Qualcomm acquires Autotalks to enhance Snapdragon’s automotive safety technological know-how, reportedly for $350-400M

Qualcomm’s more time expression bet on the automotive sector as a valuable buyer base for its chips and associated communications technologies is acquiring a significant drive now: The organization announced that it is buying Autotalks, a fabless chipmaker out of Israel that builds semiconductor and process-on-a-chip engineering to help in automotive safety resources tell us Qualcomm is having to pay among $350 million and $400 million for the startup.

Autotalks’ tech is applied in sensors that aid cars (which can be bikes, vehicles or a further form of mobility) and their motorists detect street hazards such as oncoming automobiles in a driver’s blind spots it also communicates with other motor vehicles using compatible tech to make improvements to responsiveness. Qualcomm claimed the prepare will be to combine Autotalks’ V2X (auto-to-every little thing) interaction tech into its mobility-targeted Snapdragon Digital Chassis portfolio.

The economic terms of the acquisition are not remaining disclosed, but a source close to the offer tells us that it’s a $350-$400 million deal. We have contacted Qualcomm for a remark and will update as we find out a lot more.

Autotalks, established in 2009, has elevated $110 million, in accordance to facts from PitchBook. Its several backers incorporated a quantity of strategic investors these types of as Samsung, Hyundai and Toyota, as properly as economical backers like Gemini Israel and Magma Venture Associates.

Qualcomm has picked up some interesting momentum in its automotive small business to date, with buyers including VW, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Honda and Stellantis. In September past year it claimed a $30 billion “design-win pipeline” in automotive — whilst that is a extended-expression notion a lot more than a solid notion. In far more tough numbers, its QCT division (the core CDMA organization covering mobile and wireless chips and associated tech) saw automotive earnings of $975 million in FY21, and $1.3 billion in FY22.

It is not far too significantly of a shock to see Qualcomm scooping up a firm like Autotalks. In the planet of innovative automotive engineering, protection has turn into a person of the most crucial troubles, but also one of the most worthwhile alternatives, in the setting up of autonomous and driver-assisted units. As a principal aspect and answer most probable to be utilized by customers, it also gets a person that carmakers are most very likely to make investments in when planning newer car types, irrespective of bigger timelines for fully autonomous techniques. So beefing up Qualcomm’s capabilities and item vary in this location is a logical up coming move.

“We have been investing in V2X study, advancement and deployment since 2017 and believe that that as the automotive market matures, a standalone V2X protection architecture will be necessary for enhanced street person basic safety, as perfectly as good transportation devices,” claimed Nakul Duggal, senior vice president & GM, automotive, Qualcomm Systems, in a assertion. “We share Autotalks’ a long time-very long practical experience and commitment to create V2X systems and products and solutions with a target on solving real-planet highway person safety challenges. We appear ahead to working jointly to produce international V2X solutions that will assist accelerate time-to-industry and empower mass current market adoption of this incredibly significant protection technological know-how.”

“It has been our mission to revolutionize protection for the transportation and automotive business via our V2X solutions,” additional Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. “We are self-assured that by combining our expertise and know-how, we will not only produce sturdy V2X products and solutions that will improve transportation performance and safety for road consumers but will accelerate widespread adoption of V2X. We seem ahead to serving the vehicle industry collectively with Qualcomm and to deliver the very best technologies to marketplace.”