GPS World

Tag: acquisition

  • Hexagon completes acquisition of Inertial Sense

    Hexagon completes acquisition of Inertial Sense

    Hexagon has successfully completed acquisition of Inertial Sense, strengthening its assured positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) portfolio with tactical-grade GNSS+INS technology.

    The acquisition reinforces Hexagon’s long-term commitment to innovation in high-performance navigation technologies. Inertial Sense strengthens Hexagon’s positioning portfolio and further enhances its assured PNT capabilities.

    Headquartered in Provo, Utah, Inertial Sense will continue supplying inertial navigation solutions and will be integrated into Hexagon’s Aerospace & Defence Division.

    “Inertial Sense brings exceptional GNSS+INS innovation that advances our assured PNT roadmap and expands resilient positioning capabilities in GPS-challenged environments,” said Stig Pedersen, president, Aerospace & Defence Division, Hexagon. “Their compact, cost-effective solutions meaningfully enhance our ability to serve aerospace and defence applications.”

    Inertial Sense is a provider of high-performance navigation solutions, with more than 30,000 inertial systems deployed worldwide across defense and commercial applications.

    Inertial Sense was founded in 2013 by Walt Johnson, who started Inertial Sense 10 years ago to make precision navigation lightweight and affordable so that it could be deployed anywhere and accessible to any business. This includes the rapidly emerging industries of drones, mobile robotics, aerospace and defense, autonomous vehicles, and automated manufacturing, all of which would require scalable and affordable navigation solutions.

  • Safran acquires Syntony to strengthen position in resilient PNT market

    Safran Electronics & Defense has acquired Syntony GNSS, a simulator and receiver company founded in 2015 in Toulouse, France. The acquisition is intended to strengthen Safron’s resilient PNT innovations.

    In 2023, Safran acquired Orolia, also for its GNSS and PNT expertise.

    Under the agreement, signed Feb. 13, Safran will take 100% of Syntony’s share capital, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    A European leader in GNSS solutions for underground environments, Syntony has developed unique expertise to ensure reliable positioning in contexts where satellite signals are unavailable.

    Syntony’s technology addresses a major challenge of satellite navigation systems: the vulnerability of GNSS signals to physical obstacles, jamming and interference. To tackle this, Syntony has developed several critical technologies, including:

    • Controlled reception pattern antennas (CRPAs) that make GNSS receivers less sensitive to jamming and spoofing — essential for flight safety and the protection of sensitive infrastructure.
    • Software-defined radio (SDR), a digital radio that can change function (switching from FM to Wi-Fi or GPS) through a simple software update without changing hardware, allowing it to adapt to threats or to changes in received or transmitted signals. It offers compactness and scalability, particularly suited to embedded systems and the requirements of modern operational environments.

    In addition, Syntony develops GNSS receivers for next-generation satellites, particularly for low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, further strengthening Safran Electronics & Defense’s offering in the space-based PNT and New Space sectors.

    Syntony employs nearly 70 people across Toulouse and Paris.

    For Safran Electronics & Defense, this acquisition makes it possible to offer more comprehensive equipment that is also more compact and energy-efficient, while remaining adaptable to the constant evolution of signals. These gains in weight and power consumption are essential for future civilian and military platforms (drones and counter-drone systems, missiles, aircraft and low-orbit satellites).

  • Geolocation companies consolidate as NextNav acquires Nestwave

    Geolocation companies consolidate as NextNav acquires Nestwave

    NextNav-Nestwave-logosNextNav Inc., a GPS and 3D geolocation company, has acquired Nestwave SAS, a privately held company specializing in low-power geolocation.

    The acquisition was completed Oct. 31 for $18 million.

    NextNav is based in McLean, Virginia, and Nestwave is located in based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Nestwave provides advanced geolocation solutions to internet of things  (I0T) modem and digital signal processor vendors and end IoT users.

