The Nuki success story

About us » The Nuki story

November 2013
Martin Pansy comes home from work and realises that he has once again forgotten his keys at the office. His brother Jürgen, a successful cyclist, is annoyed by the unwieldy key ring which he needs to carry along with him in his jersey.

The two brothers, serial entrepreneurs and experts in digital and mobile solutions, start researching, asking themselves: How can we use our smartphone as a key to open existing doors?
September 2014
After discovering that there are no innovative solutions for electronic door locks available on the market yet, Jürgen and Martin take matters into their own hands. They start searching for a partner, ideally a renowned manufacturer in the key industry with hardware expertise in the area of door locks and key cylinders.

Their search turns out to be harder than they expected, a lot of companies turn them down:
“It’s impossible!”
“You can’t sell door locks online!”
“You guys have no idea how complex door locks are.”
October 2014
At the time, nobody believed in the two brothers’ vision of creating smart access solutions and replacing the physical key in the process. However, the founding team is convinced of the enormous potential of Smart Home solutions and decides to officially found a company headquartered in Graz, Austria.
May 2015
To quickly realise their smart door lock revolution, Martin and Jürgen dedicate great effort and passion to their digital business, together with a team of eight experts in the areas of development, marketing, and products. Their vision of keyless access is infectious, and they manage to find competent comrades-in-arms in no time.

Only a few months later, the entrepreneurs use the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform to launch a highly successful campaign in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland – back then, however, using the name Noki (“no key”).
June 2015
The founders want to receive honest feedback on their idea. The crowdfunding platform offers the perfect solution: “Tell people about your product and see if they’re willing to pay for it.”

Within just a few hours, countless Kickstarter supporters have helped the company reach their original funding goal of € 125,000. The fact that their vision not only motivates their own employees, but also potential customers, convinces Martin and Jürgen to follow through on their idea. After 45 days, the project has raised around € 385,000, three times the original goal. This secures the capital required to produce the first line of products.
July 2015
Market demand is there, and the timing is just right as well. The spectacular positive response and great interest overwhelms and surprises the Noki team.

However, the increasing public attention and popularity of the product also prompts a public statement by Nokia because of the similarity of the product names. The small start-up company was unwilling to engage in a trademark battle before court with a big player like Nokia, and so the founders decided to change the name of the company: Noki is now Nuki (“new key”).
April 2016
The first steps into world of hardware pose a challenge for Nuki. The company quickly needs to add new skills from various fields to their team. Additionally, the first batch of production requires prefinancing after the highly successful crowdfunding campaign.

That is why the company decides to complete a first external financing round of more than € 2 million.
November 2016
The day has finally come:
“The Official Nuki Market Launch”


After a waiting period, a sufficient number of Nukis are now in stock and can be shipped to the countless supporters of the Kickstarter project. Just in time for the upcoming Christmas shopping season, Nuki is also added to the product range at Media Markt and Saturn.
January 2017
Nuki goes international
To quickly become the European market leader, the company launches its product on various European markets in 2017. The Nuki team continuously expands to serve these markets as best as possible. Motivated employees with language and professional skills in areas such as marketing, sales, logistics, and support are particularly in demand.

  • March 2017: Nuki products are available on Amazon
  • April 2017: Nuki launches in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg
  • May 2017: Vive la France! Nuki launches in France
  • September 2017: Launch of the Nuki Box – a retrofit solution for apartment buildings – IFA, Berlin
  • October 2017: In addition to Europrofile cylinders, Nuki is now also available for round profile cylinders in Switzerland
  • November 2017: Nuki launches in Italy and Spain
February 2018
Several products, such as the Smart Lock, Bridge, and Fob, have already been available on the market for 1.5 years: Enough time to start learning from customer feedback and make improvements. The company starts by improving the Nuki Fob – faster, stronger, and better than its predecessor.
February 2018
Nuki + Allegion
The great performance, innovative product portfolio, and considerable growth of the Graz-based company also catch the attention of Allegion– the global market leader in access security solutions. This results in a strategic investment. Following a capital increase, Allegion acquires a minority share in Nuki to help push European market penetration.
April 2018
From the very beginning, security has been paramount for Nuki. This is now also reflected in the brand claim: smart – simple – secure.

This claim is now also confirmed by the AV-Test seal, awarded by a renowned, independent testing institute. The Nuki Smart Lock is certified as a “safe Smart Home product”.
April 2018
Cooperation with Airbnb
With Airbnb, the booking platform for holiday properties, another renowned company shows interest in Nuki. Shortly thereafter, Nuki announces a cooperation with Airbnb: Nuki is integrated into the automated Airbnb booking system, which makes the daily lives of hosts so much easier.
September 2018
The latest addition to the product range, the Nuki Keypad, is introduced to the press and visitors at the IFA 2018. The newest member of the product family is met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Another important milestone on Nuki’s path towards becoming the European market leader…
November 2018
Now the core product also receives an upgrade – the 2nd generation of the Smart Lock is announced to the public together with a new brand name and claim: Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 – One Smart Lock for all.
April 2019
Many exciting highlights are in store for Nuki in 2019:

Step into the world of smart living.
With the Nuki Vision, which revolves around smart entry systems, “smart living” doesn’t just start when you step in the apartment. We’re focusing on a keyless lifestyle and getting ready to introduce another new product soon.
May 2019
AV-TEST again confirms the security of the Nuki Smart Lock.

