New Dutch product Homey available at iCentre and MediaMarkt starting this Saturday
For two years, Creative Technology students at the University of Twente and the founders of the Athom company, Emile Nijssen and Stefan Witkamp (both age 24), were working on their product called Homey. Development started with a Kickstarter campaign back in 2014. Homey uses a simple method to connect all appliances at home, allowing you to easily control them using your phone, automation and your own voice.
In 2014, the Kickstarter campaign managed to reach 100,000 euros of funding in 36 hours, and this amount was more than doubled in the end. The company from Enschede, which obtained another round of investments last year, currently employs fifteen people and will enter the Dutch market this Saturday.
Availability
Homey is available at iCentre, MediaMarkt and Ivizi, among other places, as well as a number of specialist stores and online shops. “We want everyone to be able to learn about Homey in their own favourite shopping environment,” says Witkamp (Commercial Director). “The stores we selected have an excellent range of appliances that can communicate with Homey – a perfect foundation.” Nijssen (Creative Director): “We are proof that Silicon Valley isn’t the only place where great products are made. Homey is one of a kind – America doesn’t know this product yet.”
The product Homey
Homey features eight wireless technologies to communicate with appliances. You aren’t limited to just one technology or brand. They kept the product simple, so everyone can operate it – kind of like an iPad.
Open Software Platform
The most important thing about Homey is the fact that it has an open software platform. It works similarly to how a smartphone works, and allows developers to add new features to Homey. “The beta community has developed many apps for Homey, allowing it to communicate with appliances we never even knew existed.”
The introduction of Homey in the Netherlands is set to commence this Saturday. Other European countries are also on the list for a future release. Homey is available for 299 euros, and can also be ordered on www.athom.com.
