Smart lock maker Level has been gutted and its founders are out
The Verge
β’2026-06-26T12:59:16-04:00
π° What Happened
The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy reports that Assa Abloy, the Swedish lock conglomerate that acquired smart lock startup Level Home in 2022, has laid off the majority of Level's staff and is folding the brand into its Kwikset subsidiary, effectively gutting the innovative company. Level's founders have departed, marking the end of the startup's independent identity. The move represents a classic case of acquisition and assimilation, where a large corporation absorbs a smaller innovative company and integrates its technology into existing product lines rather than maintaining it as a standalone brand.
Level Home's defining innovation was its minimalist design approach: the company hid the battery, motor, and electronics that power the smart lock entirely inside the deadbolt itself, creating a smart lock that looked indistinguishable from a traditional lock from both inside and outside the door. This design philosophy represented a significant departure from other smart lock manufacturers, whose products typically feature bulky external keypads or visible mechanisms. Despite Assa Abloy's public statements that it will continue to develop and support Level locks, the gutting of the team and departure of the founders raise serious questions about the long-term viability of Level's product ecosystem and the fate of customers who invested in the platform.
π The Backstory
Level Home was founded in 2016 by a team of former Apple engineers who sought to create smart locks that didn't compromise on design. The company's flagship product, Level Lock, launched in 2020 and was praised for its ability to retrofit into existing deadbolts while offering smart features including keyless entry, remote access, and integration with smart home platforms. The product's defining engineering achievement β fitting an entire smart lock mechanism inside a standard deadbolt format β was covered extensively in the technology press. Assa Abloy, a Swedish conglomerate with a market capitalization in the tens of billions, owns numerous lock brands including Yale, Schlage (through its ownership of Allegion, which owns Schlage), and Kwikset. The company acquired Level Home in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, with plans to bring Level's design approach to its broader brand portfolio.
π― Why It Matters
Level's absorption into Kwikset illustrates a recurring pattern in the smart home industry where innovative startups are acquired by larger corporations and their products are gradually phased out or stripped of their differentiating features. For consumers, this raises concerns about investing in products from acquired startups, as long-term support and innovation may not survive the acquisition. The smart lock market, in particular, raises additional concerns about security and privacy when a product's development team changes hands.
The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy reports that Assa Abloy, the Swedish lock conglomerate that acquired smart lock startup Level Home in 2022, has laid off the majority of Level's staff and is folding the brand into its Kwikset subsidiary, effectively gutting the innovative company. Level's founders have departed, marking the end of the startup's independent identity. The move represents a classic case of acquisition and assimilation, where a large corporation absorbs a smaller innovative company and integrates its technology into existing product lines rather than maintaining it as a standalone brand.
Level Home's defining innovation was its minimalist design approach: the company hid the battery, motor, and electronics that power the smart lock entirely inside the deadbolt itself, creating a smart lock that looked indistinguishable from a traditional lock from both inside and outside the door. This design philosophy represented a significant departure from other smart lock manufacturers, whose products typically feature bulky external keypads or visible mechanisms. Despite Assa Abloy's public statements that it will continue to develop and support Level locks, the gutting of the team and departure of the founders raise serious questions about the long-term viability of Level's product ecosystem and the fate of customers who invested in the platform.
Level Home was founded in 2016 by a team of former Apple engineers who sought to create smart locks that didn't compromise on design. The company's flagship product, Level Lock, launched in 2020 and was praised for its ability to retrofit into existing deadbolts while offering smart features including keyless entry, remote access, and integration with smart home platforms. The product's defining engineering achievement β fitting an entire smart lock mechanism inside a standard deadbolt format β was covered extensively in the technology press. Assa Abloy, a Swedish conglomerate with a market capitalization in the tens of billions, owns numerous lock brands including Yale, Schlage (through its ownership of Allegion, which owns Schlage), and Kwikset. The company acquired Level Home in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, with plans to bring Level's design approach to its broader brand portfolio.
Level's absorption into Kwikset illustrates a recurring pattern in the smart home industry where innovative startups are acquired by larger corporations and their products are gradually phased out or stripped of their differentiating features. For consumers, this raises concerns about investing in products from acquired startups, as long-term support and innovation may not survive the acquisition. The smart lock market, in particular, raises additional concerns about security and privacy when a product's development team changes hands.