SmartThings
{{short description|American technology company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = SmartThings Inc.
| logo = Smarthings.png
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Home automation
| founded = {{Start date and age|2012}}
| founders = {{plainlist|
- Alex Hawkinson
- Andrew Brooks
- Jeff Hagins
- Ben Edwards
- James Stolp
- Scott Vlaminck
- Jesse O'Neill-Oine
}}
| hq_location_city = Mountain View, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| areas_served = Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States
| owner =
| parent = Samsung Electronics
| website = {{URL|https://www.smartthings.com}}
}}
SmartThings Inc. is an American home automation company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Since August 2014 it is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.{{cite web |last1=Tilley |first1=Aaron |title=Samsung Acquires SmartThings, A Fast-Growing Home Automation Startup |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2014/08/14/samsung-smartthings-acquisition-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230011149/http://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2014/08/14/samsung-smartthings-acquisition-2/ |archive-date=30 December 2014 |access-date=7 January 2015 |work=Forbes}}
Founded in 2012, it focuses on the development of eponymous automation software and an associated array of client applications and cloud platforms for smart homes and the consumer Internet of things. SmartThings cites its platform as having 62 million active users, a number it claims increased 70% through 2019 and 2020.
History
SmartThings was conceived by co-founder and once-CEO Alex Hawkinson in the winter of 2011. Hawkinson tells that his family's unoccupied mountain house in Colorado was extensively damaged by water pipes that first froze and subsequently burst resulting in some $80,000 worth of damage.{{cite web|author-link=Laurie Segall|last=Segall|first=Laurie|title=SmartThings will let you run your world by smartphone|date=15 September 2012 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/09/15/technology/startups/smartthings-kickstarter/index.html|publisher=CNNMoney|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802105952/http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/15/technology/startups/smartthings-kickstarter/index.html|archive-date=2 August 2014}}{{cite web|last=Thibodeau|first=Patrick|title=SmartThings founder sees a limitless Internet of Things|url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9247210/SmartThings_founder_sees_a_limitless_Internet_of_Things_|work=Computerworld|date=26 March 2014 |access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707185721/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9247210/SmartThings_founder_sees_a_limitless_Internet_of_Things_|archive-date=7 July 2014}}{{cite web|last=Mangalindan|first=JP|title=A digital maestro for every object in the home|work=CNNMoney |url=http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/07/a-digital-maestro-for-every-object-in-the-home/|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531143711/http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/07/a-digital-maestro-for-every-object-in-the-home/|archive-date=31 May 2014}}{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Adriana|title=SmartThings' Alex Hawkinson: 'We're Debugging How Your House Responds To You'|date=17 February 2014 |url=http://readwrite.com/2014/02/17/smartthings-alex-hawkinson-smart-homes-internet-of-things#awesm=~ozPK3EVFR7Uasr|publisher=readwrite|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719120345/http://readwrite.com/2014/02/17/smartthings-alex-hawkinson-smart-homes-internet-of-things#awesm=~ozPK3EVFR7Uasr|archive-date=19 July 2014}} Hawkinson noted that he could have prevented the damages had he known what was happening inside the house. Through 2011 and 2012, Hawkinson and his SmartThings co-founders worked to build a prototype of their desired solution to such problems.{{cite web|last=Toscana|first=Samantha|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/smartest-home-in-america_n_5537970.html|title=Take A Tour Of THE Smartest Home In America (VIDEO)|work=HuffPost|date=30 June 2014 |access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710040915/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/smartest-home-in-america_n_5537970.html|archive-date=10 July 2014}} That prototype would go on to form the basis of a successful Kickstarter campaign which the developers launched in September 2012 and that would go on to secure US$1.2 million in backing, making it the second largest, smart-home focussed crowdfunding project to date.{{cite web|title=SmartThings: Make Your World Smarter|date=21 October 2013 |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smartthings/smartthings-make-your-world-smarter|publisher=KickStarter|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714090156/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smartthings/smartthings-make-your-world-smarter|archive-date=14 July 2014}}{{cite magazine|last=Frizell|first=Sam|url=https://time.com/2926400/at-your-service/|title=This Startup is Trying to Create—and Control—the Internet of Your Home|magazine=Time|date=26 June 2014 |access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709130625/http://time.com/2926400/at-your-service/|archive-date=9 July 2014}}
