i.am+ is an American technology company based in Los Angeles, California.[1][2] The company was founded by musician and entrepreneur Will.i.am,[3] in 2013 with the mission of "creating wearable products that combine fashion and technology."[4] In 2016, i.am+ acquired Israeli machine learning software company Sensiya, now known as over.ai.[5]
 | |
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, California |
| Owner | Will.i.am |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | iamplus |
Products
editi.am+ camera for iPhone 4
editIn 2012 i.am+ announced a camera accessory for the iPhone 4.[6]
dial
editdial was a SIM-enabled smartwatch available in the UK exclusively through Three. Featuring a voice-enabled AI named AneedA, the smartwatch is the first of its kind with a conversational operating system.[7] The dial is also does not need to be tethered to a smart phone and can send calls and SMS messages independently. Included with the dial is a music streaming service with over 20 million songs.
EPs
editi.am+ EPs are high-end Bluetooth headphones. The circular and phones form was supposedly designed to echo their namesake vinyl records. The EPs feature a woven fabric cable and a magnetic clip so they can be worn around the neck when not in use.[8]
BUTTONS
editThe EPs were replaced with the 2nd generation of bluetooth headphones (now called i.am+ BUTTONS). i.am+ BUTTONS launched in November 2016.[9]
over.ai
editIn July 2016, i.am+ acquired Israeli company Sensiya, now over.ai, to continue research and development of their machine learning and natural language understanding technologies.[10]
Wink
editIn July 2017, i.am+ purchased Wink, a software and hardware manufacturer, from Flex in a $38.7 million deal.[11]
Earin
editIn January 2018 i.am+ attempted to acquire Swedish earbuds startup Earin.[12] The acquisition later fell through for undisclosed reasons.[13]
Omega Voice Assistant
editIn October 2018, i.am+ announced a new platform agnostic voice assistant called Omega.[14]
In 2018, Majid Al Futtaim formed a partnership with i.am+ to introduce its omega technology in the Middle east, Asia, and Africa.[15]
Funding
editIn November 2017, the company secured $117 million in funding. Prior to this, it had raised $89 million from a group, including Salesforce.[3]
Controversy
editIn late 2019, the company was the subject of multiple tax liens, with the California Franchise Tax Board alleging over $500,000 in delinquent taxes and the IRS alleging $1.78 million in delinquent taxes and interest.[16]
References
edit- ^ "I.am+".
- ^ Iam+. "i.am |". iamplus.com. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
- ^ a b Rodriguez, Salvador (2017-11-06). "Will.i.am's start-up has raised $117 million as it pivots from hardware to customer support chatbot". CNBC. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ "Inside The Black Eyed Peas' 'Leap of Faith' Second Act". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ "Will.i.am's Smartwatch Startup Acquires Israeli Firm". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
- ^ Georgia Dehn. "Will.i.am's iPhone accessories to 'turn smartphones into genius phones'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ Vincent, James (2016-04-29). "Will.i.am's smartphone-free smartwatch is available to preorder in the UK". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ Sade (2016-05-24). "New Release: Will.i.am iam EPs Bluetooth Headphones". Major HiFi. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
- ^ "Bang & Olufsen's New Earphones Are Perfect for Working Out". 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Will.i.am's Smartwatch Startup Acquires Israeli Firm | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
- ^ Ingrid Lunden. "i.am+ buys Wink, the smart home hub previously owned by Flextronics and Quirky". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ "Wireless earbud startup Earin bought by Will.i.am's tech company". The Verge. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
- ^ "Will.i.am's acquisition of wireless earbud startup Earin has fallen through". The Verge. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
- ^ Figueroa, Mia (8 October 2018). "Will.i.am's Omega Voice Assistant Takes on Google, Alexa, and Siri". securitybaron.com. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ "Opinion: Where is the money, will.i.am?". arabianbusiness.
- ^ O'Kane, Sean (October 25, 2019). "Smart home platform Wink is dying as Will.i.am's tech company is low on money". The Verge. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
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