Ayla Networks Raises $5.4 Million, Unveils Platform to Allow Manufacturers to Create a New Generation of Connected Devices

June 5, 2013—Sunnyvale, Calif.—Ayla Networks, a leader in technology and cloud-based services for the Internet of Things, formally unveiled the Ayla Platform, which allows manufacturers and service providers to transform thermostats, appliances, lighting and other everyday products into interactive connected devices quickly, easily and economically.

SINA, the most recognized Internet brand name among Chinese communities globally with more 500 million registered users worldwide, has incorporated Ayla’s technology into its Wi-Fi Weather Station. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company also announced that it has raised $5.4 million in Series A financing led by investors Voyager Capital and Crosslink Capital.

“We are at the beginning of a major evolutionary step for the Internet,” said David Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Ayla. “We have built a platform that eliminates the hurdles involved in building great connected devices and bringing them to market. We have also created a business model with key partnerships to deliver on this vision.”

The Ayla Platform

The company’s platform seeks to simplify and accelerate product development for manufacturers while enhancing usability from the consumer’s perspective, leading to greater overall satisfaction and lower costs for everyone. The efficiency by which the company can provide its service also minimizes the cost of connectivity so that consumers can start to enjoy great connected products without high ongoing monthly service fees.

The Ayla Platform consists of three distinct components, each working seamlessly together to provide a rich, secure, and highly flexible path for manufacturers to rapidly deliver Internet-connected products to market. These components include production-class Ayla-enabled Wi-Fi modules and IP gateways, Ayla’s cloud service for managing devices on behalf of manufacturers and consumers, and Ayla application libraries.

Ayla has created these components to work together so manufacturers do not have to write any networking, security, or connectivity protocols in their devices. Similarly, Ayla customers do not have to write any code to use the cloud service: a powerful UI is used to configure “virtual devices,” and the platform takes care of the rest.

Ayla has forged an ecosystem that includes world-class elements from leading companies such as Broadcom Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Amazon Web Services. Ayla’s technology supports a wide variety of standards and platforms, including Android, iOS, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Linux and others. With Ayla’s technology, devices are available at all times, yet minimize the amount of bandwidth and energy required they consume. Hardware solutions and application interfaces can be configured for specific devices but also leverage common design elements to save money and reduce integration challenges. Smooth surfaces and ‘clean’ industrial designs will emerge as smart phones and apps replace buttons and switches to control appliances.

Other features include:

Simple Registration. Ayla-enabled devices are elegantly registered to the cloud via an app, dispensing with clumsy user interfaces and product keys.
Device to Device Communication. Ayla-enabled devices can exchange information, execute rules, and “talk” to each other. The behavior or activity of one device can impact that of several others.
LAN Auto Detect. Enables ultra-low latency in the LAN and applications to continue to communicate to devices even when the broadband connection is unavailable.
Remote Diagnostics and Management. Manufacturers can collect a vast amount of information about the health and use of their devices, perform firmware updates, and modify product behavior even after devices are deployed in the field.
Third Party Services. Ayla provides access to data from 3rd party cloud services, enabling manufacturers to build in features that take advantage of location, weather, air quality, and other data.

“Ayla’s software and services are a valuable ingredient for our customers, providing a path to accelerate the market while driving down the cost of adoption,” said Brian Bedrosian, senior director of marketing for Broadcom.

“Customers of our microcontrollers are increasingly seeking a means to connect their products to the Internet,” said Tony Keirouz, vice president marketing and applications of STMicroelectronics. “Ayla’s end-to-end offering and easy path to get our microcontrollers connected provides the ease of use and flexibility that our customers require.”

The Ayla Team

The founders of Ayla Networks all have deep expertise building solutions, technologies, and companies serving the Internet of Things. Adrian Caceres, Ayla’s head of engineering and another co-founder, previously worked at Amazon’s Lab126, where he was technical lead for the networking capabilities of the Amazon Kindle. Philip Chang, GM of Greater China previously helped establish a presence for ZeroG Wireless in China, and has been founder and executive at several early networking companies. Thomas Lee, a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University who has helped create companies such as Matrix Semiconductor, is also a founder.