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Smartbox
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Smartbox
7 dated milestones of Smartbox across 23 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Smartbox is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $489K.
- Exit Acquired by Tobii Dynavox.
- Exit Acquired by CareTech.
- Acquisition Acquires Rehavista.
- Acquisition Acquires Zyteq.
- Exit Acquired by Verdane.
Competitors of Smartbox
Smartbox operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Tobii Dynavox, Control Bionics, AbleNet, Brain Dynamics and Laronix, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tobiidynavox.com | 1983 | Danderyd, Sweden | – | – | Assistive communication solutions via eye-tracking are provided for differently-abled individuals. | |
| controlbionics.com | 2006 | Milford, United States | – | – | Provider of assistive technology devices for speech-impaired people | |
| ablenetinc.com | 1985 | Roseville, United States | – | 36 | Offers assistive devices for speech, switches, and computer access support. | |
| braindynamictechnology.com | 2014 | Bangkok, Thailand | – | – | Brain-computer interface solutions for paralyzed patients' communication are provided. | |
| laronix.com | 2018 | Sydney, Australia | – | – | Smart wearable voice prostheses are provided for laryngectomees. | |
| jabbla.com | 2008 | Gentbrugge, Belgium | – | 16 | Develops software and devices for assisted communication and speech aids. | |
| eneso.es | 2010 | Malaga, Spain | – | – | Assistive communication and sensory aids for disabled individuals are supplied. | |
| prentrom.com | 1966 | Wooster, United States | – | – | Speech-generating devices are developed for individuals with communication needs. |
Detailed competitors of Smartbox
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Smartbox
The website of Smartbox (thinksmartbox.com) receives about 52.3K visits a month.
- Monthly visits52.3K
▼ 0.7% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Smartbox. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| connexin.co.uk | 100% | 31.7K | #822,347 | View details | |
market.partnerstack.com | market.partnerstack.com | 69% | – | #1,110,755 | – |
| google.com | 67% | 85.8B | #1 | View details | |
| phoenixs.co.uk | 60% | 15K | #1,613,542 | View details | |
assistive.co.nz | assistive.co.nz | 60% | – | #2,367,876 | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 9 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Smartbox
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 9 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Latest news on Smartbox
Complete news archive for Smartbox
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Similar companies to Smartbox
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Smartbox (Assistive & Age Tech Solutions), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ride-sharing service for children's healthcare transportation is managed digitally. | 2014 | South Pasadena, California, United States | USD 105.52 M | – | 123 | |
Robotic arms are provided for mobility and rehabilitation support. | 2004 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | USD 17.21 M | USD 40.93 M | 185 | |
Hearing loss treatment devices are developed by WS Audiology. | 2019 | Allerød, Denmark | – | – | – | |
Aira is focused on providing remote video interpreting services for accessibility. | 2014 | San Diego, California, United States | USD 192.2 M | – | – | |
Exoskeletons for medical rehabilitation and industrial productivity are provided. | 2005 | United States | USD 24.37 M | USD 71.6 M | 61 | |
Senior members are connected with caregivers through a digital platform. | 2017 | Miami, Florida, United States | USD 424.98 M | – | – | |
Online job portal for disabled people | 2014 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | USD 40 M | USD 61.44 M | – | |
Provider of home care and senior care services | 2014 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | USD 210 M | – | 2,258 | |
Personal electric wheelchairs for mobility support are developed. | 2012 | Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan | USD 62.5 M | – | – | |
AI-based fall detection and prevention technology is provided for clinics. | 2014 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 102.5 M | – | 85 |
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Frequently Asked Questions about Smartbox
Smartbox was founded in 2003 and raised its 1st funding round 11 years after it was founded.
Smartbox is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is registered at Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
Pierre Edouard Sterin is the current CEO of Smartbox. They have also founded this company.
Smartbox is a funded company, having raised a total of $489K across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $489K, raised on Dec 2014.
Smartbox is engaged in developing assistive technology solutions for individuals with speech difficulties. The company offers hardware, software, and resources that enable disabled people to communicate effectively, access applications, use computers, and control their environments. Their products, including Grid software, Grid Pad, Talk Pad, Eye Gaze, and Communication Boards, are utilized by thousands of children and adults globally across various conditions. Smartbox operates in the assistive technology sector, providing innovative tools like AI-enhanced features to improve communication authenticity and speed for AAC users. Their solutions are distributed internationally with offices in multiple countries including the UK, USA, France, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, and Australia.
Smartbox's top competitors include Tobii Dynavox, Control Bionics and Brain Dynamics.
Smartbox offers Grid Software, Grid Pad, Talk Pad, Eye Gaze, and Communication Boards.
Smartbox has 4 investors. Key investors include CareTech UK, Tobii Dynavox, Openfund, and Verdane.
Smartbox operates through Smartbox Assistive Technology Limited.
Yes. Smartbox was acquired by CareTech in October 2020.
Yes. Smartbox publishes Grid for iPad - AAC.