IDO boosts investments in Sense Labs

ENERGY SPACE: Total funding in the smart home energy monitoring tech startup rises to $50m

Innovation Development Oman (IDO Investments), the Sultanate’s first equitybased venture capital firm, together with Mackinnon and Bennett & Company (MKB), have collectively invested approximately $10 million in Sense, whose intelligent home energy monitor provides real-time insights into energy and device activity in the home.

IDO Investments and MKB join energy technology leaders Schneider Electric and Landis+gyr to bring the total B round investment of Sense to $30 million and takes its total funding to $50 million.

Commenting on their investment, Dr Philip Boigner, CEO of IDO Investments said, “At IDO Investments we strive to partner with companies that pioneer innovative technologies. Energy efficiency and demand response are constantly gaining importance globally, and we see Sense Labs playing an important role in the energy space. Their product is intuitive and produces valuable data for homeowners and various stakeholders in the energy sector. We see great potential in Sense and the value it can bring to Oman and the region.”

Commenting on the occasion, Mazin al Naamani (pictured), the Portfolio Impact lead of IDO Investments said, “Countries around the world, including the Sultanate, are encouraging people to rationalise the use of non-renewable energy sources. Sense is a company that develops technologies and solutions in direct relation to this, enabling household owners to make informed decisions on energy usage in their homes by providing insightful data, device desegregation, and others. We look forward to introducing Sense’s cuttingedge technology to different stakeholders and homeowners in Oman.”

Sense’s earlier investors, which include Shell Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, Prelude Ventures, Capricorn Investment Group, and irobot Corporation, all participated in the B round, which had a first close in October 2018.

Mike Phillips, CEO of Sense said, “These additional investments from MKB and IDO Investments reflect our shared vision of a smart, energy-aware home. From the company’s founding, we envisioned a future when homes would share information about themselves with their owners, who could make better decisions about how to live in today’s world.”