Smart home company Brilliant has announced that it has run out of money after failing to raise more capital in a funding attempt. While its smart home controllers and light switches will still work for now, there’s no guarantee that will continue given the lack of HomeKit or Matter compatibility ... The Verge reports.
Brilliant, a maker of smart home controllers and smart light switches, has run out of money. CEO Aaron Emigh confirmed in an exclusive interview with The Verge that the company has laid off most of its staff, closed its support center, and is no longer selling its products. The company is, however, maintaining its servers and existing devices in customers’ homes. But for how long exactly, is a question Emigh couldn’t answer. “Indefinitely, I hope, but ultimately it’s out of my hands,” he said, explaining that the company has entered an asset sale phase and is looking for a buyer.
If the company’s servers go offline, Brilliant’s light switches will still work, but you won’t be able to edit existing scenes, create new ones, or add new devices. That would be a huge blow to customers who paid top dollar for devices that were marketed as semi-professional kit, with each switch costing between $399 and $549.
Underscores the importance of HomeKit or Matter
It’s not the first time that smart device owners have faced the possibility of their devices being frozen outright or losing significant functionality if a company runs into financial trouble. We’ve written about these risks before, after smart e-bike company VanMoof ran into (thankfully resolved) trouble. There’s no perfect solution, as some features may be exclusive to the company’s own app or require access to the company’s server. But at least buying devices that are HomeKit- or Matter-compatible ensures that they can’t be frozen out if a company goes out of business.
It will always be possible to continue using at least the core functionality – including editing and creating new scenes – through Apple’s Home app.
Photo: Brilliant
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