Smartlabs to open Seattle office after it’s acquired by Richmond Capital

A California smart-home company is opening a software development office in Seattle after a local entrepreneur was named its new CEO.

Smartlabs, based in Irvine, operates smart-home brand Insteon, which makes automated lights, locks and temperature controls. Seattle investment firm Richmond Capital Partners bought the company this week for an undisclosed amount. Richmond founder Rob Lilleness will serve as Smartlabs’ chief executive from Seattle.

Lilleness previously led mobile analytics company Medio Systems, which was acquired by Nokia in July 2014. Lilleness stayed on with the company as part of Here Technologies – which is now owned by BMW, Daimler, Audi, Intel and Tencent – before leaving to buy and lead Smartlabs.

Richmond Capital and existing Smartlabs investors also poured an additional $7.3 million into Smartlabs to help it grow. The company now has about 55 employees in Irvine, and plans to hire at least five software developers in Seattle this year.

Lilleness, who previously worked at Microsoft and Trilogy Software, likes to follow big shifts in technology, he said.

“The two big exciting places now are the car and the home,” he said.

Smart-home technology, or automated home devices, are becoming more popular, especially in newly built houses.