to 95 percent of home automation products, Soucie said. It’s also betting consumers will want the ability to mix and match devices and not be locked into a single manufacturer’s walled garden, although manufacturers might have different ideas.
From another perspective, every new smart thermostat, light switch, or lock sold helps Revolv by creating a potential future customer, Soucie said. Those manufacturers also are creating a market and building awareness of home automation technology and smart devices from which Revolv could benefit.
Close to Home
Revolv manufactures its hubs in Frederick, a town about 25 miles east of Revolv’s home in Boulder. The decision to stay local was a pragmatic one, Soucie said. Revolv’s founders have experience with hardware startups, and they’ve learned the value of being close to the guys making the first products.
“We found that early stage companies really need to hand-hold and babysit [manufacturers] through the product development process. As much as you can maybe save going overseas, you lose it through the difficulties [of working abroad],” Soucie said.
Along with travel, that includes getting better components and craftsmanship, he said.
But as Revolv scales up—it will have to do so dramatically to meet expectations—keeping manufacturing in Colorado or the U.S. might not be economical, Soucie said. The current facility is able to only crank out 50 to 100 hubs a day. That’s enough for pre-orders and to keep up with website orders, but not in the long run.
