GPS World

Tag: mergers and acquisitions

  • Hemisphere GNSS completes acquisition of Outback Guidance business from AgJunction

    Hemisphere GNSS completes acquisition of Outback Guidance business from AgJunction

    Hemisphere GNSS has closed its definitive agreement to purchase all of the assets of the Outback Guidance business from AgJunction Inc., along with a new technology licensing agreement.

    The new Hemisphere GNSS logo.

    The acquisition aligns well with Hemisphere’s continued push into the global agriculture market, the company said. In addition to the included IP (intellectual property) licenses for business into the dealer channel, a second license was finalized to allow agriculture steering solutions sales into OEM (original equipment manufacturer), VAR (value-added reseller), and all other segments of the agriculture supply chain.

    Hemisphere has assumed ownership of the Outback assets, including a global sales channel, infrastructure and trademarks. Additionally, licenses to IP and related technology have been executed. Also included are two product development, sales and support facilities, including personnel, located in Hiawatha, Kansas, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

    “Outback’s highly knowledgeable personnel and dealer network will provide us with a key piece of the agriculture supply chain that perfectly complements Hemisphere’s current global agriculture strategy,” said Farlin Halsey, president and chief executive officer of Hemisphere GNSS.

    Jeffrey Farrar will lead the Outback business as general manager. Before joining Hemisphere, Farrar was vice president of sales for AgJunction and served in a capacity of director and senior management-level positions for both sales and marketing for AgJunction and Hemisphere GPS. “Jeffrey’s previous leadership and history with the Outback business makes him the ideal person to direct the future growth of this business,” Halsey said.

    “Outback has always been a household name in the agriculture space associated with simplicity, performance, and value, and we intend to keep it that way,” Farrar said. “I look forward to ensuring that the Outback business thrives and that the solution and technology offerings are maintained and supported, as we look to refresh and update product lineups. We are committed to helping and supporting our dealer network, farmers, and growers alike to ensure they continue feeding the world.”

    The addition of Outback represents Hemisphere’s continued effort to make significant investments to expand its presence in the global agricultural market. Hemisphere has seen successful revenues and wide-reaching positive feedback in recent years with its OEM-focused agriculture products. Hemisphere seeks to further integrate its high-precision GNSS positioning technology via systems and services offered by the Outback dealer network.

    The Outback channels of communication including customer support, sales and website, will remain as they currently operate. The Outback dealer network will not see any interruption during this transition period.

  • CHC Navigation acquires AMW for machine control

    CHC Navigation has acquired the business assets and personnel of AMW Machine Control Inc. The business will now be conducted by AMW Machine Control Solutions Inc. as a subsidiary of CHC Navigation.

    AMW Machine Control Solutions has more than 30 years of advanced machine guidance, machine control and GNSS experience. Its topographic and machine-control software solutions include grade, dirt, ditch, pipe, landfill and road. AMW Machine Control Solutions offers cost-effective solutions designed for equipment operators, the company said.

    The offerings of AMW Machine Control Solutions will be based on turnkey, wireless CHC Navigation Android industrial tablets and CHC Navigation’s RTK GNSS receivers.

    AMW Machine Control Solutions has appointed Phil Gabriel as president. Gabriel has more than 25 years of experience in the positioning industry. He previously served as president of Hemisphere GNSS Inc. and is currently serving as the general manager for CHC Navigation North America.

    With these changes, CHC Navigation said it is poised to significantly grow its global market share in the agriculture civil engineering and construction industry, with products catering to small, medium and large enterprise farming and construction equipment users.

    “Our customers really like CHC Navigation’s positioning products and their new Android tablets,” said Mark Williams, founder of AMW and now director of product management. “We have redeveloped our popular applications from the ground up to run Android while being more intuitive and wireless, wherever possible. With standardized hardware, AMW Machine Control Solutions will be able to better support our existing customers and to attract new ones.”

    “AMW has been innovating in-machine control for many years. We are pleased to combine forces to offer the market incredible value and simple to use products,” Gabriel said.

  • Hexagon acquires AutonomouStuff for autonomous vehicle solutions

    Hexagon acquires AutonomouStuff for autonomous vehicle solutions

    Hexagon AB has acquired AutonomouStuff, a supplier of integrated autonomous vehicle solutions.

