Tekoia builds SureMote, an Android app that uses newer phones’ infrared blasters and a catalogued library of thousands of devices to turn a phone into a single remote for Wi‑Fi–connected home appliances. The company moved from costly prototype hardware to a software-first approach as smart TVs and advanced Android devices proliferated. CEO Viktor Ariel, who previously sold a semiconductor company to Samsung in 2007, envisions a freemium model or ad‑supported usage where the phone can serve as a contextual second screen. Senior engineer Vadim Lanzman brings military communications expertise to device connectivity. Tekoia has been working on the product for three years and a prior version of the app attracted about 10,000 users. The product competes with manufacturer apps (e.g., LG) and large players like Peel, which has Samsung partnerships and significant user scale.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Oct 2014