Hilo
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Hilo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hilo
- Legal name
- Services Hilo Inc.
- Website
- https://hiloenergie.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hilo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Home Energy Management
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Demand Response, Load Flexibility & Smart Thermostat Aggregation (EUADAPAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential Demand Response (Smart Thermostats, HVAC, Water Heating, Home Batteries) (EUAFAGAA), Smart Thermostat Installation & Integration (HSAOANAA), Smart Electrical Panel, Energy Monitoring & Load Management (HSAOANAE)
Keywords
Where Hilo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hilo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Demand Response Grid Services: Hilo, as a Hydro-Québec subsidiary, generates value by reducing winter electricity demand on the Quebec grid during peak events. Revenue is indirect — Hilo's demand response program enables Hydro-Québec to avoid costly grid infrastructure investments and energy imports. Hydro-Québec distributes rewards (CAD $0.55 per kWh saved during accepted events; $0.40 per device per event for fallback calculations) to participants. Hilo products are subsidized through credit balances and financial assistance, reducing or eliminating upfront customer costs.
- Hardware Sales: Hilo sells smart thermostats (for baseboard, convector, radiant floor, central heating), water heater controllers, EV charging stations, smart plugs, wall switches, dimmers, and smart bulbs. Hardware is partially or fully subsidized via credit balances tied to the 12-month Rate Flex D commitment. Customers who cancel early may owe repayment of subsidies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Smart Solution for Heating — subsidized with 12-month Rate Flex D commitment |
| Subscription | Annual | Smart Solution for Water Heater — subsidized with 12-month commitment |
| Subscription | Annual | Smart Solution for EV Charging — subsidized with 12-month commitment |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Referral / Invite a Friend program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Hilo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hilo is a smart home energy management service that automates connected devices — including smart thermostats, electric water heater controllers, and EV chargers — to reduce household electricity consumption during Hydro-Québec's winter peak demand events. The platform is anchored by the Hilo Smart Home Hub (Passerelle) and a mobile application (iOS/Android) that integrates with Hydro-Québec's Flex D dynamic pricing rate and communicating meter infrastructure, with professional installation included and device compatibility extending to Honeywell Home, Mysa, Sinopé, and EVduty products.
Product overview
Hilo is a smart home energy management service by Hydro-Québec that operates as a unified platform centered on its Smart Home Hub (Passerelle). The core offering includes Hilo-branded smart thermostats for baseboard/convector heating and radiant floor systems, a smart water heater controller, and EV charging management. The ecosystem extends through complementary add-on products (smart switches, bulbs, dimmers, outlets, smoke detectors, weather stations) and integrates third-party compatible devices from Honeywell Home, Mysa, and Sinopé brands. The service works in tandem with Hydro-Québec's Flex D dynamic pricing rate to automatically reduce energy consumption during winter peak demand events, rewarding customers with bill credits. Participation modes (Moderate, Audacious, Extreme) allow users to customize their comfort- savings balance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hilo Smart Home Hub (Passerelle Hilo)
Quantifiable outcome
- Average savings of $155 per winter (based on actual customer data, 2022–2025, 100 hours/25 peak events)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Hilo
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hilo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature5 records
Hilo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Honeywell HomecoreHilo expanded its ecosystem to include select Honeywell Home smart thermostats (T-Series and TCC Series) compatible with the Hilo platform. Existing Hilo customers can add compatible Honeywell Home devices, and new customers with existing Honeywell thermostats can enroll in Hilo. Honeywell Home device owners receive rebates/incentives for connecting their devices to Hilo.
- SinopécoreSinopé, a Quebec-based smart home device manufacturer, offers thermostats and Calypso water heater controllers compatible with Hilo. Sinopé devices can be connected to the Hilo hub and participate in peak demand events. Sinopé was previously subsidized by Hydro-Québec during pilot projects (2022–2024 winters).
- QuebecorminorHilo and Quebecor formed a partnership to offer Quebecor subsidiary employees a special discount on Hilo's smart home service. The goal is to promote sustainable energy practices and good energy consumption habits among Quebecers by leveraging Quebecor's employee base as a GTM channel.
- City of VarennesminorThe City of Varennes partnered with Hilo for a pilot project studying the reduction of street lighting output during winter peak power demand events. Varennes became the first municipality to participate in Hilo peak demand events, contributing to grid stability through its municipal infrastructure.
- MysacoreMysa, a Canadian smart thermostat manufacturer, integrated its thermostats into the Hilo ecosystem. Mysa thermostats connect to the Hilo hub and participate in Hilo peak demand events, enabling customers to earn rewards without purchasing Hilo-brand thermostats.
