Homey to be acquired by LG Electronics
LG Electronics has acquired an 80% stake in the Dutch company Athom, known for its smart home system Homey. The acquisition aims to strengthen LG's position in smart home solutions globally.
Athom's entire team, including founders Stefan Witkamp and Emile Nijssen, will continue to work in the company and retain their senior roles. Through this deal, LG gains access to the Homey operating system, its wide network of connections and partnerships developed over the past ten years, immediately positioning LG as a leading provider of smart home solutions worldwide.
The Homey brand will continue to exist and Athom will continue to develop its current products, Homey Cloud and Homey Pro, as well as work on new products. Backed by LG's experience in manufacturing, partnerships and global sales, Homey is expected to be able to grow faster than before.
In the future, LG plans to integrate Homey's technology into its products, giving LG customers access to Homey's connectivity and versatile features. A wide range of LG products will now be able to use the Homey operating system and smart home platform.
Both companies will work together to create unique product synergies, starting with the integration of LG's ThinQ-powered home appliances business with Homey. Collaborations in the energy field will also result in new and improved energy management solutions for both LG and Homey customers. Deeper integration with webOS will give LG's TVs an even more central role in the customer's smart home.
Jung Ki-hyun, Vice President and Head of LG's Platform Business Center, commented, “We were very impressed with the technology, platform and team that Athom has built with Homey. The acquisition of Athom is expected to increase the value of our core businesses and ultimately serve as a foundation for our smart space ecosystem.”
Stefan Witkamp, founder and commercial director of Athom, added: “LG has recently invested heavily in smart space and AI solutions, and we are proud to become part of this innovative, high-performance company. We look forward to working with LG to create better smart home solutions for a growing number of users — through Homey, LG products, or a unique combination of both.”
Emile Nijssen, Founder and Creative Director, said: “We remain committed to making Homey the best smart home platform in the world, driven by our love for a great user experience and our open approach to smart homes. Being part of LG helps us enormously to bring our vision to a wider range of users — in both existing and new ways.”
