Summer is almost here, meaning we will soon be cranking up the AC to escape the stifling Northeast heat and humidity.
Fortunately, Somerville cleantech startup Embue is working on a connected solution to help you keep your cool – literally and figuratively. Based out of Greentown Labs, the company enables you – and your HVAC provider – to keep better tabs on energy and fuel use in your heating and cooling systems and monitor their overall functionality and performance, letting you "rest easy," as the startup's slogan reads.
Embue launched its Kickstarter on Tuesday in hopes of raising $125,000 to take its thermostat sensor system and monitoring dashboard, designed specifically for HVAC providers, to market.
Embue (formerly known as Coincident) provides value for both consumers and HVAC providers. The company’s wireless thermostats allow residents to automate their heating and cooling systems from their smartphone. Placed in every room of the house or commercial property, Embue’s smart sensors measure temperature, humidity and occupancy. Users also get access to energy efficiency numbers and fuel usage to see just how green they’re living.
It's easy to draw comparison between Embue and Google-acquired smart thermostat Nest. Where the startup offers extra value, however, is in its optional, subscription-based maintenance monitoring service, called Embue Switchboard. The dashboard serves as a “check engine light” for HVAC providers, allowing them to monitor your system remotely and address issues before they turn into bigger problems. In other words, it means that you won’t return home from a trip to the beach to a busted air conditioning system again.
In addition to the crowdfunding launch, Embue also recently started manufacturing its sensors as part of the Mass Clean Energy Center's InnovateMass pilot project, a competitive program that awards seven selected teams around $800,000 in total to put toward energy solutions.
Interest piqued? Backers who shell out $275 will get an Early Bird special by December 2014, which includes Embue’s starter system of one core, one module and two sensors. Embue Switchboard, however, will be available to customers in 2015.
Between grants and a seed round, Embue has raised around $2 million in funding. The company has a core team of five, along with three contractors.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Image via Kickstarter
