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Yes, but Homekit enabled boxes need to be licensed and apparently need a custom chip.

A look at the practicalities here: http://fortune.com/2015/06/09/ceo-apple-homekit-mess/

Or you implement a HomeKit bridge in software and use that to make non-HomeKit devices available in HomeKit, e.g. using https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge

I don't believe you need a custom chip, but HomeKit does require some advanced crypto that many low-end embedded devices probably can't support. See the dependency list for this open source Go implementation of the HomeKit Accessory Protocol: https://github.com/brutella/hc#dependencies

Edit: Missed this line in the original article:

The issue, according to Lombard, is that Apple HomeKit certification requires a co-processor to handle device authentication. That co-processor is where the device’s encryption key is stored and handles the computing associated with encryption.

Looks like (for security purposes) Apple wants a dedicated crypto co-processor. Probably a tamper-proof chip that stores a private key, similar in concept to Apple's Secure Enclave.

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