Eight Sleep, a startup from Silicon Valley producing artificial intelligence mattresses for 3000 USD with a monthly subscription fee, has just acquired $ 100 million in the financing round of the D series. This is a unique example of how Blockchain and AI technology penetrate into the most intimate spheres of our lives.
Who is behind a record investment?
The funding round was conducted by Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Valor Equity Partners and HSG (formerly Sequoia China). Interestingly, the investors were also the Formula 1 driver, Charles Leclerc and CEO McLaren Racing, Zak Brown. This shows how widely Sleep Tech technology attracts the attention of various industries.
The transaction increased the company’s valuation to about USD 500 million, when selling systems under the USD 500 million from the moment of launching.
Future technology or hype marketing?
The “under” from Eight Sleep uses an innovative approach to sleep optimization. The tubes filled with water in the mattress cover regulate the bed temperature in the range of 55 ° F to 110 ° F (13-43 ° C). Built -in sensors monitor heart rate, breath and heart rate variability.
The heart of the system is AI called autopilot, which in real time adjusts the sleep environment. This is a similar approach to how blockchain automates financial processes – here AI automates regeneration optimization.
Subscription model – a new era of monetization
Prices start from USD 2,500 for a mattress overlay and can exceed USD 4,000 for the entire system. In addition, users must pay USD 17-25 per month for “advanced functions”. This is another example of how technology companies introduce SaaS (Software As a Service) to physical products.
Celebrity involvement and the reality of users
Eight Sleep boasts an impressive list of users. Among the fans we will find Elon Musk, Marek Zuckerberg, Scarlett Johansson and Biohacker Bryan Johnson, who spends USD 2 million a year on fighting aging.
However, the reality of users does not always correspond to marketing promises. In social media, complaints about system failures, water leaks and communication problems appear. One of the users described the situation as “dystopian” when he woke up in a cold bed and could not adjust the temperature due to application failure.
And as a black box
As with many blockchain solutions, the AI Eight Sleep system was named by some users a “black box” that does not provide transparent data. This resembles numerous debates about the transparency of algorithms in cryptocurrencies and DEFs.
Medical plans and expansion
CEO Matteo Franceschetti, a former lawyer who founded the company in 2014 after his own sleep problems, plans to use new funds for the development of “Sleep Agent” – AI, who will carry out thousands of night simulations. The company also strives to obtain the Approval of FDA for medical applications, including the treatment of hot strokes in menopause and sleep apnea.
Bubble or rather the future?
Eight Sleep claims that their AI models have converted over a billion hours of dream data. With 100 million USD fresh capital, the company focuses on the fact that its combination of hardware and software will find a place on the market, regardless of the price.
This can be the beginning of a new era, where AI and IoT (Internet of Things) will connect, creating an ecosystem similar to that we observe in the DEFI world – a comprehensive, automated and requiring a permanent internet connection.
Is the mattress for 3000 USD with a subscription or marketing hype? Time will tell, but one thing is certain – the Silicon Valley does not cease to surprise us with the methods of moneting even the most basic human needs.