    Founded in 2010, U.S.-based AutonomouStuff is developing turnkey platforms for autonomous vehicle development, robotics and data intelligence innovation. Its turnkey platforms are deployed in pilot programs worldwide representing more than 2,500 customers in the automotive and technology sectors across Silicon Valley, America, Europe and Asia.

    “The acquisition of AutonomouStuff accelerates Hexagon’s ability to move our customers beyond the data impasse of IoT [internet of things],” said Ola Rollén, Hexagon President and CEO. “We’re particularly interested in technologies that are the most disruptive — those capable of leveraging the vast potential of data being generated by connected things, integrating AI [artificial intelligence], edge-cloud orchestration, mobility and data visualization into autonomous connected ecosystems. When combined with our positioning intelligence, mapping and sensing technology leadership, this acquisition creates a nexus of domain expertise that will lead the autonomous mobility industry for years to come.”

    AutonomouStuff began when CEO Bobby Hambrick realized that robotics company representatives were having difficulty gaining access to the technology needed to solve their applications, according to the company. He envisioned a place where they could find the products needed to get their projects up and running. It is headquartered in Morton, Illinois, with offices in San Francisco, Detroit, Germany and China.

    AutonomouStuff has been closely involved in Project Apollo, an autonomous driving ecosystem helmed by Baidu, the so-called “Google of China.”

    Project Apollo seeks to provide an open, comprehensive and reliable software platform for Baidu’s partners in the automotive and autonomous driving industries. Partners can use the Apollo open software platform together with the reference hardware platform to accelerate development of their customized autonomous vehicle solutions.

    AutonomouStuff provides the Apollo Kit to project partners: the hardware, software and services required to begin developing their own autonomous vehicle. NovAtel SPAN GNSS/INS products provide position, orientation and time as a critical component of this kit. A detailed description of the NovAtel (another Hexagon company in the Positioning Intelligence Group) and AutonomouStuff partnership is given in the August 2017 cover story of GPS World, “Autonomy assembled: Driverless kits to hit the road in 2020.”

    At a Baidu conference in Beijing, April 2017, AutonomouStuff kitted out two standard Lincoln MKZ sedans for demonstration drives, with one technician completing each vehicle in about three hours — a task that would normally take a team of workers up to six weeks. The two Lincolns then drove simultaneously, driverless, around a test track.

    The technology has been developed to be transferrable to other vehicles. Each car is modified by adding lasers, camera, radar sensors, GPS and inertial measurement unit (IMU), a drive-by-wire computer interface and computer engine.

    As of August 2017, the kit incorporated a choice, depending on user needs, of a selection of NovAtel GNSS receivers, including the ProPak6 GNSS receiver and the SPAN-IGM-A1 GNSS+IMU combined system, IMUs such as the IMU-ISA-100C incorporating Northrop-Grumman Litef GMBH’s inertial measurement technology, and antennas such as the GNSS-703-GGG-HV high vibration triple-frequency GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo antenna. A 64-beam Velodyne lidar sensor and 16-beam HDL-16E provide laser data. Some units may have changed since then.

    Terry Lamprecht, director of products at AutonomouStuff, gave a presentation on verifying proper installation, and creating a baseline data set to benchmark against data collected on autonomous vehicles in real-time, as part of a November 2017 GPS World webinar, “High Accuracy for Autonomous Driving.” Download the free webinar here.

    Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, including a voluntary filing to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and other customary conditions that are expected to be satisfied within the next 90 days.

  • Orolia to acquire Talen-X to enhance Assured PNT offerings

    Orolia to acquire Talen-X to enhance Assured PNT offerings

    Orolia, a resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Talen-X.

    Talen-X is a U.S. technology innovator with the ability to characterize, enhance and implement advanced techniques and products to solve real-world GNSS vulnerability problems. It has expertise in GPS/GNSS performance, requirements, testing, integration and threat mitigation.

    Orolia has completed 10 acquisitions since 2007, including Spectracom, Spectratime and McMurdo brands. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals required by the U.S. Defense Security Service (DSS) and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

    Through this acquisition, Orolia said it will significantly enhance Assured PNT capabilities across the global company’s portfolio to support mission-critical applications. The additional resources also strengthen Orolia’s commitment to serving the U.S. government, with further expansion of domestic capabilities and a greater U.S. footprint. Toward that end, the companies will reinforce their commercial cooperation to maximize market awareness and access.

