Amazon has announced that it is making Alexa, the Echo's cloud-based virtual assistant, open to third party developers and manufacturers. According to the Verge, developers can use the Amazon Voice Service (AVS) to build Alexa into new devices. The company is also releasing the Alexa Skills Kit, a collection of APIs and tools that will allow developers to create new features for the Echo and future Alexa devices.

Amazon has started a fund which aims US $100 million in investments to support startups and designers working on Alexa.

The company has invested in seven startups so far., such as Mojio, a connected car outfit that will use Alexa to allow drivers to ask how much gas they need before their next trip. Another, Scout Alarm, lets homeowners arm and disarm their home security system with only a vocal command.