The Journey of HOOBS

Our mission has always been clear: to make smart home integration simple, seamless, and accessible to everyone. What started as a passion project has grown into a movement, empowering users worldwide to unify their smart devices with ease. Our journey, however, was not without its challenges—it’s a story of innovation, perseverance, and an unrelenting drive to simplify technology.

Today, HOOBS stands as a leader in smart home solutions.

In 2023, we introduced HOOBS Pro, a groundbreaking device that redefines smart home integration. Built with cutting-edge features and unmatched performance, HOOBS Pro offers advanced capabilities to meet the demands of even the most complex smart home setups. This release marked a significant milestone, representing years of development and collaboration with our community.

In 2024, we took things even further with HOOBS 5, the latest version of our software. Designed with users in mind, HOOBS 5 delivers an enhanced experience with optimized compatibility for Matter certification and improved performance across all devices. Together, HOOBS Pro and HOOBS 5 represent the future of smart home technology—seamlessly blending innovation with ease of use.

But our journey to today wasn’t always smooth—it was built on resilience and creativity.

The global challenges of the last few years, including supply chain disruptions and a global chip shortage, tested our resolve. Yet, these obstacles became opportunities to innovate. During this time, we introduced HOOBS Cloud, a platform for community-driven plugins that expanded functionality for users worldwide. By allowing developers to contribute directly, HOOBS Cloud created an ecosystem of endless possibilities, giving users the ability to customize their setups like never before.

Even as we navigated these hurdles, we remained focused on our mission to simplify smart home integration. By 2021, we updated the hardware for the HOOBS Box, ensuring it could keep up with the growing needs of our user base. With these updates, we also began designing the HOOBS Pro, envisioning a solution that would take smart home integration to the next level.

Our story truly took off with the launch of the HOOBS Box.

In 2019, we released the first HOOBS Box—a user-friendly, plug-and-play device that eliminated the technical barriers to creating a smart home. For the first time, users could integrate their smart devices without needing advanced technical skills. The HOOBS Box quickly became a hit, fueled by the release of HOOBS 2.0, which introduced an intuitive user interface.

By the end of that year, we released HOOBS 3.0, a complete rewrite of our software. This update brought improved performance, scalability, and even greater compatibility, solidifying HOOBS as the go-to solution for smart home enthusiasts. With every step forward, we listened to our users, improving the product and expanding its capabilities based on their feedback.

The idea behind HOOBS was born from frustration—and a desire for simplicity.

In 2018, our founder was a tech enthusiast on a mission to transform his apartment into a smart home. However, each device he installed came with its own app, leaving him juggling multiple systems that didn’t work together. The complexity of managing six separate apps made the smart home feel anything but smart.

Determined to find a better solution, he discovered an open-source platform that allowed devices to connect with Apple HomeKit. While powerful, it was also highly technical, requiring extensive knowledge to set up and maintain. The process was overwhelming, even for a tech-savvy user.

Frustrated but undeterred, he decided to simplify the experience for himself and others. He began by creating an installation script and sharing it with the open-source community. While well-received, it was still too complex for most users. This realization inspired him to create HOOBS a complete, user-friendly solution that made smart home integration accessible to everyone.

From passion project to global innovation.

HOOBS started small but grew quickly. By January 2019, the first version of HOOBS software was released, allowing users to unify their smart devices with ease.

A webstore followed, offering downloads and pre-configured microSD cards to make the process even simpler. By April 2019, the first HOOBS Box prototype was developed, and within weeks, a pre-sale campaign launched, generating excitement within the community.

In June 2019, the first batch of HOOBS Boxes shipped, marking a turning point in our journey. What began as a passion project was now a full-fledged solution, driven by the belief that smart homes shouldn’t be complicated.

Our guiding principle remains the same: “There’s always an easier way.”

Today, HOOBS continues to innovate and inspire. Whether you’re a smart home enthusiast or a first-time user, we’re here to help you create a unified, seamless experience. Join us on this journey as we shape the future of smart home technology—together.

Our dedicated team
around the globe

Ovidiu Mija
CEO / Operation
Co-Founder

Bobby Slope
CPO / Design
Co-Founder

CiCi
Manufacturing
Fullfillment Intl.

Wuddel
Distribution
Fullfillment CH

Tobias
Manufacturing
Fullfillment EU

Zach
Customer Support

Joachim
Logistics DE
Fullfillment EU

Stefan
Logistics DE
Fullfillment EU

Marvin
Customer Support
German

Oliver
Social Media Mod

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