    “Military personnel know that accurate and trusted time and position information is a critical enabler for almost all warfighting functions and systems,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “Reliable PNT data are critical for communications, sensors, network synchronization, situational awareness, command and control or search and rescue missions. This acquisition reinforces Orolia’s position as a major supplier of Assured PNT technology and enhances our ability to offer unique end-to-end solutions.”

    Talen-X has extensive technology integration and PNT engineering resources that will enable Orolia to rapidly develop and offer new, superior products and services to the U.S. market.

    “Our culture of innovation, together with our demonstrated testing capabilities, will complement Orolia’s global technology expertise and significantly enhance the reliability, performance and safety of military operations,” said Tim Erbes, CTO of Talen-X.

    Key terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

  • Trimble acquires e-Builder to expand construction management solutions

    Trimble has acquired privately-held e-Builder, a software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based construction program management solution for capital program owners and program management firms.

    e-Builder extends Trimble’s ability to accelerate industry transformation by providing an integrated project delivery solution for owners, program managers and contractors across the design, construct and operate lifecycle, the company said.

    e-Builder manages more than $300 billion of construction project value and over 200,000 projects from some of the most influential owners in North America. Owners benefit from the e-Builder solution through improved transparency and accountability while contractors benefit from faster payments, increased productivity and improved competitive advantage.

    The e-Builder solution is uniquely designed to measure and manage every step of the capital project delivery process including planning, design, procurement, construction and operations.

    Trimble’s wide range of construction hardware and software solutions significantly improve project cost, schedule and effectiveness — beneficially impacting owners, architects, engineers and contractors. The Trimble presence in construction has two points of focus, one on civil engineering projects and the other on the construction of buildings and structures. Both will benefit from the e-Builder acquisition.

    Trimble solutions leverage constructible building information model (BIM) workflows to integrate processes, improve information fidelity, reduce rework, establish transparency and deliver higher productivity. By using Trimble technologies, contractors and owners are realizing substantial reductions in total project cost.

    The combination of Trimble and e-Builder accelerates value creation for both owners and contractors by combining e-Builder’s best practice solutions for owners with Trimble’s construction lifecycle solutions, access to contractors and global reach.

    The combined solution portfolio will accelerate the integration of field operations with enterprise needs, enabling additional productivity gains. The tangible benefits include more consistent on-time and within-budget project delivery that is enabled by improved visibility, clear accountability for outcomes and the ability to convert large volumes of disparate data into actionable workflows and measurable outcomes.

    “e-Builder has always recognized that owners play a key role in the construction lifecycle and that their influence will be key to the adoption of transformative construction technology,” said Steven Berglund, president and CEO of Trimble. “Trimble will extend its reach into the owner community by leveraging e-Builder’s presence. In turn, we intend to aggressively bring e-Builder solutions to civil and building contractors and the international market. We see a significant opportunity in leveraging data and intelligence gained through design-construct workflows across the full infrastructure lifecycle. e-Builder’s solutions and, more importantly, its organization provide a strong platform for significant growth.”

    “e-Builder’s mission is to improve project execution to make construction faster, less expensive and more reliable,” said Ron Antevy, president and CEO of e-Builder. “The addition of our solutions to Trimble’s broad portfolio extends our collective ability to best support owners and contractors with project delivery and management. e-Builder current and future customers will benefit from Trimble’s construction management expertise, culture of innovation and global reach to take e-Builder solutions to the next level.”

    The e-Builder business will be reported as part of the Buildings and Infrastructure Segment.

    Financial Terms

    The all cash purchase price of $500 million will be financed through a new $300 million credit facility and cash. The new facility has terms and conditions similar to the existing revolver with a 364 day term.

    e-Builder’s reported trailing twelve month revenue is approximately $53 million. In recent years, e-Builder’s revenue growth rate has exceeded 20 percent annually, with greater than 65 percent subscription revenue as a percentage of total revenue. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to Trimble’s first quarter non-GAAP net income per share by $0.01 per share and dilutive to full year 2018 non-GAAP net income per share by $0.02 to $0.03 per share, due to the impact of fair value accounting of e-Builder’s deferred revenue and interest expense. Trimble expects the acquisition to be accretive to 2019 non-GAAP net income per share.

