nello, a Munich-based startup which strives to simplify urban life, has just closed its financing round of €1.5 million. Besides existing shareholders HBT Holdings and KfW, KPN Ventures invested in this round. KPN Ventures is the venturing arm of Dutch telecommunications group KPN and is one of the leading European IoT investors.
The nello one hardware upgrades any existing intercom unit to give apartment dwellers the ability to control the main entrance door with their smartphone. That allows them to enter keyless and also share access with delivery companies or visitors.
Dr. Christoph Baumeister, the Co-Founder and CEO of nellow stated: “The financing round allows us to grow the team, support our market entry and create partnerships with leading European delivery companies. That brings us one step closer to our mission to simplify urban life.”
Herman Kienhuis, the Managing Director from KPN Ventures added: “The nello team has developed a very clever proposition, giving family and friends, but also delivery companies and other service providers remote access to apartment buildings in a simple and safe way, and nello has already generated an impressive amount of pre-orders for its first smart intercom product. We look forward to supporting nello in the further development of its smart home proposition and in its international roll-out.”
The nello system is very simple: Customers connect their nello one with the existing intercom unit in the apartment. All the necessary tools and wires come with the product. The wiring details are specific for every intercom system and customers can follow a step-by-step guide in the app. Once connected, the intercom unit can be controlled through the nello cloud that is connected through the local Wi-Fi. The iOS and Android apps can by downloaded for free. In combination with a smart lock at the apartment door, nello enables complete keyless access. Also, nello can be voice controlled through Amazon Alexa.
nello one can be pre-ordered now and will be shipped by the end of this month. The IoT company nello was founded in 2014 and is based in Munich.
