Amazon, the Seattle, Washington-based eCommerce giant, has inked a deal to acquire Blink, the wireless security camera company that launched in early 2016.
On its website, Blink announced news of the acquisition, saying that nothing changes for customers who own a Blink security camera system. “We’ll continue to operate under the Amazon umbrella, selling and supporting the same great products you know and love. It’s Day 1 for us at Amazon, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can deliver to our customers together,” the company stated.
While Amazon hasn’t said anything about the deal, the move could be part of its strategy to push into the smart home and connected security markets. With its Echo devices, powered by Alexa, its voice-activated digital assistant, Amazon is trying to control the smart home, where all sorts of internet-connected devices communicate with each other. It recently launched a video camera that lets consumers view deliveries that are being placed in their homes. While the Echo is widely popular, some industry watchers have said there is limited use for smart speakers without the connected home market taking off.
The deal to acquire Blink comes amid speculation that the eCommerce giant could move to step up its cybersecurity game with an acquisition. Axios is reporting that Amazon is in late-stage talks with Massachusetts-based Sqrrl — a cybersecurity startup with an impressive pedigree. Both of Sqrrl’s founders are NSA alumni; the service the firm offers analyzes Big Data streams to hunt down cyberthreats and expose them more rapidly.
Sqrrl has brought in around $30 million in venture funding, with investments from Accomplice, Matrix Partners, Rally Ventures and Spring Lake Equity Partners. The rumored buy price will be in the neighborhood of $40 million, according to reports. Neither Sqrrl nor Amazon have responded to media requests for comment.
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