A Year of Remarkable Growth
What started as a hobby project in a Versailles, Kentucky basement in September 2023 has become something we never imagined possible. Apollo Automation's 2025 was a year of incredible growth, milestone achievements, and unforgettable moments, all made possible by the amazing Home Assistant, ESPHome, and smart home communities who believed in our vision of privacy-first, locally-controlled devices.
As we close out 2025, we want to share our journey with you and celebrate everything we accomplished together this year.
Product Innovation: New Launches
Expanding Our Smart Home Sensor Lineup
2025 saw Apollo Automation launch new products, each designed with community feedback and built to the highest standards:
M-1 LED Matrix - Our 4096-pixel HUB75 display with built-in WLED-MM controller brought programmable visual notifications and ambient lighting to smart homes. The community's creative implementations exceeded our wildest expectations.
PUMP-1 Fluid Pump - A food-safe smart pump controller with dual ultrasonic sensors for automated plant watering, aquarium management, and countless other applications.
PLT-1/PLT-1B Plant Sensor - Bringing smart plant care to Home Assistant with capacitive soil moisture monitoring, environmental sensors, and optional battery operation.
BTN-1 Macro Deck - A modular macro controller with hot-swappable mechanical switches, perfect for smart home control, streaming, and custom IoT projects.
R PRO-1 PoE mmWave Multisensor - Our first true 802.3af PoE device combining dual mmWave radar modules with environmental sensors for professional installations.
H-2 Holiday Ornament - Our charitable initiative where 100% of profits support CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation. Together, we've raised close to $3,000 for these important causes.
Every product earned outstanding reviews and consistently ranks among the top in its category on SmartHomeScene and throughout the Home Assistant community.
Official Certifications and Partnerships
Made For ESPHome and Works With Home Assistant
2025 marked a major milestone: Apollo Automation became the first company to bring ESPHome-based devices into the Works With Home Assistant certification program. We joined both the Made For ESPHome program (covering all our sensors) and Works With Home Assistant program (with most devices now certified).
These certifications validate our commitment to:
- Seamless Home Assistant integration
- Local API support and control
- Reliable performance and quality
- Open-source firmware and hardware
- Active community support
Open Home Foundation Commercial Partnership
In December 2025, we announced our partnership as the Open Home Foundation's second commercial partner (joining Nabu Casa). This represents a full-circle moment for Apollo Automation.
As a commercial partner, we'll:
- Build the first official ESPHome-branded hardware
- Contribute a majority of profits from ESPHome products to the foundation
- Support continued development of open-source smart home technology
- Continue manufacturing all Apollo-branded products in Kentucky
This partnership wouldn't be possible without the community's support for privacy-first, locally-controlled devices.
Ecosystem Expansion: Beyond Home Assistant
Multi-Platform Integration
While Home Assistant remains our primary platform, 2025 saw Apollo devices integrate with multiple smart home ecosystems:
Hubitat - Thanks to community developer kkossev, Apollo sensors now work seamlessly with Hubitat hubs.
Homey - Working with developer Lex, we brought Apollo automation to the Homey platform.
HomeSeer - Expanded compatibility for HomeSeer users seeking local control.
OpenHab - Community-driven integration for OpenHab smart home systems.
Our commitment to open standards and local control means Apollo devices work across platforms without requiring cloud services or subscriptions.
Team Growth and Facility Expansion
From Basement to Professional Workshop
One of our proudest achievements in 2025 was leaving Trevor's basement and establishing a proper manufacturing facility in Versailles, Kentucky. Our team grew from two co-founders to:
Team members:
- Trevor
- Justin
- Kyle
- Brandon
- Holly
- Caleb
Every Apollo device is designed, engineered, and assembled in-house at our Kentucky facility, supporting local manufacturing jobs and keeping high-tech innovation in Central Appalachia.
Global Reach: Shipped to Every Continent
International Expansion
2025 marked Apollo Automation's global expansion. We shipped sensors to every continent, bringing privacy-first smart home technology to users worldwide.
Our international presence proves that demand for local control and privacy-first devices transcends borders.
Trade Show Presence: CES and IFA Berlin
Representing Kentucky on the World Stage
Thanks to the Kentucky STEP grant program, Apollo Automation attended two major international trade shows in 2025:
CES 2025 (Las Vegas) - Our first Consumer Electronics Show, where we connected with industry leaders, potential partners, and the Home Assistant community.
IFA Berlin 2025 - As a certified partner with both Home Assistant and Homey, we exhibited at one of Europe's largest consumer electronics shows, making valuable international connections and showcasing Kentucky manufacturing to a global audience.
Both shows opened doors for partnerships worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and demonstrated that small Kentucky manufacturers can compete on the world stage.
Business Development and Support
Awesome Inc Fellowship Program
We completed the Awesome Inc fellowship program, receiving invaluable mentorship and business development support. This program helped us:
- Refine our business strategy
- Improve operational efficiency
- Connect with Kentucky's entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Access resources for scaling manufacturing
The fellowship reinforced our commitment to building a sustainable, values-driven company that creates meaningful jobs in Central Kentucky.
