ZEELAND, Mich., Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX) announced today that it has taken an equity stake in Yonomi, the IoT company that’s creating a more connected smart home, to help bring home automation to the automotive industry. The two companies recently completed the Series A financing and signed a licensing agreement allowing Gentex to utilize Yonomi software solutions that help apps and services integrate with a wide variety of smart home technology. Gentex President and CEO Steve Downing has also joined Yonomi’s Board of Directors.

Over the past year, Gentex and Yonomi worked together to pilot Yonomi One, a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that handles the complex tasks required to integrate products and services with all the top smart home devices and platforms. With the SDKs and APIs provided by Yonomi One, companies can integrate their apps and devices with more than 70 popular smart home products.

Gentex is utilizing Yonomi One to launch HomeLink Connect™, an all-new home automation app that pairs with the vehicle and allows drivers to operate home automation devices from the vehicle’s center console display and/or rearview mirror controls. Drivers of HomeLink Connect compatible vehicles will be able to download and configure the app to control a myriad of individual home automation devices, or set up entire home automation “scenes.” For instance, when heading home, one HomeLink® button press could adjust a thermostat, turn on home lighting, disarm the security system, unlock the door, and begin playing music.

The new HomeLink Connect technology leverages Gentex’s cloud infrastructure and customized apps to integrate Yonomi technology so that automotive OEM’s will be able to offer simple, secure and comprehensive vehicle-to-home connectivity.

HomeLink Connect will be on display this week in Gentex’s booth at CES 2018 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Tech East, North Hall, booth #9123).

“Our exclusive partnership with Yonomi helps ensure that HomeLink Connect is compatible with the ever-expanding list of smart home devices,” said Downing. “Our combined capabilities will help us provide automakers with a versatile, comprehensive and robust home automation platform that opens HomeLink to new markets and users by providing an ever-expanding number of use cases.”

HomeLink Connect is an extension of Gentex’s popular HomeLink® feature, which consists of in-vehicle buttons that can be programmed to operate radio-frequency controlled devices like garage doors and security gates. More than 80 million HomeLink-equipped vehicles are on the road today.

Yonomi is the IoT company that’s creating a more connected smart home. Yonomi builds smart home technologies for people and companies to connect devices, integrate multiple platforms, and bring the home to life. Its popular consumer app is used across more than 150 countries and its commercial solutions are used by leading companies driving a new era of smart home innovation. The company was founded in 2013 and is dual-headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, and Austin, Texas.

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX) is a supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics to the automotive industry, dimmable aircraft windows for aviation markets, and fire protection products to the fire protection market.  Visit the company website at www.gentex.com.

Gentex Media Contact
Craig Piersma
(616) 772-1590 x4316
craig.piersma@gentex.com

Gentex Investor Relations Contact
Josh O’Berski
(616) 772-1800 x5814
josh.oberski@gentex.com

Source: Gentex Corporation