A few years ago, my wife and I got really smart.
Actually, we didn’t get smart. Our house did.
First we installed the Nest thermostat. This “smart” device learned the temperatures that we like — seventy-three degrees in the morning, sixty-five at night, fifty-eight when we’re away — then it heated and cooled us perfectly.
Next we got the Sonos sound system, so we could stream different music from Spotify into different “zones” of the house. Sinatra in the shower, Shakira in the living room, the Beach Boys on the deck outside.
After that, we got Internet-connected smart devices for everything — lights, blinds, you name it.
These devices are all part of the Internet of Things, or “IoT” for short.
As consumers — and as investors — IoT is one of the most exciting sectors we’ve ever seen. So today, we’re going to introduce you to it…
And then we’ll show you a simple way you could profit from it.
Internet of Things
The concept behind the Internet of Things is simple:
Connect any device to the Internet — and instantly, because it can gather information and operate on its own, it becomes more useful and powerful.
These devices include thermostats, doorbells, washing machines, and just about anything else you can think of.
Here’s what an IoT-connected house might look like:
The potential benefit of all this is clear:
By “thinking” for themselves, these devices can make your life easier.
For example, when you wake up in the morning, your smart home can sense that you've gotten out of bed. So it starts the coffee maker, opens the blinds, adjusts the thermostat, turns on the news, and wakes the kids.
The global research firm Gartner reports that, by 2020, there will be more than 26 billion connected devices.
By 2023, the market is expected to reach $137 billion, and by 2030, GE projects that industrial IoT technologies could add about $15 trillion to global GDP.
But despite all the excitement about this sector, there’s still a major problem…
Too Much To Deal With!
The problem is that, currently, each of these devices needs to be controlled separately.
As Engadget, a leading tech blog, reported, “The issue with the Internet of Things and the connected home is that they’re not even remotely connected.”
You see, because each device operates in its own closed ecosystem, every time you add a connected device to your home, you need a new app to control it.
That’s why people like me have dozens of apps on their smartphone. Here’s what that looks like:
The thing is, being forced to unlock your phone, locate the right app, wait for it to open, and then navigate on a tiny screen is a terrible way to run your home.
And that explains why a new start-up has come up with a solution to this problem…
Introducing: Atmos
Atmos has created a single device that can control all of your connected devices.
Using simple voice commands and touchscreen navigation, now you can easily run your entire home.
Here’s what its device looks like:
Here are just a few of the things you can do with it:
- Listen to a playlist from Spotify and Sonos.
- Order a ride from Uber or Lyft.
- Get on-screen notifications when a security camera is triggered.
- Find a recipe, and then have Atmos read it to you out loud as you cook.
- Keep an eye on the baby through its video monitor.
- Lock your doors, turn off lights, and lower your window shades.
Progress
Atmos’ device has been in development for about 2 years.
In that time, it’s developed the hardware and software to make its product, and it’s built multiple functional prototypes.
Late last year, it raised about $100,000 from investors like you. Now, as it gears up to start manufacturing a commercialized product with an expected price of $249, it’s raising an additional $1 million.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a potential investment…
Pros and Cons
Atmos is targeting the IoT market with an aggressive set of goals. It’s aiming to bring in $4 million in revenue in 2018, and more than $60 million in 2020.
There are many “pros” to a potential investment, including:
Strong Team — The founder/CEO previously co-founded a hardware company that was acquired for $25 million.
Fair Valuation — The company’s valuation is $4.5 million, which, given its future potential to be acquired, seems reasonable.
M&A Activity — M&A activity in IoT is at very high levels right now. For example, Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion, Nest acquired smart security company Dropcam for $555 million, and Amazon acquired Ring, a smart doorbell-camera start-up, for $1 billion.
But no investment is without risk, and hardware start-ups are particularly risky.
Companies like Atmos that build physical devices have higher operating costs than software companies. Sure, hardware companies can be successful — but statistically speaking, higher costs correlate to a higher risk of going out of business.
To learn more about Atmos, click here »
Also, if you have any thoughts, questions or investment ideas relating to the Internet of Things sector, please click here to leave us a comment »
Please note: Crowdability has no relationship with Atmos, or with any of the platforms or companies we write about. Crowdability is an independent provider of education, information and research on start-ups and alternative investments.
Best Regards,
Founder
Crowdability.com
