Spark, which is known for its tiny development kit for creating WiFi connected products, is launching a cloud-based operating system that will enable users to take their products from prototypes (its current primary user base) to mass manufacturing.
The Spark Core kit has always had a cloud component, but the new operating system will pair that with new development tools and resources that are designed to power a new level of partnerships with both startups and major enterprise companies.
The relaunch will be funded by a round of funding, totaling $4.9 million, from Lion Wells Capital, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, SOSventures, and Collaborative Fund as well as a consortium of strategic angel investors.
So although you may think of Spark for its development board, below,
from now on Spark would like you to think about them as part of an cloud-based operating system, something like this:
Spark’s relaunch comes amidst a flurry of announcements related to the Internet of Things. In the last month, new IoT platforms have been announced by Apple, Google, and Quirky/General Electric.
Spark is hoping to find its place by emphasizing its open source architecture, which will allow startups and established appliance makers to develop WiFi-connected products without restraining them to one particular proprietary platform.
“There’s definitely a land grab going on in the Internet of Things,” Spark CEO Zach Supalla (@zsupalla) told Make:. “But we are both open, and neutral, so we can provide a toolkit and a operating system that will allow products to both participate in other platforms, but also stand alone.”
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