It is time to see if Canary can actually fly.
The little home-monitoring device, developed by a New York-based startup that raked in a surprising crowdfunding windfall two years ago, made its U.S. retail debut on Wednesday at Amazon, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and Verizon Wireless, Canary CEO Adam Sager announced.
Canary’s sensors and video cameras connect with users’ smartphones as a relatively lower-cost home security option, priced at about $250. In 2013, the startup quickly raised nearly $2 million through an Indiegogo campaign, and then about one year ago went on to raise $10 million in a Series A round led by Khosla Ventures.
The “smart home” security camera and sensor niche has its share of rivals angling for attention as part of the growing Internet of Things and connected devices trend. Competitors to Canary include Icontrol’s Piper, Nest’s Dropcam, Korner, and Butterfleye. Some of these security devices are still in the preorder phase while others are already available through retail.
Back in January, Canary began shipping preorders to its early backers. The company also hired an ex-Googler, Julio Pekaroovic, to be its chief operating officer.
Now that Canary is in the hands of retailers, we may see whether or not it can win over mainstream consumers and compete with the rivals in its sector.
