PE-backed Freescale Semiconductor acquires CogniVue

Freescale Semiconductor Inc (NYSE: FSL) has purchased CogniVue Corp, an Ottawa-based developer of image cognition IP for automotive and consumer applications. No financial terms were disclosed. Freescale, a designer of embedded semiconductors, said the acquisition will solidify its position in the autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems market. U.S.-based Freescale was taken private in 2006. It remains a portfolio company of Blackstone Group, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Carlyle Group, Permira Advisers and TPG. Earlier this year, it agreed to be bought by NXP Semiconductors NV.

PRESS RELEASE

Freescale Accelerates Its Solutions for Crashless and Autonomous Vehicles with the Acquisition of CogniVue

Purchase of leading image cognition processing IP provider drives innovation in the growing automotive vision space

September 10, 2015

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To solidify its strong position in solutions for the autonomous vehicles/advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) market, Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) today announced the acquisition of Ottawa, Canada-based CogniVue Corporation, a leading developer of image cognition IP for automotive and consumer applications.

“With the exceptional market response to our S32V234 vision processor, as well as demand for our next generation vision solutions, this acquisition places Freescale in a position to supply highly automated car applications with the requisite performance, safety, security and reliability those systems require.”

Freescale has established a market-leading position through developments in sensor, microcontroller and microprocessor solutions for automotive radar and vision applications. The company has shipped more than 20 million units into ADAS applications to date, and has designs in 9 of the world’s top 10 automotive OEMs. Additionally, Freescale has secured a design win pipeline enabling growth well above industry estimates for the worldwide ADAS market for the next several years.

To further fuel this growth, speed time to market and deliver even more automotive innovation for the world’s top carmakers and their suppliers, Freescale is bringing CogniVue’s advanced vision IP development capabilities and world-class R&D resources in-house.

“The acquisition of CogniVue accelerates our autonomous vehicles portfolio with leading-edge vision processing IP,” said Bob Conrad, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Freescale’s Automotive MCU group. “With the exceptional market response to our S32V234 vision processor, as well as demand for our next generation vision solutions, this acquisition places Freescale in a position to supply highly automated car applications with the requisite performance, safety, security and reliability those systems require.”

CogniVue vision processing IP is already available in multiple Freescale products, including the S32V processor announced in March 2015, as well as other offerings.

About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) enables secure, embedded processing solutions for the Internet of Tomorrow. Freescale’s solutions drive a more innovative and connected world, simplifying our lives and making us safer. While serving the world’s largest companies, Freescale is also committed to supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, enabling the next generation of innovators. www.freescale.com.

Freescale and the Freescale logo are trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. All product or service names are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. © 2015 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.

Contacts

Freescale Semiconductor
Media/Industry Analyst Inquiries:
Jack Taylor, 512-560-7143
jack.taylor@freescale.com
or
Financial Analyst/Investor Inquiries:
Mitch Haws, 512-944-0790
mitch.haws@freescale.com

Photo courtesy of Reuters/Jean-Philippe Arles