Greatest Generation Company Sues iPod Generation Startup Nest

Nest Labs has gotten rave reviews for its sleek, smart thermostat. But Honeywell claims the Silicon Valley company infringed its patents.

Image: Nest Labs.

The maker of thermostats for the greatest generation is suing the “maker of thermostats for the iPod generation.”

Corporate giant Honeywell alleges Palo Alto, California-based Nest Labs Inc., founded by iPod designer Tony Fadell and former iPhone software manager Matt Rogers, infringed on patents related to smart energy use technology.

Nest, funded by such Silicon Valley stalwarts as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Google Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, has gotten rave reviews for its $250, sleekly designed thermostat—which includes the ability to control temperature from a mobile device.

But Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, claims in its suit that it came up with some of the technology used by Nest first.

Honeywell is also suing Best Buy, which sells Nest thermostats.

In response to Portfolio.com's request for comment, Kate Brinks, director of corporate communications for Nest, issued the following statement: “We have not yet reviewed the actual filing, which we learned about this morning through Honeywell’s press release. We will provide comment once we’ve had the opportunity to review it.”