Key Takeaways
- Ome has launched its second-generation smart knob, enhancing stove safety with remote shut-off capabilities.
- CEO Akshita Iyer’s personal experience inspired the product, aiming to prevent kitchen accidents, especially for seniors.
- The company is addressing safety regulations and exploring partnerships with senior living communities and insurance firms.
Innovative Kitchen Safety Technology
Last month, startup Ome introduced its second-generation smart knob, a device that enables users to turn off gas or electric stoves remotely. This launch follows the delivery of its first-generation product, which went to backers three years after a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Akshita Iyer, the CEO, reflects on the company’s beginnings in 2016, when it was known as Inirv. At that time, with only a rudimentary version of the knob prototype, the market for retrofitting kitchen appliances was still in its infancy. Today, few companies exist in this niche, with Inirv being one of them.
The inspiration behind the smart stove knob stemmed from a personal incident when Iyer’s mother, who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, unintentionally left the stove on, resulting in a kitchen fire. Iyer realized there was a gap in the market for technology that aids aging adults in safely managing kitchen appliances.
However, turning her vision into reality presented obstacles typical for hardware startups. Iyer initially underestimated the complexities involved in developing a smart stove knob, recognizing that the venture required integrating hardware and software effectively to create a safe, intuitive user experience.
A significant moment for Ome occurred in 2018 when Iyer appeared on Shark Tank. Although she received an offer from investor Robert Herjavec, she declined, a decision she later considered fortuitous since the company was not yet fully prepared for investment or growth.
It took nearly four years for Ome to fulfill its Kickstarter commitments, finally delivering the first-generation smart knob to backers in 2021. The first iteration had compatibility limitations, but the company remained engaged with customers to address these issues in the new version.
The latest Ome Smart Knob is priced at $129 and is aimed at enhancing fire safety for seniors. Iyer envisions partnerships with senior living communities and hopes that insurance companies will eventually subsidize these devices, much like they do with home security systems.
Challenges remain, particularly in gaining broader acceptance from insurance companies and home automation stakeholders due to safety standards. Iyer is participating in efforts to update UL Standard 858, which focuses on safety standards for electric ranges. This initiative aims to incorporate smart technologies while ensuring user safety, emphasizing that users must actively engage with the stove before the smart technology can intervene.
The ongoing progress surrounding UL 858 and Ome’s market rollout will be monitored closely as the company strives to realize Iyer’s long-standing vision of safer kitchen environments.
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