Eero routers. Image: Eero
Tech juggernaut Amazon announces it is acquiring mesh router start-up Eero to bolster its smart home offerings.
E-commerce giant Amazon announced yesterday (11 February) that it is acquiring Eero, a maker of mesh home routers.
Amazon said the deal would allow it to “help customers better connect smart home devices”.
A shared vision for the future of the smart home
The financial details of the deal with Eero have not been made public and regulatory approval is pending.
Eero was founded in 2014 by Nick Weaver (CEO), Amos Schallich and Nate Hardison, with the aim of making Wi-Fi effective across many rooms in a house and simple to install.
David Limp, senior vice-president of devices at Amazon, said: “We are incredibly impressed with the Eero team and how quickly they invented a Wi-Fi solution that makes connected devices just work.
“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.”
Weaver said: “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.”
How does Eero work?
Eero technology uses multiple access points that work together to ‘blanket’ a home in Wi-Fi. Users can customise the system to meet the needs of their home.
The company aims to overcome Wi-Fi coverage issues and dead zones that often plague traditional routers, using a smartphone app for centralised control of a home network.
Since Eero’s launch, other firms such as Netgear and Linksys have released similar mesh bundles.
Amazon on a smart home quest
Last year Amazon acquired video doorbell maker Ring for $1bn and it already has a major asset in the smart home field, namely its Alexa-powered Echo smart speaker line.
With this latest acquisition, the tech giant seems to be gearing up to launch its own in-house Alexa smart home ecosystem. It looks as though Eero will be retaining its original branding, though, at least in the short term.