    Nestwave will adopt NextNav’s name and be integrated into existing TerraPoiNT engineering and technology efforts, with all Nestwave employees remaining with the company. Nestwave CEO Ambroise Popper will become NextNav’s vice president and general manager in France and is joining NextNav’s executive leadership team, while Nestwave CTO and Founder Rabih Chrabieh will serve as vice president of engineering.

    The combination of NextNav’s technology with Nestwave’s LTE/5G capabilities will allow NextNav to intelligently combine signals from existing terrestrial LTE/5G networks with its own highly synchronized TerraPoiNT system to deliver near nationwide resilient 3D position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities that contribute to dramatically lower deployment costs.

    The company serves markets including timing for critical infrastructure, aviation, automotive, IoT and other mass market applications sooner.

    “The acquisition of Nestwave presents a unique opportunity for NextNav to optimize further the use of its existing spectrum bandwidth, while contributing to a drastic decrease of our TerraPoiNT system’s future capital and operating expenditures,” said Ganesh Pattabiraman, NextNav co-founder and CEO.

    “By leveraging Nestwave’s unique technology and ambient LTE/5G waveform, NextNav can gain significant spectral efficiency, accelerate the availability of resilient PNT and release the underlying spectrum’s capacity for additional data-oriented services. An LTE/5G waveform also enables broader penetration of NextNav’s applications and technology across the handset and device ecosystem for all of its products and target markets,” Pattabiraman said.

    Pattabiraman continued, “Nestwave brings not only a physical presence in Europe, but also a team of professionals who have established strong relationships with European Union representatives that will be beneficial as we continue active conversations with government officials in the United States, Europe and globally over GPS/GNSS resilience.

    “The transaction is not expected to materially increase the company’s operational cash burn, and the lowered capital requirements will enable us to quickly scale our GPS resiliency capabilities in both the United States and global markets sooner than previously anticipated.”

    NextNav posted a pre-recorded conference call to discuss the acquisition.

  • Trimble acquires B2W Software to expand civil construction portfolio

    Trimble acquires B2W Software to expand civil construction portfolio

    Expanded Construction One Portfolio enables an end-to-end digital experience for heavy civil and infrastructure contractors to enhance productivity, profitability and sustainability

    Trimble has acquired privately held B2W Software, a provider of estimating and operations solutions for the heavy civil construction industry. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    With the passage of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and other infrastructure legislation across the globe, construction organizations are fast-tracking the digitization of their processes and operations. As infrastructure projects become increasingly complex, data-driven insights and analytics will be imperative to improve productivity, increase efficiency and drive sustainability.

    “Seamlessly connected workflows are key to unlocking the true potential of an organization’s data,” said Elwyn McLachlan, vice president of Trimble’s Civil Solutions Division. “With the acquisition of B2W, Trimble will be able to provide an unparalleled end-to-end digital experience — connecting the digital to the physical — for heavy civil and infrastructure contractors.”

    The addition of B2W’s comprehensive suite of pre-construction and operations capabilities will expand Trimble’s already extensive civil infrastructure portfolio and Trimble Construction One, a purpose-built connected construction management platform.

    Photo: Trimble
    Photo: Trimble

    B2W’s integrated suite of applications includes estimating, scheduling, field tracking, equipment maintenance, data capture and business intelligence. By combining these capabilities with Trimble’s field data, project management, finance and human capital management solutions, civil contractors will be able to bridge the gap between office and field in new ways, promoting transparency, efficiency and ultimately profitability.

    “B2W has helped thousands of heavy civil contractors increase their bid accuracy and operational efficiency,” said Paul McKeon, B2W founder and CEO. “Now with Trimble, we can realize the next chapter of our story. By linking the planned with the executed, we will provide civil contractors with a truly connected construction experience, unlocking valuable new insights for our customers across their entire operation.”

    B2W will be reported as part of the Buildings and Infrastructure segment.

    Perkins Coie LLP acted as legal advisor to Trimble. Piper Sandler & Co. acted as a financial advisor and Foley Hoag LLP acted as legal advisor to B2W Software.

