LG buys Homey in a very Samsung SmartThings move

South Korean electronics conglomerate LG has acquired a controlling eighty percent stake in Athom, the Netherlands-based creator of the popular Homey smart home management platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, LG plans to purchase the remaining twenty percent of the startup within the next three years. This strategic business move is intended to significantly upgrade LG's proprietary ThinQ smart ecosystem, which has historically lacked robust integration options for external appliances. By absorbing Athom's extensive connectivity technology, which links thousands of smart home devices across multiple wireless protocols such as Matter, Z-Wave, and Zigbee, LG hopes to establish a more competitive offering to rival Samsung's established SmartThings platform.

Despite the acquisition, Athom is expected to maintain its independent brand identity and operational autonomy, with its original founders continuing to steer the company's product development roadmap. While the financial details were not officially disclosed, industry reports estimate the transaction value at roughly sixty-one million dollars. The partnership is slated to bring mutual benefits, enabling consumers to easily operate their LG household appliances using Homey's control systems. However, industry analysts note a potential friction point regarding user data: LG's ambition to leverage the platform to harvest deeper consumer behavioral insights may clash with Athom's historical commitment to maintaining strict user privacy standards.