Wink owner Quirky files for bankruptcy

One of the first home automation systems, Quirky's Wink, appears to have fallen. The product line's parent company, Quirky, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a few days before September ended.

In some ways, Wink did everything right. It integrated with all major IoT/smart home protocols, was compatible with both Android (and Google Now) as well as iOS, and Amazon's Echo. It was one of the first smart home hubs on the market, and was able to partner with big-name retailers The Home Depot and Amazon.

However, Wink had been beset by a number of issues recently. First, the company had marketed a number of products for the smart home that did not gain traction in the market - a smart egg tray, for example. Second, the company seriously damaged its brand earlier in the year with a buggy security firmware update that ended up bricking a number of their devices.

According to the company, Flextronics USA has made a $15 million "stalking horse" bid for Wink, essentially a baseline offer against which other companies can attempt to outbid. Potential suitors have 30 days from the filing date to make an offer.

See a comparison table of selected home automation system suppliers on GlobalSources.com