Originally founded in 2007, Ecobee was the first smart thermostat available on the North American market. As it gained in popularity over time, Ecobee began beefing up its offering to include sensors and support for more complicated HVAC systems. It eventually even introduced a camera offering to complement its occupancy sensors. The company was eventually acquired by Generac, a very large American manufacturer of backup power generation products for residential, light commercial and industrial markets. Ecobee and Generac have since worked on integrating their product lines together.