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Gartner Hype Cycle for IoT 2025 identifies Kigen as a sample vendor for eSIM

Gartner Hype Cycle for IoT, 2025

Kigen Kigen
May 26, 2026
The Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for IoT identifies eSIM as a ‘transformation technology’. Kigen has been named as a sample vendor in this matrix.

We believe this Hype Cycle for IoT 2025 shows a clear shift in the connected technology market. IoT is moving beyond broad platforms and toward more specific, value-led applications that combine connectivity, edge processing, AI, and machine learning to solve real business problems. 

For IoT MVNOs and OEMs, the message is practical rather than speculative. The next phase of IoT adoption will depend on how easily connected products can be deployed, activated, secured, updated, and managed across markets. This is where eSIM has an important enabling role.

What Is the Gartner Hype Cycle?

The Gartner Hype Cycle evaluates innovations and trends impacting Internet of Things leaders. It will help CIOs extend IoT platforms into digital business initiatives and identify key technologies for developing value-added IoT applications and alliances.

In our view, three themes stand out.

First, IoT is becoming more industry-specific. In our view, the report highlights a shift from general IoT platforms to packaged applications built for sectors such as healthcare, sustainability, manufacturing, oil and gas, and logistics. These applications increasingly include AI and ML capabilities, making reliable connectivity and high-quality data essential.

Second, more intelligence is moving to the edge. Edge computing, edge AI, edge analytics, and edge IoT networking are all gaining importance as enterprises process data closer to where it is created. This supports faster decisions, lower latency, better resilience, and stronger control of sensitive operational data.

“The trend of processing data where it offers the most value — typically at the edge — is reflected in innovations like edge computing, edge AI, edge GenAI, edge analytics, edge asset life cycle management and edge IoT networking. Many of these innovations are projected to reach mainstream adoption in two to five years; edge AI is expected to reach that milestone even sooner.”

Third, automation is becoming more connected. Intelligent applications, machine customers, cyber-physical systems, and IoT-enabled equipment-as-a-service all depend on connected devices that can act, adapt, and exchange data securely over time. 

Where eSIM Fits

Gartner lists eSIM as a technology with transformational benefit with mainstream adoption expected within two to five years.

What’s interesting is its relevance beyond just connectivity, in how it supports scale.

For IoT deployments, eSIM can simplify manufacturing, reduce supply chain complexity, enable remote profile management, and support flexible connectivity across markets. This helps OEMs avoid hard-coding connectivity decisions too late, while giving MVNOs and connectivity providers a stronger foundation for localized, resilient IoT services.

What IoT MVNOs Should Do

IoT MVNOs should treat eSIM as a core part of their future service architecture. The opportunity is to move beyond connectivity resale and toward orchestration: combining local access, lifecycle management, roaming alternatives, security, and platform integration.

They should also prepare for hybrid connectivity models. As private 5G, satellite IoT, LTE-M, NB-IoT, and edge networking mature, customers will expect flexible options that match each use case. eSIM can help MVNOs deliver this flexibility without adding unnecessary operational complexity.

What IoT OEMs Should Do

OEMs should design eSIM into connected products early, not as a late-stage connectivity decision. This is especially important for products shipped across multiple regions, used over long life cycles, or dependent on reliable service activation in the field.

They should also assess In-Factory Profile Provisioning, or IFPP, as part of their manufacturing strategy. By enabling connectivity credentials to be provisioned during production or fulfilment, OEMs can simplify deployment and improve the customer experience from first power-on.

Kigen recognized in the eSIM vendors in the Gartner Hype cycle

for IoT, 2025 

Kigen is recognized as a sample vendor for eSIM in the Gartner Hype cycle for IoT, 2025. We feel this reflects the wider role eSIM is playing in IoT, AI, ML, and edge technologies becoming more closely linked.

The value of eSIM is not that it replaces these technologies. It helps make them easier to deploy, manage, and scale.

Source: Gartner Report, Hype Cycle for IoT, 2025, By Kameron Chao,  Alfonso Velosa,  Pablo Arriandiaga,  Scot Kim,  Emil Berthelsen, Kameron Chao, Alfonso Velosa, etc., July 2025. Gartner and Hype Cycle are a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Kigen

Kigen is the forerunner in eSIM and iSIM security solutions, enabling manufacturers to adopt and scale cellular IoT with ease. Our technology delivers freedom to choose from 200+ terrestrial and satellite networks, with proven interoperability on leading chipsets and modules. Backed by Arm, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and SBI Group, Kigen is recognized across the industry for innovation and trusted by leading global brands in consumer electronics, energy, automotive, logistics, and industrial automation. Learn more at kigen.com/ or follow @kigen for #FutureofSIM matters on LinkedIn.