As in April 2018 AV-Test certifies again the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 and the latest version of the app as safe Smart Home products. Test results
September 2019
The secret will be revealed
at the IFA 2019 in Berlin:
We are presenting the Nuki Opener to the public.

Smarten up your intercom.
With the Nuki Opener – the retrofit solution for existing intercoms –, residents in apartment buildings can now also benefit from completely keyless access from the road to their living room.
January 2020
Nuki wins IoT Breakthrough Award

The IoT Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honouring excellence in Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, services, companies and products. At the 4th IoT Breakthrough Awards, Nuki Home Solutions was named “IoT Emerging Company of the Year”, in the category consumer market.
April 2020
Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 receives Red Dot Design Award

The “Red Dot” prize is awarded to high-quality designs. The international jury only awards this coveted seal of quality to products with outstanding designs, features and ergonomics. Therefor we are very happy that the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 is awarded with the famous Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020 , which we developed together with our design partner EOOS.
May 2020
ClimatePartner confirms Nuki as a climate neutral company

Since the very beginning of Nuki, sustainability has been one of our defined values. ClimatePartner confirms that Nuki works climate neutral now. We have achieved this goal through numerous climate-friendly measures taken within the company and through the financial compensation of unavoidable emissions. Together with ClimatePartner we support a climate protection project in Nanyang Danjiang, China.
May 2020
AV-TEST certifies the Nuki Combo 2.0 again as a safe Smart Home product

The Nuki Combo 2.0 and the Nuki app undergo quality assurance testing by the independent German research institute for IT security for the third year in a row. Just like in 2018 and 2019, we successfully completed the test process and are once again awarded the “Secure Smart Home Product” certificate.
September 2020
The Nuki Club is live!

With our free Nuki Club, we offer all owners and users of a Nuki Smart Lock or Opener a number of extra services and benefits. Regardless of where you bought your Nuki product, as a Club member, you can take part in exclusive pre-sales, receive special offers from exciting Smart Home brands and much more.
September 2020
Nuki Product Update 2020

In this special year, we are organising a digital information event for the first time and have three great announcements to make: We are proud to introduce the Nuki Power Pack, our new installation service and the limited white edition of the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0.
Nuki Smart Locks deemed climate-neutral by ClimatePartner
February 2021
Nuki Smart Locks deemed climate-neutral by ClimatePartner

In line with our Nuki values, we continue to focus on sustainability and climate protection. After the Nuki company site in Graz became climate-neutral last year, we are now dedicating ourselves to the next important step: From now on, the production of our Smart Locks is also climate neutral. Together with ClimatePartner, we continue to support an internationally recognised climate protection project in China.
Nuki präsentiert die Smart Door
June 2021
Nuki unveils the Smart Door

As of autumn 2021, the tried-and-tested smart technology from Nuki will be available as a set for direct installation into a motorised door. For this solution, Nuki has combined its technology with the fully motorised KFV GENIUS multi-point locking system from the SIEGENIA GROUP.
Nuki schließt Finanzierungsrunde über 20 Millionen Euro ab
August 2021
Nuki completes round of funding of over 20 million euros

Cipio Partners invests in the Graz-based company Nuki Home Solutions GmbH.

The capital will be used to expand the company’s market leadership in Europe. In order to meet its ambitious goals, Nuki aims to more than double its almost 100-strong team in the coming years. At the company’s headquarters in Graz alone, a sum of over 10 million euros is set to be invested in the development of new products and technologies.
Nuki startet in die dritte Generation
November 2021
Nuki is entering its third generation

The Nuki Smart Lock is now available in 2 versions : Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 and Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 Pro. A true upgrade, as the Smart Lock 3.0 Pro can now be controlled remotely without a Bridge.

The built-in remote access via Wi-Fi is not the only feature – the supplied Nuki Power Pack and 2 new colour variations bring smart comfort to your home. On top of that, we are introducing the new Nuki Door Sensor and our product range in white.
Smarter Zutritt neu gedacht.
November 2022
A new approach to smart access. Nuki presents the Keypad 2.0: It’s the second generation of Nuki’s popular Keypad. In response to numerous requests from Nuki customers, it has been equipped with an additional fingerprint sensor. It’s the ideal solution for anyone wanting to unlock their door via fingerprint or numeric code: up to 20 fingerprints and 200 codes possible. The Keypad 2.0 is a new approach to smart access: Unlocking your door has never been so quick and convenient.
Nuki startet in die dritte Generation
November 2023
Pioneering spirit from Austria. Nuki presents: The new fourth-generation Smart Lock and Smart Lock Pro – the world’s first electronic lock with native support for the new smart home standard Matter. On the outside, Nuki retains its iconic design and comes in black and white. On the inside, everything has changed: Together, Nuki’s electronics and software enable Matter to be integrated easily into smart home environments. What’s also new is the extended average battery life of up to six months, which translates to an improvement in runtime of approximately 30 percent. And Nuki has come up with another innovation: the Keypad 2 Pro with a high-quality stainless steel front and the option for seamless installation in your wall or on the door.
Outlook:
We are a young and motivated team that loves digital challenges. Over the past years, we’ve experienced many great highs as well as some minor setbacks. These experiences have only strengthened our belief in our vision of a completely keyless future. Today we are Europe’s leading provider of smart, retrofittable access solutions. Our long-term goal is to become a global player – but with a lasting strong foundation in Europe.

We cannot thank our Nuki community and partners enough for their outstanding support: without them, we never would have gotten to where we are now. We believe that every door in Europe should become smart. Great things still lie ahead!

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