Josh.ai Celebrates 9th Birthday 🎂 An Occassion to Reflect & Look Ahead!
This month marks a significant milestone for Josh.ai, the preferred AI and natural control interface in the custom installation channel, as we celebrate our ninth birthday! Serving as a moment to reflect on another year of remarkable growth and innovation in the smart home, it is a perfect time to revisit an extraordinary journey so far.
2015: The Foundation
In 2015, Alex Capecelatro and Tim Gill founded Josh.ai while facing their own challenges in home renovation. They aimed to create an advanced and intuitively designed home AI system, overcoming outdated barriers to smart home adoption. Alex’s expertise in user experience design and Tim’s in software engineering fueled the birth of a new era in home intelligence. The founding mission of Josh.ai was to provide every smart home with simple, private, and magical experiences.
2016: The Launch
Josh.ai was first introduced at CEDIA 2016 as a software solution loaded onto a Mac Mini server. Offering users the Josh App and an Alexa skill for hands-free access with Amazon Echo microphones, Josh.ai featured proprietary natural language processing as well as the ability to give compound commands. Users could request multiple actions simultaneously, such as:
“Play Jazz music in the living room, open the first floor shades halfway, and dim the lights a little in the kitchen.”
2017: The Hardware
2017 was a pivotal year with the introduction of Josh Micro at CEDIA Expo. This marked Josh.ai’s entry into hardware, transforming smart home control with effortless, location-aware voice commands. Equipped with sensors, far-field microphones, and touch control, Josh Micro enhanced the smart home experience, enabling location-aware commands like:
“Ok Josh, set the lights to 30%, close the curtains, and watch Black Mirror on Netflix.”
2018: Growth & Partnerships
In addition to shipping Josh Micro, Josh.ai built upon its strong momentum with the launch of Josh App 3.0 while forging strong strategic partnerships. The industry’s enthusiasm was illustrated by Josh.ai’s dealer base more than doubling, with the company touting over 200 certified installers by the end of the year.
2019: Feature Enhancements
The company’s growth accelerated in 2019 with new features and platform enhancements. Notable integrations, including Lutron’s Ketra lighting, were highlighted at Josh.ai’s first live demo at CEDIA Expo, which helped double Josh.ai’s dealer network to over 400 certified installers.
2020: Innovating From Home
Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a year of major achievements for Josh.ai. The company secured its largest funding round, investing in further research and development. The launch of Josh Nano and Josh Core at its first keynote was a testament to its dedication to the design-build community.
2021: Innovative Collaborations
In 2021, the Josh.ai Ready Wallplate was launched in collaboration with Lutron. This integration offered both voice and tactile control interfaces, blending Josh Nano microphones with Lutron Keypads. Josh.ai also made its TV debut on Smart Home Nation, showcasing the potential of AI in the home to a national audience.
2022: Expanding Our Footprint
Josh.ai significantly expanded its reach in 2022, exceeding 1,300 certified dealers. The introduction of the Geneva OS at CEDIA 2022 and Josh.ai’s first hand-held remote experience with AVA marked another leap forward in client interaction and elegant home control.
2023: The Transformation
2023 was a milestone year for Josh.ai, characterized by innovation and expansion. The company introduced JoshGPT, becoming the industry’s first voice platform to integrate with generative AI while elevating the smart home experience to new heights.
In addition to increasing its capabilities as an AI, Josh.ai evolved from a voice control platform to a leading industry control platform, redefining the market landscape. To coincide with this shift, the launch of Josh One, an entry-level control processor, marked a pivotal step in making sophisticated home automation more accessible.
With new flexible pricing and a range of user experiences to choose from, Josh.ai positioned itself as the perfect solution for every project whether a client is seeking modern control or the convenience of hands-free voice assistance.
2024: Setting New Standards
As we kick off 2024, Josh.ai has already made a remarkable impact in just a few months. The Winter Launch Event set the stage for a year of significant advancements.
Notable highlights included:
- The introduction of nineteen new natural AI generated voices, enhancing user interaction with more realistic audio feedback.
- The introduction of the Josh Experience on the AVA Cinema Remote, redefining the universal remote control’s role in the the smart home.
- Elegant enhancements to the Josh App, improving user experiences with a sleeker and more intuitive customizable interface.
- The debut of Josh Touchscreen, offering clients a new dimension of control and easy accessibility.
- The launch of Nimble DevSuite, along with new integration partners, which provides a platform to rapidly expand the ecosystem for Josh.ai as a control system.
Following these exciting announcements, the reveal of Josh Edge marked a breakthrough in product design. This innovative remote combines the ease of a traditional hard-button TV remote with sophisticated in-room device control and near-field voice assistance, all within a beautiful design.
A Look Ahead & Gratitude
As Josh.ai turns nine, we are excited to be standing at the forefront of an ever-evolving industry. Driven by our commitment to innovation, joyous user experiences, and the limitless possibilities in the smart home, our journey so far has been shaped by the support of our vibrant community.
To everyone who has joined the Josh.ai family along the way, your belief in our vision has been a driving force behind every milestone we have achieved. As we look to the future, we are excited about continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in our living spaces.
Thank you for being an integral part of our story. Cheers to many more years of powering home intelligence!
Josh.ai is an artificial intelligence agent for your home. If you’re interested in learning more, visit us at https://josh.ai.