    An overview of e-Builder and the strategic rationale for the acquisition is available on Trimble’s Investor Relations website. For a more detailed description of the acquisition and credit agreements see Trimble’s Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Feb. 2, 2018.

    About e-Builder

    Founded in 1995, e-Builder is a provider of integrated, cloud-based construction program management software for top facility owners and the companies that act on their behalf.

    The company’s flagship product, e-Builder Enterprise, improves capital project execution, resulting in increased productivity and quality, reduced cost and faster project delivery.

    Since 1995, e-Builder’s technology leadership and construction industry focus have helped thousands of global companies, government agencies, and health care and educational institutions manage billions of dollars in capital programs with solutions to improve the plan, build and operate lifecycle.

    The company is based in Plantation, Florida.

  • Lear to acquire EXO Technologies for connected car tech

    Lear Corporation, a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Israel-based EXO Technologies, a developer of GPS technology providing high-accuracy solutions for autonomous and connected vehicle applications.

    EXO Technologies has operations in San Mateo, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    EXO Technologies has developed core technology that addresses the need for high-accuracy positioning in a vehicle. Its proprietary technology works with existing GPS receivers to provide centimeter-level accuracy anywhere on the globe without the need for terrestrial base-station networks.

    EXO Technologies offers a software-based GPS approach — PICO pinpoint positioning software — that enhances GNSS receivers. By correcting satellite orbit error and clock error, it eliminates the inherent error sources within navigation messages. Its algorithms reduce complementary errors and construct a full positioning solution.

    The integration of EXO’s technology with Lear’s vehicle and connectivity expertise will enable a superior vehicle positioning solution, the companies say.

    “EXO has developed technology that is essential for the future of connected and autonomous vehicles,” said Nuri Golan, EXO co-founder and CEO. “We are extremely excited to join the Lear family where we will provide unparalleled solutions for vehicle-to-vehicle, autonomous driving and other applications.”

    “Lear is a leader in automotive connectivity solutions including Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communications,” said Matt Simoncini, Lear’s president and chief executive officer. “The acquisition of EXO Technologies will provide Lear with a differentiated technology to significantly improve GPS accuracy and reliability, thereby enhancing vehicle safety and enabling autonomous driving.

    “The combination of EXO Technologies with Lear’s existing resources further strengthens our connectivity capabilities,” Simoncini said. “We see excellent growth opportunities for our E-Systems business as the proliferation of connected and autonomous vehicles will drive increased demand for improved accuracy and reliability in vehicle positioning.”

     

  • Verizon to acquire fleet management company Fleetmatics

    Verizon to acquire fleet management company Fleetmatics

    Transaction to accelerate Verizon’s position as a provider of fleet and mobile workforce management solutions, companies say

    Verizon Communications Inc. and Fleetmatics Group PLC have entered into a definitive agreement under which Verizon will acquire Fleetmatics, a global provider of fleet and mobile workforce management solutions, for $60 per share in cash — representing a value of approximately $2.4 billion.

    In June, Verizon Telematics announced the acquisition of Telogis Inc., a global, cloud-based mobile enterprise management software company based in Aliso Viejo, California. That transaction closed on July 29.

    With approximately 1,200 employees, Fleetmatics is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with North American headquarters inWaltham, Massachusetts. The company’s web-based solutions provide fleet operators with visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage, and other insights into their mobile workforce, helping them to reduce operating costs, as well as increase revenue.

    Verizon Telematics, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, operates in more than 40 markets worldwide and offers comprehensive wireless, software and hardware solutions to consumers, enterprises, automakers and dealers to power connected-vehicle products around the world.

    “Fleetmatics is a market leader in North America — and increasingly internationally — and they’ve developed a wide-range of compelling SaaS (software as a service)-based products and solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses,” said Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Telematics.

    “The powerful combination of products and services, software platforms, robust customer bases, domain expertise and experience, and talented and passionate teams among Fleetmatics, the recently-acquired Telogis, and Verizon Telematics will position the combined companies to become a leading provider of fleet and mobile workforce management solutions globally,” Irlando added.

    Fleetmatics Routist is an intelligent routing optimization tool for fleet management.
    Fleetmatics Routist is an intelligent routing optimization tool for fleet management.

    “Verizon and Fleetmatics share a vision that the SaaS-based fleet management solution market is extraordinarily large, lightly penetrated, global and fragmented which can best be attacked together with a world class product offering and the largest distribution channel in the industry,” said Jim Travers, Chairman and CEO of Fleetmatics.

