IoT News of the Week: Funding for Smart Buildings, TinyML Acquisitions, and Matter Protocol Trade-Offs

The Internet of Things landscape experienced a flurry of significant developments over the week of August 18, 2023, touching on everything from venture capital investments in sustainable infrastructure and edge artificial intelligence to shifting corporate structures within tech giants. Industry developments highlighted ongoing tensions between the promise of universal interoperability standards and the practical limitations hardware manufacturers face when deploying smart home and industrial systems.

Verdigris Secures $10 Million to Advance AI-Driven Building Efficiency

In the enterprise and commercial real estate sector, Verdigris has successfully secured $10 million in new funding to continue scaling its smart building technology. The financing round was led by DCVC and Solea Energy, a notable achievement given the current macroeconomic and venture capital climate.

Verdigris has long focused on applying artificial intelligence and connected HVAC systems to make commercial buildings greener and more energy-efficient. The journey for the company spans nearly a decade, reflecting the prolonged timeline often required for deep-tech hardware and software integration in the commercial real estate market. With renewed global hype surrounding artificial intelligence, companies that have spent years quietly refining AI-driven energy management solutions are finding renewed traction among investors eager to back practical, sustainability-focused technology.

Nordic Semiconductor Expands Edge AI Capabilities with Atlazo IP Purchase

Semiconductor news this week centered on hardware advancements for edge computing. Nordic Semiconductor announced the acquisition of intellectual property from Atlazo, a San Diego, California-based firm specializing in low-power microcontrollers optimized for machine learning.

Nordic, a major player in low-power wireless chips for the Internet of Things, views the transaction as a strategic bolt-on acquisition that is expected to integrate into its product roadmap within 12 to 18 months of closing. As demand accelerates for on-device machine learning—often referred to as TinyML—device manufacturers increasingly require ultra-low-power processing capabilities to run AI algorithms locally without constantly relying on cloud connectivity. By absorbing Atlazo’s microcontroller expertise, Nordic aims to strengthen its position in the evolving smart device ecosystem where localized intelligence is becoming a standard requirement.

ChargePoint Deploys Network Operations Center to Meet EV Charging Reliability Standards

Public electric vehicle infrastructure is undergoing a regulatory and operational evolution, underscored by ChargePoint’s recent announcement regarding network reliability. The company revealed that it has established a centralized network operations center (NOC) dedicated to monitoring the real-time health of its expansive network comprising 243,000 EV chargers distributed across the United States and Europe.

This operational upgrade was largely prompted by new legislative requirements implemented by federal governments to promote electric vehicle adoption by enforcing strict uptime mandates. The move highlights broader challenges within the connected infrastructure space, where maintaining consistent service availability is essential for consumer trust. Industry observers have pointed out that proactive monitoring systems ought to be a fundamental operational baseline for any enterprise delivering connected physical services, marking a shift toward an era where post-deployment maintenance and network visibility are just as critical as initial hardware deployment.

The Modern Debate Over Video Doorbell Efficacy and Security Theater

Consumer smart home technology also faced critical scrutiny this week, specifically regarding the true effectiveness of video doorbells as deterrents against crime. Discussions gaining traction across media outlets questioned whether widespread residential surveillance devices have evolved into little more than modern security theater.

While video doorbells offer undeniable convenience for remote package delivery monitoring and visitor identification, criminal adaptation has introduced new limitations. Reports and expert commentary highlight that individuals engaging in opportunistic thefts, such as porch piracy, have increasingly adapted to the technology by concealing their faces or avoiding camera fields of view entirely. This evolving cat-and-mouse dynamic between homeowners and opportunistic thieves suggests that consumer security hardware provides peace of mind and evidentiary support after an incident, but falls short of being an absolute deterrent.

Shelly Introduces Premium Subscription Models for Energy Management

The monetization strategies of smart home hardware manufacturers continue to shift toward recurring software revenue models. Shelly, a well-known European smart home device maker with a growing presence in the United States, has introduced a premium subscription tier centered entirely on advanced energy management features.

