Retailers, distributors and manufacturers from around the continent are gathering in London this week to attend Brand Licensing Europe, the annual trade show where they can discover the thousands of brands and properties ripe for consumer products opportunities. And licensed Bluetooth trackers are on the rise in the kids & family market.

When the US military deployed the first GPS receiver in 1977, it weighed in at more than 270 pounds. Since then, tracking devices have evolved to the point where they now fit on a keychain, so anyone can comfortably carry one around in their wallet or bag. For parents, these Bluetooth trackers are an invaluable tool for keeping tabs on where their kids are in the world beyond home, and they can even send help alerts in emergency situations. For brand owners, this creates a new family-focused licensing opportunity in an emerging product category.

In March, California-based Life360 became the first Bluetooth tracker app developer to dip its toes into licensing, forging a deal with Sanrio to make limited-edition Hello Kitty versions of its Tile Mate and Tile Slim products (with retail prices ranging from US$24.99 to US$39.99). This collab was a major success, with both Hello Kitty SKUs selling out within a month of rolling out on Life360’s e-commerce site, according to chief marketing officer Mike Zeman.

“We began exploring licensing partnerships shortly after launching our upgraded Tile product line in late 2024,” says Zeman. “The enthusiastic response to the new color options showed us that consumers wanted more than just functionality from their trackers—it signaled an opportunity to lean further into personalization through brand collaborations that bring more personality into the category.”

Life360 is now swinging the door wide open on licensing, working on a second limited-edition Sanrio drop with more SKUs that will roll out later this year. And looking ahead, Zeman sees this strategy as a key growth pillar that will help the company reach new audiences and position its trackers as a fun, giftable accessory.

Life360 is looking to partner with brands that have strong cultural relevance so that parents and kids will be excited to clip the licensed tags onto backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets, suitcases and everything in between. The company saw Hello Kitty as a natural fit because the iconic character bundles together nostalgia, charm and multigenerational appeal in one cute package.

Life360 has sold more than 45 million trackers since it acquired the Tile brand and assets in 2021 for US$205 million. Zeman says one in eight smartphone users in the US currently uses the Life360 app to keep track of family members. And he predicts that trackers will eventually shift beyond mere gadgets to become essential tools for staying organized, protected and connected.

“We’re seeing growing demand for connected experiences and products that do more than just help you find lost items,” he teases, but adds that details about updates and new products aren’t available yet. “Consumers want devices that fit into a broader ecosystem of safety and peace of mind. By integrating Tile into the Life360 platform, we’re allowing families to keep track of people, pets and things, all in one place.”

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Q4 2025 magazine issue.