Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The “Father of Android” has a new startup focused on home surveillance.
- The company is made up of former Essential and OSOM employees.
- The home security market is a space that’s of increasing interest to tech companies.
The man known as the “Father of Android” is back in the public eye with a new business venture. This time around, his business will be focused on “surveillance services” for the home.
Ex-Google executive, Andy Rubin, has a new Palo Alto, California-based startup called Simple Things, according to The Information. This new company is said to develop security monitoring software for a range of products like cameras, sensors, motion detectors, and hardware.
If you don’t remember Rubin, he’s the man who spent nine years working on the Android operating system during his time at Google. You may also remember him as one of the disgraced former Google executives who were paid millions of dollars in severance packages after allegations of misconduct that led to company-wide protests back in 2018.
Specifically, Rubin left Google in 2014 after it was discovered that he had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. It was only in 2018, after The New York Times put out a report on Rubin’s $90 million golden parachute that people realized the extent to which Google protected Rubin.
Since then, Rubin has started a couple of companies. Before Simple Things, Rubin tried his hand at building a smartphone company known as Essential. He managed to raise $300 million in funding from organizations like Tencent and Redpoint Ventures before finally shutting down in 2020. Some of the employees from Essential went on to create a new phone company called OSOM that currently plans on releasing a new phone in partnership with Solana Mobile.
Shortly after Essential shut down, Rubin incorporated Simple Things and brought over a number of former Essential and OSOM employees according to The Information.
Rubin’s investment in home security is timely as tech companies like Google and Amazon become increasingly interested in the space. Even Roku has hopped on the bandwagon with its own home security cameras. It’s possible that Simple Things could find some companies interested in doing business with it.
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