Priced at €3.99, or approximately $4.34, per month, the subscription targets households looking to optimize power consumption amidst fluctuating utility costs. Subscribers receive targeted notifications when appliances or lights are left on, automated alerts when devices deviate from normal electricity usage patterns, and granular monitoring tools. Shelly estimates that utilization of these insights could shave up to 18% off a household’s monthly electricity bill, presenting a clear financial incentive for consumers willing to adopt ongoing software subscriptions for their hardware ecosystems.

Alphabet’s Verily Restructuring Sparks Speculation Over Google Nest

Corporate realative restructuring within parent company Alphabet has ignited speculation regarding the future of its hardware and technology divisions. According to reports from The Information, Verily—one of the businesses categorized under Alphabet’s "other bets"—is preparing to decouple its corporate services in anticipation of a potential spin-out slated for late 2024.

Industry analysts suggest this move could establish a precedent for other experimental divisions under the Alphabet umbrella. For the smart home community, the primary division of interest remains Google Nest. This speculation comes at a time when Alphabet executive Ruth Porat has spearheaded efforts to streamline operations and phase out unprofitable or underperforming Google services, accompanied by a noticeable pullback in support for certain older Nest display models. Should Google eventually decide to spin out the Nest ecosystem, the structural shift would send major ripple effects across the broader smart home market, influencing software integration, hardware support lifecycles, and competitive dynamics.

Aqara Launches Matter-Compatible LED Strip Light Amid Ecosystem Compromises

The integration of the universal Matter standard continues to present hardware manufacturers and consumers with architectural trade-offs. Aqara expanded its smart lighting lineup this week with the release of the LED Strip Lights T1, priced at $49.95. Like other recent industry entries, such as the Nanoleaf Essentials light strip, the T1 natively supports the Matter protocol, allowing it to interface directly across major smart home ecosystems.

However, the launch highlights ongoing limitations within the current iteration of the Matter specification. Specifically, Matter does not yet support Adaptive Lighting, a popular feature that dynamically adjusts color temperature and brightness throughout the day based on local time. Users wishing to utilize Adaptive Lighting on the Aqara T1 must bypass the Matter connection entirely, opting instead to pair the device via its native Zigbee radio using an Aqara hub. This compromise reflects the broader state of Matter implementations across the smart home industry, where universal compatibility often requires sacrificing advanced proprietary hardware features.

Alternative DIY Smart Home Projects Offer Privacy-Centric Alternatives

For enthusiasts seeking to bypass commercial cloud dependencies and subscription models, alternative community-driven projects continue to emerge. Recent documentation highlighted a do-it-yourself video doorbell project utilizing an ESP32 microcontroller board running open-source ESPHome firmware integrated with Home Assistant.

Designed primarily for privacy-conscious users, the implementation provides a local-only video doorbell solution that avoids routing sensitive video feeds through third-party cloud servers. While such configurations require technical proficiency and manual setup that falls outside the mainstream consumer market, they illustrate a persistent counter-movement among advanced smart home hobbyists prioritizing data ownership, local execution, and hardware longevity over cloud-reliant convenience.

Rumors Point to Second-Generation Eve Cam Debut at IFA

Rounding out the hardware news cycle, emerging regulatory filings and European retail reports point to an upcoming hardware refresh from Eve Home. Documentation from the Federal Communications Commission and leaks from German technology sites indicate that a second-generation Eve Cam is expected to be unveiled at the upcoming IFA trade show.

The upcoming camera model appears to feature a compact footprint measuring approximately 50 millimeters square and includes upgraded wireless capabilities tested for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Although Eve Home has recently expanded select product lines to support the Matter protocol, current Matter specifications do not accommodate webcams or video streaming devices. Consequently, industry analysts expect the upcoming second-generation camera to remain tightly integrated with Apple HomeKit, maintaining its position within the Apple-centric smart home ecosystem as manufacturers await future expansions of the universal standard.