As some of you may know Amazon has created a $100 million development fund which is targeted to help promote its voice driven hardware like the Echo, Dot, Tap.

 

Amazon is very serious about promoting its products and ingraining its platform to be the preferred choice in the HA market place. 

 

The direct link can be found here: https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/solutions/alexa/alexa-fund

 

Based on a quick glance, some of the projects and services funded by the Amazon Development Fund in my view are pretty dumb and don't offer much practical use or long term adoption from the masses.

 

Given this recent announcement of a 3.2 million grant from the CEC to UDI: http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/19079-udi-is-awarded-a-32m-grant-from-cec/

 

I would encourage and plead that UDI seriously consider placing their hat to garner some of the funds in the development of the Echo system. UDI has already started on this path successfully via the ISY Portal Services.

 

Why not get paid for future development and service support?

 

Even if the fund offered $100,000 K in this area these are resources that will help finance more development and features for all of us.

 

In my view the ISY Series Controller and the cloud hosted portal offer more value to the general public than most if not all of the past recipients of the Amazon Development Fund. I honestly can't see UDI being turned down for funds when you review some of the epic and dumb services they have backed thus far.

 

Lastly, I have created a POLL in hopes the forum members would show their support in this endeavor and help UDI see the value in doing so. I can't honestly say applying for this vs the CEC is more complicated but it surely can't be harder!

 

Ha . . . 

Hi Teken,

 

We did apply and was denied.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Hi Teken,

 

We did apply and was denied.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

I have no words for that . . .

 

Is it possible there were criteria not met in the initial application that *Now* have or can be met?

Likely a defensive play by Amazon now that Apple is rumored to be entering the market. Also the VCs are blood suckers. They want control and profits from a company. UDI would be best to avoid VCs.

Edited June 6, 20169 yr by elvisimprsntr

Likely a defensive play by Amazon now that Apple is rumored to be entering the market. Also the VCs are blood suckers. They want control and profits from a company. UDI would be best to avoid VCs.

 

So the fund isn't simply a method to help pay for development but geared toward partial ownership of the service / hardware platform?

 

I was thinking this was a straight up fund set up to help those interested in developing some kind of service / hardware platform and not intended to take a piece of the virtual pie from a company.

So the fund isn't simply a method to help pay for development but geared toward partial ownership of the service / hardware platform?

 

I was thinking this was a straight up fund set up to help those interested in developing some kind of service / hardware platform and not intended to take a piece of the virtual pie from a company.

Quote from the link you provided:

 

"The Alexa Fund has made investments in a variety of companies including:"

 

Key word "investments." Doesn't say "grant."

 

Same word is used in multiple places on site.

 

Also

 

"Funding – Have you raised institutional funding?"

 

Meaning if you have already raised institutional funding, we can't make the lions share of return or take control.

Edited June 6, 20169 yr by elvisimprsntr

That's interesting to know but also believe sometimes investing can also mean offering monies opposed to getting a piece of the company. I wouldn't be in favor of any company getting a slice of the virtual pie in UDI unless the terms were agreeable to all parties.

 

I just find it odd and frustrating to see so many other products garner so much mass adoption in the open market like Wink, Iris, Smartthings, Vera, etc. 

 

Yet many of them are just brutal products . . .

 

The ratio of developers that support Smartthings, Vera, vs ISY easily exceeds a 100 to 1 ratio if not higher!

Because most of those products put form before function, sexy packaging, with a colorful brochure and slick video marketing. Here is one example of a crappy device.

 

 

 

 

ISY puts function before form. It's an ugly box meant to be tucked away in a corner or hidden in a cabinet. It just works.

Count me in as someone who had no idea that the Alexa Fund was in any way tied to venture capital. I assumed it was just a way for Amazon to encourage development on their new platform. I guess I'm naive to think that they would just fork over money and not expect a piece of the action.

The 100m iPhone fund was managed by VC firm Kleiner Perkins. They are in the business of making $. They are not a charitable organization. Neither is Amazon.

 

Quote from site.

 

The Alexa Fund provides up to $100 million in venture capital funding to fuel voice technology innovation.

Hopefully, that ends the dispute.

Edited June 7, 20169 yr by elvisimprsntr