Qualcomm to acquire Israeli auto-chip maker
Chip designer Qualcomm Inc said yesterday it would buy Israel’s Autotalks Ltd that makes chips used in technology aimed at preventing vehicle crashes, as the US firm looks to deepen its automotive business.
With increasing electric vehicles and automatic features in cars, the number of chips used by vehicle manufacturers is surging, making the automotive market a key growth area for chipmakers.
Autotalks makes dedicated chips used in the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications technology for manned and driverless vehicles to improve road safety.
“We have been investing in V2X research, development and deployment since 2017 and believe that as the automotive market matures, a stand-alone V2X safety architecture will be needed for enhanced road user safety, as well as smart transportation systems,” Qualcomm Technologies senior vice-president for automotive Nakul Duggal said.
Qualcomm had said last year that its automotive business “pipeline” had increased to $30bn (R550bn), up more than $10bn (R183bn) since an announcement in late July.
The company had credited the jump to its Snapdragon Digital Chassis product used by car makers and their suppliers.
The Snapdragon Digital Chassis can provide assisted and autonomous driving technology, as well as in-car infotainment and connectivity.
Qualcomm said yesterday it would incorporate Autotalks’ solutions into the Snapdragon Digital Chassis product portfolio, but did not elaborate on the financials of the deal.
The acquisition will be made through its Qualcomm Technologies unit. —