  • Emcore contracted for navigation for space launch vehicles

    Emcore contracted for navigation for space launch vehicles

    Initial value of the contracts is expected to be more than $12 million

    Logo: EmcoreEmcore Corporation has been awarded new contracts for the Booster Rate Gyro (BoRG) and Tri-Axial Inertial Measurement Unit (TAIMU) programs for space launch vehicles resulting from its acquisition of the L3Harris Space and Navigation business.

    The BoRG program award is a contract valued at more than $12 million for the production of IMUs used for flight stabilization of the booster stage of a multistage launch system. The TAIMU program award is a development contract for the design and qualification of IMUs deployed for navigation and flight control of the upper stage of a multistage launch system.

    Pending successful demonstration of required capability and quality, Emcore expects to be awarded follow-on production contracts for TAIMU within the next 12 months.

    “We are honored to supply our highest grade inertial navigation equipment for these critical space launch vehicle programs,” said Albert Lu, senior vice president and general manager, Aerospace and Defense for Emcore. ”We look to further our close partnership with L3Harris through successful on-time deliveries for both the BoRG and TAIMU programs,” Lu added.

    Acquisition Closes

    Emcore’s acquisition of the L3Harris Space and Navigation business closed on May 2. Emcore acquired the business for approximately $5 million in an all-cash transaction, subject to any net working capital adjustments.

    The acquisition expands Emcore’s inertial navigation product portfolio with the addition of navigation-and strategic-grade gyro and inertial measurement unit products.

    Emcore acquired all outstanding assets and liabilities of the L3Harris Space and Navigation business, including all L3Harris intellectual property rights primarily used in the Space and Navigation business, a 110,000-square-foot leased production facility in Budd Lake, New Jersey, and associated production equipment.

  • Safran to acquire resilient PNT company Orolia

    Safran to acquire resilient PNT company Orolia

    Orolia logo

    Safran has entered into exclusive discussions to acquire Orolia from Eurazeo alongside the founders and management. Orolia is a world leader in resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions that improve the reliability, performance and safety of critical civilian, military and space operations, including in harsh or altered GNSS environments.

    Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Headquartered in Paris, France, Safran has a global presence, with 76,000 employees and sales of 16.5 billion euros in 2020.

    Orolia has a broad portfolio of technologies across the resilient PNT value-chain with full system capabilities, and is a provider of PNT equipment, simulation and test solutions. Orolia is also providing emergency locator beacons for commercial aviation and military applications.

    The acquisition “represents a unique opportunity for Safran and Orolia to extend their resilient PNT solutions, through their remarkable complementarities,” Safran stated in a press release. “With this addition, Safran will be able to build a world-leading position in all aspects of PNT, inertial navigation, time and GNSS receivers and simulators, covering aerospace, governmental and high integrity applications.”

    Safran intends to accelerate the development of Orolia under the leadership of CEO Jean-Yves Courtois, and in full collaboration with its teams. “The combination of Orolia and Safran will create a PNT world leader with capabilities that will be unsurpassed in depth and breadth,” Courtois said. “Our perfect complementarity in terms of technology expertise, market presence and geographic footprint will allow us to push further resilient PNT to the next level and to offer our government, aerospace and commercial customers the most advanced solutions they need for their critical operations. Orolia will contribute especially through its world-leading positions in timing, GNSS simulation and emergency location technologies, and through its strong presence in the U.S. market. We are looking forward to working with our new Safran colleagues to advance our common vision.”

    Orolia is expected to generate revenues of more than EUR 100 million in 2021 and has approximately 435 employees with facilities in France, the United States, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

    The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to the usual regulatory approvals. Orolia will be consolidated within Safran’s Equipment & Defense division upon closing, expected around mid-2022.

  • Orolia to acquire Seven Solutions for resilient PNT

    Orolia to acquire Seven Solutions for resilient PNT

    Photo:

    Merger to deliver high-end performance and ultra-accurate timing and frequency products for commercial, critical infrastructure and defense markets worldwide

    Orolia has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Seven Solutions, a global innovator in White Rabbit sub-nanosecond time transfer and synchronization technology. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals required by the Spanish government and is expected to close before the end of the year.

