Qualcomm Acquires Chips Developer to Aid in Auto Safety

Qualcomm has agreed to acquire Israeli company Autotalks, a developer of chips used in crash protection technology.

The agreement would allow Qualcomm to incorporate Autotalks’ safety products into its Snapdragon Digital Chassis, which helps deliver assisted and autonomous driving.

Autotalks is a fabless developer of semiconductors and system-on-a-chip tech, based in the center of Israel, an area heavily focused on developing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) solutions since 2009.

V2X allows vehicles, either self-driven or operated by humans, to connect with other road users as well as elements in the immediate environment, such as traffic lights, to improve safety.

By incorporating the Autotalks’ tech into the Snapdragon portfolio, Qualcomm would have a potentially more robust product line for customers, which include Mercedes, the Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Stellantis and Afeela, the newly created brand from Honda and Sony.

“We have been investing in V2X research, development and deployment since 2017 and believe that as the automotive market matures, a standalone V2X safety architecture will be needed for enhanced road user safety, as well as smart transportation systems,” said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president and general manager of automotive at Qualcomm.

“We share Autotalks’ decades-long experience and commitment to build V2X technologies and products with a focus on solving real-world road user safety challenges,” he said.

Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks, added: “We are confident that by combining our knowledge and expertise, we will not only deliver strong V2X products that will enhance transportation efficiency and safety for road users but will accelerate widespread adoption of V2X.”

No details about the value of the deal were disclosed,

Qualcomm has become increasingly involved in the automotive sector as digitalization and automation continue to gather momentum, while Autotalks has attracted backing from Hyundai, Toyota and Samsung.

Qualcomm’s purchase of a company that can help enhance safety could be viewed as a strategic move, as consumers remain wary about the supposed benefits of automation. A survey published by the American Automobile Association earlier this year found that fear of fully self-driving vehicles was on the rise in the United States.