Nucleus sells a smart home intercom device that supports Alexa voice functionality and updates automatically over the air. The company began shipping the device in August and has placed product displays in 500 Lowe’s stores in addition to launching on Amazon. Early traction included purchases from customers in 47 states during the first month of sales, with the average buyer purchasing 3–4 devices. The device is priced at $249 but is discounted to $199 when customers buy two or more. Nucleus plans to use new funding to ramp up product development and has announced an acquisition of Ily to add engineers experienced in the home intercom space. CEO Jonathan Frankel says many buyers come from traditional intercom or caregiving use cases rather than typical smart‑home early adopters. Nucleus builds a voice-activated, frictionless home communication device intended as an easy alternative to Skype or Hangouts. The device is available for pre-order at $209 (market price $249) and is set to ship in spring 2016, with Foxconn contracted to manufacture it. The instant-connection technology was developed by cofounder Isaac Levy, who helped build the technology behind Google Hangouts, and the team uses the product internally. The 11-person team is distributed across the Northeast (including Philadelphia and New York) and Israel, and the product includes features such as a privacy shutter added after parent feedback. Financially, Nucleus has raised capital from multiple investors and continues to sell pre-orders ahead of its launch.

Total raised

$9M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Sep 2016