Siemens Smart Infrastructure is about to get a little smarter, with the firm announcing the acquisition of French startup Wattsense.
Wattsense is the developer of a plug-and-play IoT management system that has been specifically engineered for small and mid-size businesses. That gives Siemens Smart Infrastructure more breadth, with the firm mostly targeting larger, more tech-centric businesses up until now.
Founded in 2017 near Lyon, France, Wattsense optimises the technical management of small and mid-size buildings with an IoT solution that promises both simplicity and interoperability. It enables the adoption of energy management practices in facilities with little or no building management system technology, meeting the needs of building professionals seeking efficiency and sustainability.
Key to Wattsense’s offering is the lowering of entry barriers, while keeping capital expenditures low. That’s because customers can connect to a wide range of devices and make them IoT enabled with little hassle. Multi-protocol devices can be onboarded easily before being connected to the cloud and operated in a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.
Siemens Smart Infrastructure was attracted to Wattsense as it gave it the ability to expand to new markets, with the plug-and-play option making the benefits of a cloud-based IoT management system accessible to a wider range of buildings, including schools, offices, warehouses and retail.
“Together with Wattsense we will accelerate the adoption of IoT systems in a wider range of buildings, bringing the sustainability, comfort and cost benefits to more people and businesses,” said Henning Sandfort, CEO of Building Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.
“The SaaS business model and innovative technology stack of Wattsense perfectly complement our growing digital portfolio for our customers. We are excited to welcome the talented Wattsense team on board.”
“Wattsense’s commitment to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in the building sector aligns perfectly with Siemens’s vision to create technologies that take society further,” said Louis Vermorel, Founder and CEO of Wattsense. “We are thrilled to join a company with such a rich legacy and innovative culture to scale the reach and impact of our IoT solution.”