Facing stiff competition from a smartphone-powered vibrator, Internet of Things startup SmartThings was declared the winner at the Dublin Web Summit‘s Spark of Genius startup competition yesterday.
Having found its feet via a Kickstarter campaign that raised $1,209,423 on a $250,000 target, SmartThings allows you to control air conditioners, lights, fans, heaters and more via an iPhone app.
SmartThings uses a dedicated WiFi router that automatically recognises ‘smart things’ in your home and allows you to interact with them via your smartphone. For example, it can notify you when your pet escapes from the garden, delay your garden sprinkler when rain is on the way, control when your TV and house lights turn on and off, and much more. It’s essentially a platform to empower smart homes.
Among SmartThings’ rivals in the Spark of Genius competition was Vibease, a “sensual massager” controlled via a smartphone app over Bluetooth. Although it didn’t end up triumphant, it was undoubtedly the talk of the Web Summit.
SmartThings wins a €100,000 ($130,510) prize. It’s currently up for preorder with a Spring 2013 launch date. By way of disclosure, our European Editor, Robin Wauters, was on the judging panel for the competition.
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