Quirky, the company that makes invention accessible, recently announced it will form a standalone business for its Wink software platform, which is designed to speed the promise and accessibility of the connected home. Wink will focus on development and delivery of an open technology platform with an ecosystem of partners that connects people with familiar brands and trusted home products – all from their mobile devices. In addition, Wink was chosen as the preferred platform both for GE brilliant products and for numerous connected home products available at The Home Depot.
Wink offers one, quick and simple way to connect people with the products they rely on every day in their home. Both an app and a technology platform, Wink synchs wireless-enabled home products to seamlessly connect devices in the home to the internet. Wink will support mobile devices running both Apple iOS and Google Android™ operating systems. The new Wink app will be available for download this summer.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Quirky, Wink will operate under the direction of its own, distinct leadership and development teams. Chaz Flexman, previously a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he worked with the firm’s new and existing software investments, will serve as General Manager of Wink. Brett Worthington, formerly of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, where he helped develop Nexia Home Intelligence, will take on the role of Vice President. Nathan Smith will be Wink’s Head of Engineering. The company will be headquartered in New York City with an additional office in San Francisco.
“Staying true to our mission of making invention accessible, we've realized that one of the most important areas of invention right now is bringing the magic of the connected home to the everyday consumer through simple software,” said Ben Kaufman, CEO of Quirky. “So we made the decision to make Wink into a standalone software business that is laser-focused on making the connected home accessible to all manufacturers and consumers. The Home Depot and GE have embraced Wink’s openness and committed to its technology as their preferred connected home platform. Our goal is to partner with all home device manufacturers and retailers moving forward.”
With increased awareness and interest in the connected home space, Wink will gain acceptance among consumers by partnering with familiar, trusted retail and manufacturing brands. The first distribution partnership for the company is with The Home Depot, which will make available Wink-enabled products in nearly 2,000 of its U.S. locations and on www.homedepot.com in mid-July. GE also selected Wink as its preferred connected platform partner and Wink will continue to build out the broadest ecosystem of connected home product manufacturers and integrate with a variety of products that consumers rely on every day in their homes. Wink-enabled products will be available as well on Amazon.