- Quartier Metta (Sainte-Dorothée, Laval)minorQuartier Metta, an innovative residential project in the Sainte-Dorothée sector of Laval, partnered with Hilo to pre-install Hilo smart home devices during construction. Homebuyers gain immediate access to Hilo's energy management and demand response capabilities from move-in, creating a connected, energy-optimized community.
- SMB Dallaire (Greater Québec City area)minorSMB Dallaire, a real estate developer with multiple projects in the greater Québec City area, partnered with Hilo to integrate Hilo smart home solutions into new residential construction, enabling energy optimization for buyers from day one and supporting Quebec's energy transition goals.
- TELUSminorTELUS partnered with Hilo to promote smart home and energy efficiency services to TELUS customers, positioning Hilo as part of a connected home ecosystem offering alongside TELUS's telecommunications services.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hilo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Span.IO: Smart electrical panel company enabling home energy management and load control. Comparable in addressing residential load management at the electrical system level, with partial overlap on Hilo's load-monitoring and management capabilities.
- Enode: Energy device API platform enabling smart home and EV manufacturers to expose devices to energy programs and utilities. Emerging player focused on the interoperability layer between devices and DR programs that Hilo also addresses.
Broad incumbents
- Generac Grid Services: Generac's utility-scale virtual power plant and residential DR platform built on its ecobee acquisition. Comparable in aggregating residential devices for utility grid services, with broader geographic reach and a publicly-traded parent.
- ecobee: Major smart thermostat brand (owned by Generac) widely deployed across North America. Broad incumbent in the smart thermostat category that Hilo integrates (via Honeywell/Mysa/Sinopé), and a potential competitor for residential demand response programs in deregulated markets.
Direct peers
- Uplight: Energy management platform serving utilities with customer engagement, demand response, and DER orchestration. Operates a similar utility-subsidiary-adjacent model, providing DR infrastructure for residential utility customers comparable to Hilo's role at Hydro-Québec.
- OhmConnect: US-based residential demand response platform that pays consumers to reduce electricity usage during grid stress events. Direct peer in residential DR business model, though operating in deregulated US markets rather than as a utility subsidiary.
- EnergyHub: Utility-facing demand response management platform enabling utilities to aggregate residential smart devices (thermostats, water heaters, EVs) for grid services. Comparable in providing the underlying DR orchestration layer that Hilo delivers for Hydro-Québec.
- AutoGrid: AI-driven distributed energy resources management platform serving utilities with demand response, flexibility, and VPP capabilities. Direct peer in providing the orchestration software layer for residential and commercial DR programs.
Regional players
- Mysa: Canadian smart thermostat manufacturer specializing in line-voltage heating control, with strong presence in the Canadian market. Both a Hilo ecosystem partner (integrated into Hilo's DR platform) and a regional competitor for high-voltage thermostat installations.
- Sinopé Technologies: Quebec-based smart home device manufacturer offering thermostats and water heater controllers. Both a Hilo-compatible device partner and a regional competitor in Quebec's smart home energy management market, with deep Hydro-Québec relationship history.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hilo social profiles
Digital presenceHilo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Hilo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hilo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hilo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hilo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hilo
What does Hilo do?
Hilo is a smart home energy management service that automates connected devices — including smart thermostats, electric water heater controllers, and EV chargers — to reduce household electricity consumption during Hydro-Québec's winter peak demand events. The platform is anchored by the Hilo Smart Home Hub (Passerelle) and a mobile application (iOS/Android) that integrates with Hydro-Québec's Flex D dynamic pricing rate and communicating meter infrastructure, with professional installation included and device compatibility extending to Honeywell Home, Mysa, Sinopé, and EVduty products.
Is Hilo a public or private company?
Hilo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hilo founded?
Hilo was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Hilo based?
Hilo is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Hilo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Demand Response Grid Services are the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales.
Who are Hilo's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Span.IO and Enode. Broad incumbents are Generac Grid Services and ecobee. Direct peers are Uplight, OhmConnect, EnergyHub and AutoGrid. Regional players are Mysa and Sinopé Technologies.
Does Hilo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hilo.
What industry is Hilo in?
Hilo's product category is Smart Home Energy Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADAPAM, Demand Response, Load Flexibility & Smart Thermostat Aggregation, with a secondary code of EUAFAGAA, Residential Demand Response (Smart Thermostats, HVAC, Water Heating, Home Batteries). Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3822.