Home automation startup SmartRent receives strategic investment from Amazon Alexa Fund to drive smart home adoption for multifamily housing

SmartRent, an enterprise home automation and internet of things platform for the multifamily industry, has received a strategic investment from the Amazon Alexa Fund. The total amount of investment was not disclosed. SmartRent will use the funding to work more closely with teams across Amazon and Ring, and to develop software and hardware that turns multifamily housing environments into connected communities. SmartRent helps owners, property managers and renters by creating multifamily technology solutions for everything from smart locks to voice control to leak sensors.

Founded in 2017 by Lucas Haldeman, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based SmartRent is a provider of smart home automation for property managers and renters. It’s platform gives property managers full control of locks, lights, and thermostats in vacant units and common areas while providing a quality smart home experience for residents.

“The multifamily housing market has been largely overlooked when it comes to central installation and management of smart home technologies as a way to create a more modern, differentiated and safer renting experience for residents,” said Lucas Haldeman, CEO of SmartRent. “We are honored to be recognized by the Amazon Alexa Fund as a company that is leading the way in smart home automation. Our centralized application through which multifamily communities can manage their smart devices will have an even wider range of applications thanks to this funding, and to the opportunities to work more closely with other companies in the Alexa Fund portfolio.”

Designed to fill a void in the multifamily housing industry, SmartRent offers a complete smart home platform aimed at multifamily community owners, managers and residents. By preparing the property for setup and doing the actual installation, training and ongoing support, SmartRent makes smart home automation upgrades as easy as possible, so property managers can create the most comfortable and safest renting experience for their residents.

The Amazon Alexa Fund’s recent investment will make that process even more streamlined. As the demand for voice-activated systems continues to increase, the benefits of integrating voice, as well as camera and climate-control technologies, directly into the home provides opportunities to deliver even more value for customers.

“Alexa makes daily life simpler and more convenient for customers, and it’s inspiring to see startups recognize that potential and work to bring ambient computing to even more homes and apartments,” said Paul Bernard, director of the Amazon Alexa Fund. “SmartRent not only streamlines voice technology within a single home, but also for an entire property with hundreds or thousands of units. We’re excited to support them as they increase efficiency for property managers, owners, and renters.”

The Alexa Fund provides venture capital funding to companies using voice and other AI-enabled technology to make customers’ lives more convenient, more productive and more entertaining. SmartRent will join the likes of Ring, ecobee, and other companies in the Alexa Fund portfolio that bring customers new levels of ease and convenience.