Raising $3 million in a December 2012 seed funding round,{{cite web|last=Lomas|first=Natasha|title=SmartThings Closes $3M Seed Round, Led By First Round Capital, Launches Competition To Grow Community Of Smart Object Developers|date=4 December 2012 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/04/smartthings-closes-3m-seed-round-led-by-first-round-capital-launches-competition-to-grow-community-of-smart-object-developers/|publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706011900/http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/04/smartthings-closes-3m-seed-round-led-by-first-round-capital-launches-competition-to-grow-community-of-smart-object-developers/|archive-date=6 July 2014}}{{cite web|last=Gannes|first=Liz|title=SmartThings, a Kickstarter Hit, Raises $3M More From VCs and Angels|url=http://allthingsd.com/20121204/smartthings-a-kickstarter-hit-raises-3m-more-from-vcs-and-angels/|publisher=AllThingsD|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707215602/http://allthingsd.com/20121204/smartthings-a-kickstarter-hit-raises-3m-more-from-vcs-and-angels/|archive-date=7 July 2014}} SmartThings would go on to commercially launch its products in August 2013 before raising a further 12.5 million in a Series A funding round in late 2013.{{cite web|last=Goode|first=Lauren|title=SmartThings, the "Internet of Things" Company That Connects the Gadgets in Your Home, Launches Its Own Store|url=http://allthingsd.com/20130821/smartthings-the-internet-of-things-company-that-connects-the-gadgets-in-your-home-launches-its-own-store/?mod=atd_homepage_carousel|publisher=AllThingsD|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821022710/http://allthingsd.com/20130821/smartthings-the-internet-of-things-company-that-connects-the-gadgets-in-your-home-launches-its-own-store/?mod=atd_homepage_carousel|archive-date=21 August 2014}}
{{cite web|last=Lawler|first=Ryan|title=SmartThings Raises $12.5 Million From Greylock And Highland To Power The Internet Of Things|date=12 November 2013 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/11/12/smartthings-12-5m-greylock-highland/|publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714020116/http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/12/smartthings-12-5m-greylock-highland/|archive-date=14 July 2014}}{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Jake|title=Kickstarter Hit Lands $12.5M From Silicon Valley|url=http://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2013/November/Kickstarter-Hit-Lands-$12-5M-From-Silicon-Valley|publisher=Twin Cities Business|access-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821042435/http://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2013/November/Kickstarter-Hit-Lands-$12-5M-From-Silicon-Valley|archive-date=21 August 2014}}
In August 2014, Samsung Electronics announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire SmartThings.{{cite web | url = https://online.wsj.com/articles/samsung-reaches-deal-to-buy-startup-smartthings-1408062020 | title = Samsung reaches Deal to Buy Startup SmartThings | work = The Wall Street Journal | author = Don Clark | date = Aug 14, 2014 | access-date = Aug 18, 2014 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140817191431/http://online.wsj.com/articles/samsung-reaches-deal-to-buy-startup-smartthings-1408062020 | archive-date = 2014-08-17 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-snaps-up-smartthings-embracing-internet-of-things/|title=Samsung snaps up SmartThings, embracing Internet of Things|date=14 August 2014|publisher=CNET|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816220230/http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-snaps-up-smartthings-embracing-internet-of-things/|archive-date=16 August 2014}} The financial terms of the deal were never publicly disclosed but were estimated as high as $200 million by some trade publications at the time.{{cite web|title=SmartThings Acquired By Samsung For Around $200 Million|date=15 August 2014|publisher=Techcrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/14/smartthings-acquired-by-samsung-for-around-200-million/|access-date=10 December 2020}}
Products and services
Initially SmartThings produced a suite of custom hardware and software services, including smart home hubs and sensors. In June 2020, SmartThings' engineering head Mark Benson announced that SmartThings would pivot away from manufacturing its own hardware and instead focus on software. The company hopes to enlist other companies to manufacture and distribute SmartThings hardware.{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Joe|title=Why Samsung's SmartThings arm is pivoting entirely into software|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-why-samsungs-smartthings-is-going-all-in-on-software-2020-6|access-date=10 December 2020|publisher=Business Insider}} In October 2020, SmartThings announced that Aeotec will take over its European hardware line.{{cite web|title=SmartThings and Aeotec – A Connected Family|url=https://blog.smartthings.com/news/roundups/smartthings-and-aeotec-a-connected-family/|access-date=10 December 2020|publisher=SmartThings, Inc.|website=SmartThiings|date=16 October 2020 }} In December 2020, Aeotec revealed that it would also manage the SmartThings hardware portfolio throughout Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.{{cite web|last=Dykes|first=Daniel|title=Aeotec builds upon its industry leading portfolio of smart home products through agreement with SmartThings|url=https://aeotec.com/about/news/aeotec-smartthings-announcement.html|access-date=10 December 2020|publisher=Aeotec}}
As of February 2021, SmartThings develops software and cloud services.{{cite web|last=Higginbotham|first=Stacey|title=SmartThings will kill legacy features to make a smarter home|url=https://staceyoniot.com/smartthings-will-kill-legacy-features-to-make-a-smarter-home/|access-date=10 December 2020|publisher=SKT Labs, LLC|website=Stacey on IoT|date=25 June 2020 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.smartthings.com/ Official Website]
{{Samsung Electronics}}
Category:American companies established in 2012
Category:Companies based in Mountain View, California
Category:American subsidiaries of foreign companies
Category:Internet of things companies
Category:Kickstarter-funded products
Category:Android (operating system) software