Qualcomm Acquires Autotalks to Boost Growth in Automotive Industry

Qualcomm has announced the acquisition of Autotalks, an Israeli fabless chipmaker that develops semiconductor and system-on-a-chip technology to aid in automotive safety; according to TechCrunch Qualcomm is paying between $350 million and $400 million for the startup.

This acquisition is a significant boost to Qualcomm’s long-term bet on the automotive sector as a profitable consumer market for its chips and related communications technology.

Autotalks’ technology is integrated into sensors that alert drivers to potential dangers on the road, such incoming traffic in a driver’s blind area, and it can also communicate with other vehicles equipped with comparable technology to enhance response times.

As part of its Snapdragon Digital Chassis portfolio, which is focused on mobility, Qualcomm plans to include Autotalks’ V2X communication technology. The acquisition’s price tag is being kept secret, although it is said that it’s in the range of $350-$400 million.

To date, Qualcomm’s automotive division has shown encouraging growth, with notable clients including Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Honda, and Stellantis. Regardless of longer time frames for completely autonomous systems, being a main feature and solution most likely to be utilized by consumers, it also becomes one that automakers are most likely to invest in when creating newer vehicle models.

Qualcomm’s acquisition of Autotalks does not come as much of a surprise. One of the most pressing concerns in the development of autonomous and driver-assisted systems is, paradoxically, the pursuit of absolute safety.