LG Electronics mentioned on Wednesday that it has acquired an 80% stake in Dutch sensible residence platform agency Athom, with the remaining 20% to be purchased within the subsequent three years.
The South Korean residence equipment maker mentioned it plans to combine Athom’s Homey platform, which hyperlinks home equipment, sensors, and light-weight gadgets, with its personal generative AI-enabled LG ThinQ platform.
LG gives all kinds of {hardware} for the house, together with TVs, washing machines, and fridges. Since launching its webOS TV platform in 2021, the corporate has been eager to capitalize on this vast portfolio by connecting these gadgets via software program in a bid to seek out income streams exterior of {hardware} gross sales. One in every of its newest pushes is free ad-supported streaming channels provided on its TVs.
The acquisition of Athom reveals that LG can be exploring software-based enterprise fashions. By having the AI-enabled LG ThinQ platform hook up with extra gadgets, LG is making an attempt to see if it may well generate income by driving the latest AI increase.
