Johnson Controls acquires AI software firm FogHorn

Johnson Controls on Wednesday announced that it has acquired FogHorn, a developer of edge AI software for industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"Value is increasingly being created by applying intelligence at the edge-device level to create real-time, secure, actionable insights," Johnson Controls CTO Vijay Sankaran said in a statement. "By pervasively integrating Foghorn's world class Edge AI throughout our OpenBlue solution portfolio, we are accelerating the pace towards our vision of smart, autonomous buildings that continuously learn, adapt and automatically respond to the needs of the environment and people."

Sastry Malladi, who served as Chief Technology Officer at Foghorn, will join Johnson Controls, reporting to Sankaran as Vice President, OpenBlue Artificial Intelligence.

"We are thrilled to bring the Foghorn team and edge AI capabilities to Johnson Controls and OpenBlue," said Sastry Malladi, Foghorn's Chief Technology Officer. "By combining our respective strengths, Johnson Controls can make an even bigger impact on continuing to address some of the world's most pressing challenges of decarbonization, sustainability and energy efficiency, indoor air quality and smart, secure buildings."

FogHorn's technical team will be integrated into the OpenBlue Solutions organization. FogHorn's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., will function as an 'AI Hub' for Johnson Controls.