    This is Orolia’s 11th acquisition in the past seven years.  

    The merger with Seven Solutions, based in Granada, will enhance Orolia’s portfolio for defense, aerospace, data centers, telecom, financial services, smart grids and other critical infrastructure industries, and will enable the next-generation applications dependent on ultra-precise, resilient timing and frequency technology.

    GPS World published an article about Seven Solutions and its White Rabbit technology in its October issue.

    “Orolia and Seven Solutions under one umbrella will combine our world-leading technologies to draw a new frontier in network timing to sub-nanosecond levels, delivering the most robust and accurate resilient PNT solutions for our customers,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “Seven Solutions’ long history of delivering cutting-edge time distribution solutions to sectors like telecommunications, smart grids, aerospace, defense and scientific facilities aligns perfectly with Orolia’s DNA.”

    Orolia and Seven Solutions will integrate global sales, marketing, product development and operations.

    Orolia’s full-scale, modular approach to resilient PNT includes atomic clocks with a combination of GNSS signals protected with interference detection and mitigation technology, together with low-Earth-orbit secure alternative signals. The addition of Seven Solutions’ products will deliver terrestrial sub-nanosecond time distribution from distant and potentially redundant locations.

    “We believe the union of our companies will produce the future of time transfer and frequency distribution solutions in terms of accuracy, reliability and interoperability,” said Rafael Rodriguez, chief technology officer and co-founder of Seven Solutions. “Finance, 5G telecommunications, data centers and hyperscalers have new and upgraded functionalities requiring ultra-accurate time distribution accuracy. To maximize interoperability, our solution for time transfer is based on the White Rabbit concept that has been pushed over the last decade to become the basis of the standard high accuracy time transfer profile (within the recent release of IEEE 1588 of precision time protocol).”

    Orolia and Seven Solutions are members of the Open PNT Industry Alliance. The international organization focuses on market concepts that strengthen economic and national security by supporting government efforts to implement resilient PNT capabilities for critical infrastructure.

  • UAV company AgEagle to acquire senseFly from Parrot

    UAV company AgEagle to acquire senseFly from Parrot

    AgEagle will acquire senseFly, a Parrot Group subsidiary, for US$23 million.

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. is a a provider of drones, sensors and software, and Parrot is a European drone company. Founded in 2009, senseFly develops and produces a proprietary line of eBee-branded, high performance, fixed wing drones for professional use.

    Photo: SenseFly
    The eBee Geo drone was introduced in March. (Photo: SenseFly)

    The development positions AgEagle to provide a full-stack fixed-wing drone solution for agriculture, government, engineering and construction, among other industry verticals. SenseFly also brings to AgEagle solid engineering talent focused on advanced research and development, a well-established global reseller network, and a strong portfolio of intellectual property, AgEagle stated in a press release.

    The eBee drones are designed to be safe, ultra-light and easy to use. They are in use by thousands of customers around the world in agriculture, government, engineering and construction to collect aerial data. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, senseFly employs 90 people, generating total annual revenues of US$12.5 million in 2020.

    “Recognized as the producer of the world’s most widely used fixed wing drones, senseFly is an ideal strategic fit for AgEagle,” said Brandon Torres Declet, chief executive officer of AgEagle.

    Moving forward, Parrot will focus its expertise and resources on the growth of its professional quadcopter drone equipment and drone data analysis software activities, according to Parrot founder and CEO Henri Seydoux. “The transaction will provide additional cash and lower operational expends to drive Parrot’s growth and industry standing,” Seydoux said. “With the capabilities of the ANAFI line of professional drones and of the Pix4D software suites, Parrot will continue to address its core market segments: 3D mapping, surveying and inspection, agriculture, and defense and security.”

    In tandem with the closing of the acquisition, which is expected shortly, Labossiere will resign as CEO of senseFly. Michael O’Sullivan, who previously served as the company’s head of global marketing, will be appointed managing director of the new AgEagle subsidiary. All other senseFly employees will retain their current responsibilities.

