# John Martin

> John Martin co-founded Level Home in 2016 with the idea that the best technology is invisible - literally. After a snowstorm stranded him and his family at Lake Tahoe without keys, he set out to reinvent the deadbolt from scratch. The result: Level Lock, a smart lock engineered to hide entirely inside the door, preserving home aesthetics while adding full smartphone control. Martin spent decades across Microsoft, Starbucks, Apple, and Nokia before building Level into a $171M-funded company that was ultimately acquired by ASSA ABLOY in 2024 - a hardware giant recognizing that the future of the lock is invisible.

- **Role:** President, Level Lock at ASSA ABLOY
- **Organizations:** Level Home Inc., ASSA ABLOY, Apple, Nokia, Microsoft, Starbucks, Loudeye, NASA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's Degree, San Francisco State University, Master's Degree, San Francisco State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Level Home, creator of the world's first invisible smart lock, Raised $171M total funding including a $100M+ Series C, Secured Walmart as a founding investor and distribution partner

## Career timeline

- **1987-1991** — Group Program Manager, Science Internet at NASA
- **1991-2002** — Product Unit Manager, Windows NT & Windows Media at Microsoft
- **2002-2003** — Senior Vice President of Product at Loudeye
- **2003-2005** — Vice President of Digital Music at Starbucks
- **2005-2008** — Vice President, Apps Division at Apple
- **2009-2012** — SVP, NSeries Devices at Nokia
- **2012-2015** — Founder & CTO at private startup
- **2016** — Co-founded Level Home Inc. with Ken Goto
- **2019** — Launched Level Lock; raised $71M from Walmart and Lennar
- **2021** — Raised $100M+ Series C led by Cox Communications; acquired Dwelo Inc.
- **2024** — Level Lock hardware business acquired by ASSA ABLOY; Martin continues leading Level Lock

## Achievements

- Co-founded Level Home, creator of the world's first invisible smart lock
- Raised $171M total funding including a $100M+ Series C
- Secured Walmart as a founding investor and distribution partner
- Led acquisition of Dwelo Inc. to expand into multifamily smart apartment market
- Built team largely from Apple, Google, and Microsoft alumni
- Grew Level Home to approximately 190 employees
- Led the company to acquisition by ASSA ABLOY in 2024
- Level Lock selected for Apple Home Key compatibility and Matter protocol support

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — ASSA ABLOY acquired Level Lock's hardware business, IP, and brand. John Martin continues leading the Level Lock business as President under ASSA ABLOY. The multifamily SaaS platform was spun out as Ambient Property Technologies.
- **2024-11** — Level Lock+ updated with Matter over Thread support, available as free firmware upgrade for existing users.
- **2021-11** — Level Home closed $100M+ Series C led by Cox Communications and simultaneously acquired Dwelo Inc., expanding into the multifamily smart apartment segment.

## Links

- Website: https://level.co
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarticali

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-martin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-26