Athom continues to thrive under LG's ownership
- Athom began its partnership with LG to improve smart home device compatibility.
- Witkamp emphasized that the Homey team remains intact and is benefiting from LG's resources.
- The collaboration enhances Homey's innovation while allowing it to maintain its operational independence.
In late 2019, Athom started forging a partnership with LG to enhance the smart home ecosystem. Following the launch of the ThinQ API by LG, which aimed to facilitate connectivity across various smart home devices, Athom was motivated to integrate its Homey platform with LG's offerings. The collaboration quickly evolved from a simple compatibility effort to a comprehensive partnership, focusing on mutual benefits for both companies and their customers. Athom's CEO, Ome Witkamp, reported that despite the acquisition, the Homey team experienced no changes in personnel, and operations continued as before. The integration provided Athom access to LG's engineering capabilities, helping improve designs and accelerate product development. Notably, the Homey Pro Mini, an updated version of Athom's smart home hub, benefitted from LG's expertise in design. As the partnership strengthened, LG sought to broaden its role in the smart home market, positioning itself to compete effectively with other players like Samsung. The combined efforts led to significant advancements, allowing for seamless integration of LG appliances with Homey, ultimately enhancing the user experience across devices. The arrangement now offers opportunities for other brands to develop applications for the Homey system which could streamline compatibility with LG products, simplifying user interactions within their smart home ecosystems. The ongoing collaboration signifies that Athom maintains its identity while benefiting from LG's resources, ensuring that the Homey platform remains innovative and responsive to user needs.