Amazon's Alexa Fund leads 35 million investment in smart thermostat maker Ecobee

Smart thermostat maker Ecobee announced that it's raised 35 million in funding from Amazon's Alexa Fund, Thomvest, and Relay Ventures. This is largest single Alexa Fund investment to date, Amazon said in a statement. Ecobee said it plans to use the latest cash injection to develop more connected home technologies "that make people's lives simpler and better". Like other smart thermostats, Ecobee's Wi-Fi connected device is designed to help users conserve energy and save money on their utility bills. The device was the first Wi-Fi thermostat to be directly compatible with Amazon Echo through the Alexa Smart Home Skill API, which allows Echo users to control room temperature with their voice.