Skip to main content

Alexa invests in manufactured housing with Plant Prefab startup


Following Amazon’s multiproduct Alexa hardware rollout, the Amazon Alexa Fund invested in Plant Prefab, a Rialto, California-based prefabricated home startup, according to Curbed.

Backing a prefabricated housing firm, especially a company focused on smart home tech and particularly on Alexa, is a strategic move that could bode well for home buyers as well as for the voice assistant-driven Amazon group. Plant Prefab also has a record of using sustainable building practices and materials.

Recommended Videos

The Alexa Fund is a $100 million Amazon venture capital division that invests in voice technology innovation. Earlier this year, for example, the fund invested in smart home thermostat maker Ecobee. As was the case with Ecobee, the Alexa Fund didn’t invest on its own, but in a funding round with other investors.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Voice has emerged as a delightful technology in the home, and there are now more than 20,000 Alexa-compatible smart home devices from 3,500 different brands,” Paul Bernard, Alexa Fund’s director, said in a news release.

“Plant Prefab is a leader in home design and an emerging, innovative player in home manufacturing,” Bernard continued. “We’re thrilled to support them as they make sustainable, connected homes more accessible to customers and developers.”

Prefabricated homes, sometimes called modular homes, have notable quality control advantages over “stick-built” homes constructed on-site. Shipments of wood, drywall, and insulation, for example, aren’t left sitting in open lots exposed to the elements for days or even weeks at a time waiting for the weather to clear so locally contracted crews to use them to build a house.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Major sections of prefab homes are built in climate-protected, often climate-controlled, facilities using consistent materials suppliers and permanent labor forces. Once all the parts and pieces for a new home are ready, they are shipped or trucked to a building site where factory crews assemble the components on a prepared foundation. Finished prefab home construction onsite typically takes only a few days compared to months for conventional construction.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Alexa Fund’s backing for Plant Prefab could point the way for other manufactured home companies to embrace smart home technology. Even with the wide implementation of wireless connectivity, smart home configuration takes planning for anything more than one or two components.

Prefab homes with strategically located power outlets, integrated network wiring, and appropriate cabinetry, for example, could make it relatively easy for homeowners to configure and update smart home components, especially compared to retrofitting existing homes. Until such tech considerations are standard throughout the residential construction industry, however, prefab building ventures are arguably better prepared to incorporate smart home-friendly in-home infrastructure into their plans than conventional builders.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
What’s going on with Amazon Astro in 2024?
Amazon Astro robot.

Amazon Astro was first revealed in 2021, yet the homebot has been oddly quiet in the years following its debut. The device is still only available to purchase via invite, and it hasn't made a whole lot of public appearances at conventions or press conferences. So, what exactly is going on with Amazon Astro in 2024? Does it have a release date? Have any new features been announced? And how will the shutdown of Astro for Business impact its development?
Astro for Business shutting down could be good news

Amazon discontinued Astro for Business this summer, telling users that the robots would be bricked on September 25. Buyers were refunded their original purchase and given a $300 credit for their troubles. As for the robots themselves, they'll literally stop functioning on September 25, with no way to be repurposed or reprogrammed.

Read more
Echo Spot vs. Echo Pop: Which Amazon device is better for your smart home?
The Echo Spot on a shelf.

The Echo Spot is a new smart alarm clock from Amazon, though it looks eerily similar to the existing Echo Pop. Both offer a similar, semi-ircle design -- though the Echo Spot is equipped with a touchscreen while the Pop is largely controlled via voice commands. There are a handful of other differences between the Echo Spot and Echo Pop, and since the Echo Spot is much more expensive than the Pop, you'll want to take a close look at both before opting for the fancy new gadget.

From pricing and design to sound quality and additional features, here's everything you need to know about the Echo Spot and Echo Pop.
Pricing and design

Read more
Echo Spot vs. Echo Dot (5th Gen): which is the better smart home companion?
The Echo Spot on a nightstand.

Amazon has officially revived the Echo Spot for 2024, with the device getting a new design and features to modernize the iconic smart alarm. It joins an ever-growing list of Amazon devices built around Alexa, the most notable of which is the popular Echo Dot (5th Gen). But what exactly is the difference between these two smart devices, and which is better for your home?

From pricing and design to sound quality and more, here's what you need to know about the Echo Spot and Echo Dot before making a purchase.
Pricing and design

Read more