Since the early 1900s creative visionaries have been inventing new ways to make home and work life less demanding. Wi-Fi appeared in 1997 and was made dramatically faster over the next decade, leading to the development of Wi-Fi-enabled devices. By 2001, 3G and smart mobile technology connected users to their devices through mobile applications riding on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and eventually five generations of cellular technology to communicate with devices.
More recently, Amazon released the first Amazon Echo in 2014. Now, there are over two-hundred million people who have adopted Smart Home technologies – and there are millions more who will buy household IoT devices in the future, whether they add smart tech to their existing homes or buy homes that come fully equipped with smart tech.
The Smart Home products and tools of today are laying the groundwork for a more environmentally intelligent home tomorrow. Emerging smart technologies are helping more people conserve energy, water, time, and household resources – resulting in less waste and lower costs, including lower home insurance rates with Smart Home security systems. Amazon Alexa integrates with many of these new smart products, offering voice control for people who need or prefer Alexa’s voice service.
The Alexa Fund was created in 2015 to support promising startups that are enhancing and expanding AI, voice, ambient, and robotics with the financial support, assistance, and mentorship they need to be successful. Take a look at these trailblazing Smart Home products developed with the support of Alexa Fund, all of which work with Amazon Alexa.
Molekule – Supply clean indoor air to people everywhere. Grounded in 25 years of research and development, Molekule claims that its patented photo electrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology destroys the widest range of indoor air pollutants, including VOCs, mold, bacteria, viruses, and allergens, when compared to conventional filters. Molekule emphasizes that its range of air purification solutions have been reviewed and validated by third-party laboratories, as well as continual internal testing, and four of its products have been granted medical device clearance by the U.S. FDA for the destruction of viruses and bacteria.
RiseGardens – Grow a wide variety of pesticide-free vegetables, herbs and microgreens at home year-round without soil or sunlight. RiseGardens says it offers the ability to grow up to 108 plants at once. They state that their system combines the best of hydroponics with a unique watering system (patent pending) that keeps plants perfectly watered and oxygenated, along with broad spectrum LED grow lights that replicate sunshine to help them flourish indoors – all controlled through a mobile app. Available in a modular version allowing up to three levels of growth or a compact version that fits on countertops or bookshelves, RiseGardens seeks to enable a true garden-to-table experience for home cooks and health-conscious eaters.
Span –Replace your home’s old electric panel with an advanced smart panel that allows you to install electric appliances, convert to solar, and add an EV fast charger and battery back-up without having to upgrade your service. The makers of Span declare that their smart panel gives you full control of the individual circuits of your home through a mobile app and Amazon Alexa, which allows you to understand where power is being used and coming from (grid, solar, storage) so that you can save on your energy bills, support clean energy, and avoid outages.
The Alexa Fund believes experiences designed around the human voice will fundamentally improve the way people use technology. To that end, Alexa Fund provides up to $200 million in venture capital funding to fuel voice technology innovation by supporting entrepreneurs who have amazing voice-powered experiences and visions.
