Reutlingen, Eindhoven – September 22, 2022 – Bosch is expanding its team of experts in the field of "System on chip" (SoC). SoC are special semiconductors that are increasingly used in control units for the automotive industry. With the planned acquisition of Semiconductor Ideas to the Market (ItoM), headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, the technology group aims to strengthen its development expertise for high-frequency processing SoC. Bosch and ItoM signed corresponding contracts on 22nd of September 2022. Bosch plans to acquire ItoM and welcome the approximately 30 employees. Both development sites in Eindhoven and Enschede are to be further expanded.
In the automotive sector, SoC is considered a key technology for modern control units, such as those used in driver assistance systems. "We are very pleased to welcome our new colleagues. The team fits perfectly into our development area for integrated circuits and will strengthen the expertise there in the area of high-frequency circuits," says Jens Fabrowsky, Executive Vice President Automotive Electronics, Robert Bosch GmbH, with responsibility for the business field Semiconductor Components at Bosch.
Former Philips engineers, including the current CEO Harm van Rumpt, founded ItoM in 1998. The company is specialized in high-frequency processing components. "We have core expertise on mixed-signal IC design and bring a strong team to the table. Bosch offers the ideal framework to grow. I am convinced that the merger will open up completely new perspectives for our company and our employees," says Edwin Veldman, Managing Partner at ItoM.
The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction, such as the purchase price. The acquisition is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.
About Bosch
Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. It generated sales of 45.3 billion euros in 2021, and thus contributed 58 percent of total sales from operations. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is safe, sustainable, and exciting, and combines the group’s expertise in the domains of personalization, automation, electrification, and connectivity. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector’s main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 402,600 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2021). The company generated sales of 78.7 billion euros in 2021. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 128 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 76,100 associates in research and development, of which more than 38,000 are software engineers.