What just happened? Amazon’s expansion into the smart home market is continuing after it agreed to acquire Eero, a San Francisco-based startup that makes mesh Wi-Fi routers. While no financial details have been disclosed, the deal is expected to complete in the first half of 2019.
After being founded in 2014, Eero became one of the first companies to specialize in mesh router setups. It offers systems with multiple access points that can blanket a home with a single, reliable network, making it ideal for those with medium to large living spaces who want to avoid Wi-Fi dead spots. One of the company's routers costs $199, covering up to 1,500 square feet. You can extend the range by purchasing a $149 beacon, or pay $299 for one bundled in with the router.
“We are incredibly impressed with the Eero team and how quickly they invented a Wi-Fi solution that makes connected devices just work,” Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, said in a statement. “We have a shared vision that the smart home experience can get even easier, and we’re committed to continue innovating on behalf of customers.”
Amazon said the purchase would allow it to “help customers better connect smart home devices.” We still don’t know the company’s plans, but with Jeff Bezos’ firm controlling the technology that connects its many smart home products, setting them up should become much simpler.
“By joining the Amazon family, we’re excited to learn from and work closely with a team that is defining the future of the home, accelerate our mission, and bring Eero systems to more customers around the globe,” said Nick Weaver, Eero’s co-founder and CEO.
Eero has faced stiff competition in the mesh router market, with one of its biggest rivals being Google WiFi, which we picked as the ‘Best Wi-Fi system for most’ in our Best Routers feature. With several companies offering similar solutions, Eero laid off 30 employees—roughly one-fifth of its workforce—in 2018.
The deal follows Amazon’s $1 billion acquisition of video doorbell maker Ring last year, and its 2017 purchase of smart home video platform Blink.
https://www.techspot.com/news/78700-amazon-agrees-acquire-mesh-wi-fi-company-eero.html
