HomeServe USA Invests in Technology Company Centriq
Norwalk, Conn, February 20, 2018 — Representatives of HomeServe USA announced today that it has made a strategic investment in consumer technology company Centriq. The two companies will work closely together to deliver an innovative digital home inventory and support system that provides customers the fastest path to resolving a wide array of home repair problems.
“Our goal is to put our customers and partners at the heart of everything we do, including with the investments we make in new, advanced technologies that offer real solutions to simplify life,” said HomeServe CEO John Kitzie. “As we build on one of our biggest strengths -- our customer service experience -- we are excited to work with Centriq and incorporate the company’s technology to make it easier for our customers to manage their homes.”
HomeServe’s equity investment also includes a seat on Centriq’s board, which HomeServe CEO John Kitzie will fill. HomeServe will also license Centriq’s product platform and release a HomeServe branded version this spring.
The Centriq application makes it easy for users to capture all the complex things in their home, from electronics and appliances to heating and cooling equipment, simply by taking a photo of a product label. The app then identifies the product by make and model and provides users with a suite of resources to troubleshoot problems, learn how to use the product better, find the right parts and get repair help and access to technicians when service is needed.
The Centriq app was awarded the 2016 National Association of Home Builders Platinum Game Changer Award.
“We are on a mission to help homeowners get the most out of their home and everything in it,” said Centriq founder James Sheppard. “The connection between HomeServe and Centriq is about simplifying the homeowner’s life by joining the self-help capabilities of Centriq with HomeServe’s national network of qualified technicians. When a customer has a problem with anything in their home, they’ll now have the fastest path to ‘done’ in their hands. Working together, we will offer homeowners something that is even greater than the sum of its parts.”
Centriq was founded in 2015 by James Sheppard and Shubber Ali, both former vice presidents of innovation at Salesforce. After one too many wasted weekends at the hardware store, they set about to create a single source for everything they need to know about the specific products in their home. They’ve since leveraged their corporate relationships to develop a business model that keeps the app free for consumers while adding value to the business ecosystem that surrounds the home.