5 minute read
Tapping into Matter
How a Start-up Brings Simplicity and Scale to Smart Lighting Integration
By Randy Reid
In March, I sat down over Zoom with Malte Göller, co-founder of Swiss startup Atios AG, to learn about his company’s mission to simplify smart building automation through Matter, the emerging open standard backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and others. At the time, I was still trying to wrap my head around the concept. Wasn’t Matter just a residential protocol? What did it have to do with DALI, KNX, and the more complex systems used in commercial and multifamily housing?
Two weeks later, I met with Malte again, this time in person at Euroluce during Salone del Mobile.Milan. That follow-up clarified what Atios is really offering: a bridge between reliable, wired infrastructure and the intuitive control that end users now expect from their devices. By leveraging Matter, Atios gives tenants the sleek control experience they know from consumer tech, while offering electricians and developers the stability and scalability they need for large-scale builds.
The Challenge: Complexity in Smart Homes
During our first meeting, I explained my own frustration with smart home tech such as Nest, Philips Hue, Cree bulbs, and Ring, each with its own app, occasionally connected via Alexa or Google Home, but far from seamless. Malte’s response? “You’re retrofitting. That’s always messy.”
He explained that the real opportunity lies in new construction. Property developers building dozens or hundreds of units need something that works out of the box – no Wi-Fi dependency, no battery-powered switches, and no app clutter. With Atios’s SmartCore device installed in the electrical panel, everything from lights to blinds to HVAC systems can be wired, configured, and connected to Matter before a tenant ever moves in.
The Solution: SmartCore with Matter Integration
At the heart of the Atios system is the SmartCore, a DIN rail-mounted device placed directly in the electrical panel. It features:
• 12 inputs and 12 outputs, allowing control of on/off lights, blinds, motorized curtains, or outlets.
• DALI bus connectivity, supporting up to 64 dimmable lights and 64 sensors.
• One Matter pairing code, allowing end users to control everything through a single app—Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa—without needing a custom interface from Atios.
This approach means that even conventional, non-smart devices become “smart” simply by routing them through SmartCore. The QR code on the device grants users instant control over everything upon move-in. No scanning 10 different devices. No fiddling with a dozen apps.
Clarifying the Market: Not Just DIY
Initially, I misunderstood Atios as a competitor to off-the-shelf smart devices like Philips Hue or Nest. But that’s not quite right. As Malte clarified in Milan, Atios isn’t replacing those—it’s circumventing them. Instead of layering wireless devices on top of existing systems, they’re starting with the wired infrastructure that developers and electricians already use. This makes SmartCore ideal for new apartment developments, luxury residences, and even boutique hotels.
Matter compatibility is what makes the system appealing to tenants, but Atios’s strength lies in speaking both “languages,” wiring standards like DALI for installers and simple apps for occupants.
A Simpler Path for Designers and Developers
Lighting designers reading this may not be deep into electrical schematics, but most are deeply familiar with DALI. Atios offers a rare blend, the reliability of DALI with the end-user control of today’s smart tech. That’s valuable, especially in luxury residential projects where clients want elegant lighting and effortless control but don’t want to download yet another app.
The setup process is simple. An electrician wires up conventional push buttons or sensors into SmartCore. Using a built-in web interface, they assign each input and output (e.g., “kitchen lights” or “bedroom blinds”) and finalize the system configuration. From there, the user only needs to scan one QR code to import every device into their preferred smart home platform.
As Malte explained at Euroluce, “With a single device, you can integrate all lighting, shading, heating,—even door access—into one system, controllable from a phone or voice assistant. And the best part? You don’t have to be a tech expert to use it.”
Looking Ahead
In Europe, Atios is gaining traction through major distributors like Sonepar and Rexel (Elektro-Material AG). The U.S. market is next.
Atios is also engaged in conversations with large lighting brands and integrators who see value in simplifying the user interface layer of complex installations.
When I asked about the possibility of copycat products, Malte shrugged. “We’ve already done the work. It takes years to pivot engineering teams and develop for the software for Matter. We’re ahead.”
Final Thoughts
After speaking with Malte twice, first remotely and then face-to-face, I’ve come to appreciate the elegance of Atios’s approach. They’re not reinventing the wheel— they’re refining the connection between the back-end wiring and the front-end experience.
For designers, that means one less app to manage and one more way to deliver intuitive, responsive lighting environments. For developers, it means happier tenants. For integrators, it means fewer callbacks.
Atios isn’t trying to dazzle with flashy hardware. Instead, they’re focused on something rarer – smart simplicity that works.