Community Engagement
Our monthly Apollo Live Streams on YouTube and Discord became a cornerstone of community engagement, featuring:
- Product updates and behind-the-scenes development
- Community project showcases
- Q&A sessions with Trevor and Justin
- Giveaways and special announcements
These streams embody our commitment to transparency and direct community connection.
Real-World Impact
Applications Beyond Consumer Smart Homes
Apollo sensors found applications in diverse industries throughout 2025:
Industrial monitoring:
- Air quality monitoring
- Data center temperature and environmental monitoring
- Manufacturing facility automation
Healthcare research:
- Clinical research projects utilizing Apollo environmental sensors
- Air quality studies in medical facilities
Commercial applications:
- Building automation systems
- Energy monitoring projects
- Custom sensor development for specialized industries
These applications validate our engineering approach and demonstrate that Kentucky-made sensors can serve professional and industrial markets.
Open Source Commitment
Hardware and Firmware
Apollo Automation remained committed to open-source principles throughout 2025:
- All firmware available on GitHub at github.com/ApolloAutomation
- CAD files and hardware designs shared with the community
- Comprehensive wiki documentation at wiki.apolloautomation.com
- Active Discord community for support and collaboration
Our open-source approach enables:
- Custom firmware modifications
- Community-driven improvements
- Educational resources for makers
- Transparency in our design decisions
Privacy-First Manufacturing
Local Control, No Cloud Dependencies
Every Apollo device manufactured in 2025 maintained our core principles:
- 100% local control - No cloud services required
- No subscriptions - Buy once, own forever
- No data collection - Your data stays in YOUR home
- Open-source firmware - Complete transparency and customization
In a year marked by smart home privacy scandals (smart toilet cameras, garage door encryption schemes, vacuum manufacturers' cloud shutdowns), Apollo's commitment to local control resonated stronger than ever.
Looking Forward to 2026
What's Next for Apollo Automation
As we enter 2026, we're excited about:
Product development:
- First official ESPHome-branded hardware as Open Home Foundation partners
- Continued Apollo product line innovation
- Expanded protocol support (Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave Long Range)
- New sensor categories based on community feedback
Trade shows and events:
- CES 2026 in Las Vegas (January)
- IFA Berlin 2026 return
- Home Assistant meetups and community events
Manufacturing expansion:
- Scaling Kentucky production capacity
- Exploring EU assembly operations
- Improving fulfillment efficiency and speed
Community growth:
- Expanding international distribution
- More frequent product launches
- Enhanced documentation and educational resources
- Deeper open-source collaboration
Thank You to Our Community
This Journey Belongs to All of Us
None of 2025's achievements would be possible without the incredible Home Assistant, ESPHome, and smart home communities. You chose privacy-first devices over cloud-dependent alternatives. You provided feedback that shaped our products. You shared your amazing projects and integrations. You believed in two guys from Kentucky trying to build something meaningful.
Thank you to:
- Every customer who chose Apollo sensors for their smart home
- Community developers who created integrations and improvements
- Open-source contributors who enhanced our firmware
- Content creators who reviewed our products
- Forum members who helped other users
- Everyone who participated in our monthly livestreams
- The Open Home Foundation for trusting us as partners
Supporting Charitable Causes
Through the H-2 Holiday Ornament, our community raised $4,000 for CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation so far. This demonstrates that business success and charitable giving can work hand in hand.
Apollo Automation Products
Browse our complete line of Works With Home Assistant certified devices:
- AIR-1 Air Quality Monitor - Comprehensive environmental monitoring
- MSR-2 Presence Sensor - Ultra-compact mmWave detection
- MTR-1 Multi-Target Radar - Track multiple targets across zones
- TEMP-1 Temperature Sensor - Versatile monitoring with multiple probes
- M-1 LED Matrix - Programmable 4096-pixel display
- BTN-1 Macro Deck - Modular control interface
- PLT-1 Plant Sensor - Smart plant care monitoring
- PUMP-1 Fluid Pump - Automated liquid management
- R PRO-1 PoE Multisensor - Professional presence detection
- DEV-1 and DEV-2 - ESP32 development boards
All devices feature local control, no subscriptions, and complete ESPHome/Home Assistant integration.
Join the Apollo Community
Stay connected:
- Discord: dsc.gg/apolloautomation
- YouTube: @ApolloAutomation
- GitHub: github.com/ApolloAutomation
- Wiki: wiki.apolloautomation.com
Here's to 2026
From everyone at Apollo Automation, thank you for an incredible 2025. We're honored to serve this community and excited about everything we'll build together in 2026.
Here's to another year of privacy-first smart home technology, Kentucky manufacturing, open-source innovation, and meaningful community connections.
Happy holidays and here's to an amazing 2026!
The Apollo Team Versailles, Kentucky
Apollo Automation designs, engineers, and manufactures privacy-first smart home sensors in Versailles, Kentucky. All products feature 100% local control with no cloud dependencies or subscriptions. Learn more at apolloautomation.com.
Tags: Apollo Automation 2025, year in review, Works With Home Assistant, Made For ESPHome, Open Home Foundation, Kentucky manufacturing, smart home sensors, privacy-first IoT, ESPHome devices, Home Assistant certified, local control smart home, 2025 review, smart home year in review
