Amazon is acquiring Eero, the provider of popular home mesh WiFi networking systems. The move puts Amazon in head-on competition against Google WiFi, Linksys Velop, Netgear Orbi and other popular consumer WiFi router systems.
Amazon did not mention if or how Eero will converge with Alexa-type devices. Predictably, Eero-Alexa combinations are popular in homes.
Financial terms were not disclosed in the announcement, but we are checking to see if they surface in SEC filings or elsewhere. Eero was privately held and had raised $90 million in venture capital, according to Crunchbase. However, the mesh WiFi networking pioneer had some layoffs in 2018.
The consumer networking market has shifted in recent years to simply, mesh-centric devices -- often managed by smartphone apps. Customers, for instance, can set up Eero in under 10 minutes, share their network, program parental controls, and run speed tests on demand, Amazon asserts.
Describing the deal, Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices and Services, said:
“We are incredibly impressed with the eero team and how quickly they invented a WiFi 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.”
Added Eero CEO Nick Weaver:
“From the beginning, eero’s mission has been to make the technology in homes just work. We started with WiFi because it’s the foundation of the modern home. Every customer deserves reliable and secure WiFi in every room. 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.”
Rumors about Amazon potentially building networking gear for the corporate market have also surfaced in recent years, but Amazon has widely denied such claims.