    For details relating to the terms and conditions of the acquisition, refer to the Form 8-K to be filed by AgEagle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission upon closing of the transaction and accessible at www.sec.gov.

  • Hexagon acquires Jovix material tracking company

    Hexagon acquires Jovix material tracking company

    Photo: Jovix
    Photo: Jovix

    Hexagon AB, a global leader in digital reality solutions, has acquired the Jovix software and services business from Atlas RFID Solutions LLC of Birmingham, Alabama.

    Jovix is a material tracking software developed specifically for the construction industry, providing project decision-makers with real-time, actionable data regarding material status and location.

    The cloud-based and mobile configurable workflow platform offers visibility and traceability into the status and location of materials throughout the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) lifecycle. This streamlined process, coined “material readiness” by Jovix, ensures construction crews have required materials without delay to complete their work according to plan. This is achieved by fully digitizing the supply chain to provide real-time, geo-contextual, and relational visibility from fabrication to installation.

    Jovix combines web-based server software with information from multiple types of sensor tags and readers to automate previously manual, paper-based data-collection workflows about the status and location of material as it moves throughout the construction supply chain.

    The software has been deployed in 25 countries on more than 650 job sites, including multibillion-dollar oil and gas and chemical construction projects. There are more than 7,500 Jovix users worldwide.

    “The acquisition supports our continued expansion into the procurement, fabrication, and construction market,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “By removing impediments to productivity that result from material management issues intending to reduce material wait times to zero, Jovix provides value for owner-operators, EPC firms, contractors, fabricators, and suppliers.”

    Jovix will be fully consolidated as of Oct. 1, operating within Hexagon’s Project Portfolio Management division. The acquisition has no significant impact on Hexagon’s earnings.

  • NextNav goes public with Spartacus Acquisition Corp.

    NextNav goes public with Spartacus Acquisition Corp.

    NextNav logoGPS company NextNav and Spartacus Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company, has entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in NextNav becoming a public company. The combined company will be named NextNav Inc. Its common stock and warrants will be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “NN” and “NNW”, respectively.

    Gross proceeds of up to $408 million from the business combination are expected to be used to fuel growth in its current businesses, continue to build NextNav’s next-generation GPS platform, expand products (one of which is already deployed in 4,400 cities), and to expand its land-based radio positioning and timing network.

    The NextNav platform serves a $100 billion global total addressable market in public safety, E911, mass-market consumer apps, eVTOLs, UAVs and autonomous vehicles, internet of things (IoT), critical infrastructure and other sectors. Beyond its technology and intellectual property, NextNav owns a portfolio of nationwide spectrum licenses for 2.4 billion MHz-PoPs of 900 MHz spectrum.

    Gary Parsons, former chairman of the board of Sirius XM Radio, has served as chairman of NextNav’s board of directors for the past 10 years and will continue in that role. Peter Aquino, chairman of the board and CEO of Spartacus, will also join the NextNav board upon closing of the business combination. Aquino has led several companies through fiber and wireless operations and network deployments, and the development of overlay technologies designed to drive new revenue streams.

    NextNav will continue to be led by Ganesh Pattabiraman, the company’s co-founder, CEO and president. Pattabiraman, who started at Qualcomm, has experience in building scalable location technologies using terrestrial and satellite-based technologies,

    In addition, the full NextNav management team — co-founder Arun Raghupathy, SVP of Engineering; Chris Gates, CFO; and David Knutson, SVP of Network Operations and Deployment — will continue to manage NextNav.

    Hogan Lovells is advising NextNav with corporate and finance partner Randy Segal and partners Adam Brown, John Duke, and Jessica Bisignano leading the team. Senior associates Michael Rogers and Liz Banks, and associate Chelsea Shrader assisted as well.

  • Hexagon acquires CADLM for smart manufacturing, digital twins

    Hexagon acquires CADLM for smart manufacturing, digital twins

    Logo: HexagonHexagon AB has acquired CADLM SAS, a company focused on computer-aided engineering (CAE) with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies enable simulation in product-development processes and lifecycles.

