Level Smart Lock Future Uncertain After Assa Abloy Restructuring

The future of smart lock company Level has come into question following reports that parent company Assa Abloy has carried out widespread layoffs and integrated the brand into its Kwikset business. The reported restructuring has fueled uncertainty over the direction of one of the smart home industry’s best-known lock manufacturers.

According to a report by The Verge, the changes led to the departure of Level co-founders, CEO John Martin and CTO Ken Goto, along with most of the engineering team responsible for developing the company’s signature smart lock products. The publication said it obtained audio from an internal meeting in which employees were informed that their positions had been eliminated immediately as part of “a larger restructuring of the Level business.” A former employee also confirmed the layoffs publicly on LinkedIn.

Sweden-based Assa Abloy acquired Level in 2024, adding the company to a portfolio that already included smart lock brands Kwikset and Yale. The Verge reported that most of Level’s assets are now being transferred to Kwikset, with only a small team remaining to complete an upcoming product designed for multi-family lock management.

The reported changes have raised concerns about the long-term support available for Level’s large customer base, particularly because many of the brand’s premium features depend on cloud services. Functions such as the companion mobile app, auto-unlock capability, and door status detection all rely on Level’s cloud platform.

Despite the restructuring, Assa Abloy said the brand will continue operating. “It continues to operate as a business within Assa Abloy, and we will continue to develop and sell the Level Lock platform and hardware,” Rebecca Samuel, the company’s director of communications and branding, told The Verge.

Level built its reputation by taking a different approach to smart lock design, concealing most of its technology inside a traditional-looking deadbolt rather than using bulky external hardware. That minimalist design helped distinguish the brand in the competitive smart home market, with many of its products receiving strong reviews over the years. While Assa Abloy has pledged continued support, the restructuring has prompted questions about the future direction of the Level brand.