LG Electronics has announced the acquisition of an 80% stake in Athom, a Dutch firm famend for its sensible house platform, Homey. LG plans to amass the remaining 20% over the following three years. This transfer goals to boost LG’s ThinQ sensible house platform, positioning it to raised compete with Samsung’s SmartThings, a number one participant within the sensible house market.
Homey, established in 2014, helps over 50,000 sensible house units from varied manufacturers similar to Aqara, Honeywell, IKEA, Netatmo, Philips Hue, Samsung, and Sonos; It’s appropriate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Homey Professional, a central hub, helps a number of connectivity requirements together with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave Plus, Infrared, Matter, and Thread.
Homey is favored by customers looking for privateness and in depth customization choices by way of options like Superior Circulate and HomeyScript.
Following the acquisition, LG plans to combine Homey’s capabilities into its ThinQ sensible house home equipment and app — Current Homey customers will quickly be capable to handle LG ThinQ-compatible units by way of the Homey app. Regardless of the acquisition, Athom will preserve its unbiased operations, branding, and staff, with its founders persevering with as executives to uphold their imaginative and prescient for an improved sensible house expertise.
Whereas the precise monetary particulars of the deal weren’t disclosed, the Korea Financial Every day estimates the acquisition at round KRW 85 billion (roughly $61 million). This strategic acquisition mirrors Samsung’s 2014 buy of SmartThings for $200 million, which has since been built-in into Samsung’s product lineup, together with fridges, soundbars, and TVs.
This acquisition represents LG’s dedication to increasing its sensible house ecosystem and providing enhanced compatibility with third-party units. The combination of Homey is anticipated to bolster ThinQ’s competitiveness towards established platforms like SmartThings, offering customers with a extra complete and customizable sensible house expertise.
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