    Founded in 1989, France-based CADLM develops computational design and optimization methods for industrial products and processes. Since 2014, CADLM has been developing AI and machine learning solutions. Its ODYSSEE software platform applies AI and machine learning to real-world sensor data and physics-based simulation data to produce accurate, predictive models of a product at efficient computing power levels.

    The combination enables faster, more efficient simulations of dynamic, multi-physics phenomena — such as automotive crash and safety — that fully characterize and understand real-world product behavior. This insight enables engineers to explore the design more extensively and interactively, and improve next-generation products without prohibitive computing cost or time.

    Ola Rollén, CEO, Hexagon
    Ola Rollén, CEO, Hexagon

    Use of the digital twin beyond the early design phase enables manufacturers to leverage image recognition, predictive simulation and fault prediction to address challenges such as downtime, throughput, quality and flexibility throughout the manufacturing process.

    “The convergence of CAE with advances in data management, AI, machine-learning and an increasingly connected manufacturing lifecycle is transforming the industry’s ability to address increasingly complex design challenges with rapid innovation and increased productivity,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “CADLM’s AI knowledge and technology further strengthen our smart manufacturing solutions portfolio, putting data to work beyond the early design phase to improve product design innovation, manufacturing productivity, product quality and environmental sustainability through reductions in material waste.”

    CADLM will operate as part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. The acquisition has no significant impact on Hexagon’s earnings. Completion of the transaction (closing) is subject to normal closing conditions.

  • U‑blox acquires full ownership in Sapcorda joint venture

    U‑blox acquires full ownership in Sapcorda joint venture

    SAPCORDA logo

    Positioning company u‑blox has acquired full ownership of Sapcorda Services GmbH, a joint venture formed by u‑blox, Bosch, Geo++ and Mitsubishi Electric in 2017.

    Sapcorda — SAfe and Precise CORrection DAta — provides advanced GNSS augmentation services for the high-precision GNSS mass market. The joint venture was formed by the four companies to bring scalable, affordable and high-quality GNSS positioning solutions to industrial, automotive and consumer applications.

    Relevant industrial applications include autonomous vehicles, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), machine automation, surveying, monitoring and other advanced navigation applications.

    Within the automotive sector, applications include automated driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), lane-accurate navigation, telematics and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

    Image: metamorworks/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
    Image: metamorworks/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

    Sapcorda Services GmbH is a GNSS service provider focusing on the emerging high-precision GNSS mass markets. The company has designed its technology and service offerings to serve high-volume automotive, industrial and consumer markets.

    Sapcorda developed its advanced SAPA service based on open formats, and has specifically tailored it for industrial and automotive markets. It uses real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP).

    Launched in January 2020 in the U.S. and Europe, SAPA Services have been expanded to full coverage of the contiguous U.S. and 32 countries in Europe. Distribution of the service via an additional geostationary satellite L-band signal also has been announced.

    “We appreciate the support and cooperation of all the joint venture shareholders. As a part of u‑blox, I see enormous potential for our technology,” said Botho Graf zu Eulenburg, CEO of Sapcorda.

    The acquisition of Sapcorda expands u‑blox’s suite of location services complementing its existing data services, including its assistance data and communication service offerings. Sapcorda has focused on establishing a platform from which to bring GNSS augmentation services to the mass market by delivering on robustness, reliability and end-to-end security as it relates to performance.

    Full ownership of Sapcorda will also enable u‑blox to serve customers more efficiently, the company said, by streamlining certain processes, including reducing implementation time to market and simplifying the integration process for customers.

    “The acquisition of Sapcorda reinforces our position as a leader driving innovation in the most advanced areas of GNSS positioning technology,” said Thomas Seiler, CEO of u‑blox. “It represents another step forward in the execution of our strategy, which is to deliver value to our customers by means of a comprehensive ‘silicon-to-cloud’ set of solutions and offerings.”

    Sapcorda operates in Europe and in the U.S. with offices in Berlin and Hanover in Germany and in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the U.S.