LG acquires smart home platform Athom to bring third-party connectivity to its ThinQ ecosytem

LG has acquired an 80% stake in Athom, a Dutch smart home company and maker of the Homey smart home hub. According to LG’s announcement, it will purchase the remaining 20% of Athom within the next three years. However, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

LG plans to integrate Athom’s Homey platform, which links thousands of appliances, sensors and lighting devices, with its LG ThinQ platform.

In a press release, LG said the integration will create an “AI home that delivers optimal space solutions by gaining a deeper understanding of the customer.” The integration will allow customers to create a personalized environment tailored to their preferences, the company says.

Athom will continue to operate as an independent company following the acquisition, maintaining its business operations and branding. Both the company’s founders, Emile Nijssen and Stefan Witkamp, will stay on as executives of Athom.

Founded in 2014, Athom offers its smart home hub Homey and cloud subscription services to hundreds of thousands of users primarily in Europe. Since 2023, the company’s devices have also been available in Australia, Singapore, the United States and Canada.

“The acquisition of Athom is a cornerstone for our AI home business,” said Jung Ki-hyun, executive vice president and head of LG’s Platform Business Center, in the press release. “By leveraging the synergy between the two companies, we will expand our open ecosystem and external integration services, aiming to provide customers with more diverse and multidimensional space experiences.”

Athom’s flagship product, Homey Pro, can connect to more than 50,000 devices and supports various connection methods, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Matter and Thread. The Homey App Store offers around 1,000 apps for controlling home devices from companies like Philips Hue and IKEA. Athom continues to expand the range of devices and brands that can be connected to the hub, LG says.

The move recalls Samsung’s acquisition of SmartThings in 2014 for around $200 million. The company has since added SmartThings support to its TVs, appliances, wearables, and compatible smart devices.