LG Electronics acquired an 80% stake in Dutch smart home platform firm Athom for an estimated $61 million.

LG plans to acquire the remaining 20% of Athom within three years.

The acquisition aims to integrate Athom’s Homey smart home hub with LG’s ThinQ platform to create an AI-driven home experience.

This move is part of LG's strategic shift towards a software-based platform business.

The smart home industry is evolving with new technologies like Matter simplifying device connectivity.

In related news, Amazon is discontinuing its Astro for Business robot.

Samsung's SmartThings platform has launched a demand response program.

New smart devices, such as a leak detector by SwitchBot, are entering the market.