Will.i.am’s i.am+ acquires bluetooth earbud maker Earin. Because, they have a lot money and they wanted to.
William Adams —aka will.i.am — is the Black Eyed Peas frontman turned tech entrepreneur. He’s the founder the i.am.angel foundation, not to mention the heavily-funded i.am+. Right now, we’re not quite sure what i.am+ does exactly, but they do have $117 million+ in funding.
So why Earin?
Will.i.am’s acquisition Earin was revealed during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Vegas. Earin is a manufacturer high fidelity audio devices based in Sweden. It’s a pioneer in releasing truly wireless earbuds.
Earin’s award-winning earbuds were designed to lie flush with the ear, making it unnoticeable from afar. The earbuds are also known for their defined sound quality, although there have been issues with its performance and connectivity. Either way, looks like will.i.am had a good experience with a pair.
The M2, Earin’s latest product, was launched last year but hasn’t gone on sale ficially. Meanwhile, will.i.am’s company is known for its ostentatious Buttons-style headphones, not to mention the negatively reviewed Puls smartwatch/wrist-band dealie.
Earin is just the lated in will.i.am’s list newly acquired companies. How it all fits together — well, we’re not sure the master strategy here. Maybe there isn’t one, but feel free to take some guesses.
The Earin acquisition is expected to help in Will.i.am’s expansion in the audio industry.
Industry insiders believe that the acquisition is a great move. Expectations are high that Will.i.am will be coming out with sleeker and better headphones and earbuds. It’s uncertain if the brand ‘Earin’ will be used by its new parent company.
Will.i.am also acquired Wink, a smart home hub maker. Its ongoing project, called “Omega,” is an enterprise voice-activated solution that’s been the talk the town. Will.i.am was interviewed Reuters about Omega, and he said:
“I wanted to create something that allows us to do many things. There’s so much you can do with a voice platform.”
Will.i.am is no stranger to the tech field.
He’s also a shareholder in Beats Electronics. One his earlier projects was the Ekocycle movement which focuses on sustainable living.
Just recently, the producer was appointed by Intel Corporation as Director Creative Innovation. That’s when he launched the i.am+ (i.am.plus), a social and fashionable electronics division his company in 2013.
So let’s all watch out for more earth-shaking announcements from will.i.am!
