SimpliSafe® secures new investment partner to accelerate growth and continued innovation

https://www.reddit.com/r/simplisafe/comments/1ni11b9/simplysafe_sold_to_private_equity_firm/

While I don't believe everything on reddit, there are some good comments.    Also, I was in a Best Buy yesterday.  Simplisafe products used to be displayed front and center.  The display has been replaced by Ring and Blink.  Maybe just a local thing, but also there is a reason for it.

Unfortunately, and based on a loose search. Many security outfits for home use, perhaps some commercial, are PE owned or publicly traded.

Based on my loose review of the top home security companies in 2025 (ADT, Vivint, SimpliSafe, Ring, Brinks Home, Frontpoint, and Abode), about four are not owned by private equity firms: ADT (publicly traded with major institutional ownership), Vivint (subsidiary of publicly traded NRG Energy), Ring (wholly owned by publicly traded Amazon), and Abode (majority-owned by publicly traded Italian automation firm Nice. Cove Smart is supposedly still privately held.

Excluding Ring, that's about four that aren't PE-owned. The remaining (SimpliSafe, Brinks Home, and Frontpoint) are currently backed by PE firms: GTCR (SimpliSafe, acquired in September 2025), affiliates of ABRY Partners (Brinks Home, via its parent Monitronics), and Twin Point Capital (Frontpoint, acquired in 2020)

GTCR supposedly also bought ADTs commerical division and rebranded it Everson. Also PE owned.

DIY solutions, which I use, and is my personal choice, supposedly cannot be sold.

Home Assistant is owned by the non-profit Open Home Foundation, which governs it along with over 250 other open-source projects (including ESPHome) to promote principles like privacy, choice, and sustainability in smart homes.

The foundation's structure explicitly protects these projects from being sold, acquired, or bought out by commercial entities, ensuring they remain open-source and community-driven rather than profit-oriented.

This setup was established in April 2024 to safeguard the ecosystem from corporate takeovers, and the official Home Assistant site states outright that "we are a non-profit and can't be sold or acquired."

ESPHome follows the same path: It was originally an independent open-source project but was acquired by Nabu Casa (the commercial partner of the Open Home Foundation) in 2021 and then donated to the foundation in 2024, placing it under the same non-profit governance and protections as Home Assistant. As a result, it also cannot be sold.

In addition, and I did not research other DIY type solutions, Hubitat etc., other than excerpts as follows.

Wyze: This is a budget-friendly DIY favorite for cameras and basic sensors, with easy app setup and no mandatory contracts. It's a privately held company founded by ex-Amazon employees in 2017, backed by venture capital investors (e.g., via funding rounds totaling around $146M). No PE ownership; it remains independent and U.S.-based (headquartered in Kirkland, WA), with manufacturing ties to China but no major corporate acquisition. Not sell-proof like a foundation, but no signs of PE involvement as of September 2025.

Eufy: Anker's sub-brand for DIY security, offering wireless cameras, doorbells, and entry sensors with local storage (no cloud fees required). It's owned by Anker Innovations, a publicly traded Chinese electronics company (listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2020). No PE backing; Anker focuses on consumer tech like chargers and vacuums. While it could be spun off or acquired, it's stable under public ownership. Note: There have been past privacy concerns (e.g., a 2022 encryption issue settled in 2025), but it's not PE-related.

Arlo: Known for wire-free cameras, video doorbells, and modular DIY kits that integrate with smart homes (e.g., Alexa, Google). It's a publicly traded company (NYSE: ARLO) since its 2018 spin-off from Netgear, with about 88% institutional ownership (e.g., BlackRock and Vanguard as top holders). No PE control; it's shareholder-driven and focused on subscriptions like Arlo Secure. As a public entity, it's not "owned" in the traditional sense but remains independent from PE firms.

Blink: Amazon's affordable DIY camera line (indoor/outdoor cams, doorbells, floodlights) with two-way audio and motion detection. Wholly owned by Amazon (acquired in 2017), a publicly traded company. Similar to Ring, it's not PE-backed and benefits from Amazon's ecosystem (e.g., Alexa integration). Excluding it (and Ring) keeps it out of the non-PE tally here, but it's a strong DIY option if you're okay with big-tech ownership.

Reolink: A solid choice for PoE (Power over Ethernet) and battery-powered DIY cameras with local storage and no subscriptions needed. It's a privately held company founded in 2009, owned by its founder/CEO Colin Lau, with no disclosed PE or major VC backing. Based in Hong Kong/China, it operates independently, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales. No acquisition history, so it's not under PE influence, though it could be sold in the future.

Kangaroo: A renter-friendly DIY system with compact sensors, cameras, and a hub for easy peel-and-stick installation. It's privately held and independent, with no PE ownership reported. Founded in 2017, it has some VC funding but emphasizes no-contract, self-monitored setups. Like Cove, it's U.S.-based and focused on affordability without corporate overlords.

From Internet fodder and Ai information, so take with a grain of salt.