More cash for smart homes: Snupi gets $7.5M for its moisture detection sensor system

Startups are still trying to make it easier — and cheaper — to fill your house with sensors and connected gadgets.

One of these startups is Snupi, whose WallyHome system tells users when it detects water leaks in their homes. Millions of people have to deal with water damage each year, and Snupi thinks it can make some big cash preventing that damage from happening in the first place.

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The company’s investors seem to agree and have given Snupi $7.5 million to help bring the WallyHome, Snupi’s first product, to market by March.

The $299 WallyHome system consists of seven devices — six sensors and a hub for them to talk to — which owners place in at-risk places around the home. The system, coupled with its smartphone app or website, will then monitor the areas for moisture and let owners know when something’s going wrong.

Think of it as something like the Nest Protect — only for water damage instead of smoke and carbon monoxide.

Snupi’s round was led by Washington Research Foundation Capital, and joined by Madrona Venture Group, and some individual investors. The Seattle-based company (whose name stands for “Sensor Network Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure”) was founded by professors from the University of Washington and serial tech entrepreneur Jeremy Jaech.