    “Fleetmatics brings over 37,000 customers, approximately 737,000 subscribers, a broad portfolio of industry leading products, and a team of 1,200 professionals focused on solving the critical challenges of businesses that deploy mobile workforces. We are excited to partner with Verizon in fulfilling the mission of becoming the largest mobile workforce management company in the world,” Travers added.

     

    The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, including the approval of Fleetmatics’ shareholders and the sanction of the Irish scheme of arrangement by which Verizon will acquire Fleetmatics by the Irish High Court, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2016.

    PJT Partners and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as financial advisors to Verizon. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, A&L Goodbody and Macfarlanes LLP are acting as legal advisors to Verizon. Morgan Stanley is acting as financial advisor to Fleetmatics. Goodwin Procter LLP and Maples and Calder are acting as legal advisors to Fleetmatics.

  • Trimble acquires Axio-Net GmbH to reinforce European presence

    Trimble acquires Axio-Net GmbH to reinforce European presence

    Trimble has acquired Axio-Net GmbH from Airbus Defence and Space. Based in Hannover, Germany, Axio-Net is a provider of GNSS corrections and professional data services serving Germany, the United Kingdom and Benelux. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    AXIO-NET_logoAxio-Net, founded in 2008, delivers both real-time and post-processed network real-time kinematic (RTK) solutions to a broad range of users including surveyors, GIS professionals and farmers. In addition to traditional correction services, Axio-Net performs a variety of data-based professional services for the geospatial market, including coordinate transformation services as well as network set-up, configuration and operations consulting.

    “Our philosophies are highly complementary and together, we will extend Trimble’s position as a global leader of GNSS corrections,” said Patricia Boothe, general manager of Trimble’s Advanced Positioning Division. “We are committed to supporting Axio-Net’s brand-agnostic position, while we leverage their experience with professional services, not only in traditional markets such as geospatial and agriculture, but in emerging high-accuracy GNSS markets such as automotive.”

     

  • Averna acquires US-based Nexjen Systems

    Averna acquires US-based Nexjen Systems

    NexJen-logoAverna, a developer of test solutions and services for electronics device-makers, has acquired 100 percent of U.S.-based Nexjen Systems for an undisclosed amount.

    Nexjen Systems is a full-service integrator with expertise in mechanical test systems, RF automated test equipment, industrial control, measurement and monitoring systems, and automation control panels.

    Nexjen Systems, a division of Jenkins Electric Company, was created in 2005 to service Jenkins Test & Measurement customers in the southeast region. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nexjen Systems is a National Instruments Alliance Partner.

    Nexjen Systems’ president, Darren Lingafeldt, and vice president, Brian Esque, will continue to participate in the day-to-day operations and expansion plans as Averna employees.

    “Averna is extremely pleased to announce the acquisition of Nexjen Systems and welcomes its employees to the team,” stated François Rainville, vice president of sales and marketing for Averna. “Nexjen Systems represents an exceptional opportunity to expand Averna’s presence in the Eastern USA in each of our major market segments as well as tap new resources, solutions, and expertise to offer an extended Test & Quality Solution portfolio.”

    Darren Lingafeldt, president for Nexjen Systems, added, “We are delighted to join the Averna team and provide our long-standing customers with additional opportunities to deliver their test and quality projects worldwide as well as benefit from Averna’s renowned global support.”

  • Telit acquires IP and cellular module products from Novatel Wireless

    Telit Communications PLC, a global enabler of the internet of things (IoT), has agreed to acquire several cellular module product lines, related intellectual property (IP) and related assets from Novatel Wireless, Inc., for an initial cash purchase price of $11 million and conditional earn-out consideration, which Telit expects to be non-material.

    Novatel Wireless is not associated with GNSS receiver maker NovAtel.

    The Telit portfolio includes integrated products and services for end-to-end IoT deployments — including GNSS, cellular communication modules, short-to-long range wireless modules, IoT connectivity plans and IoT platform services.

    As part of the acquisition, Telit acquired specific IP and was granted an exclusive license to other Novatel IP related to the acquired cellular module lines, including subsequent versions in development.

    The acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s financial performance.

    “The acquisition of these products and associated IP strengthens Telit’s position in the security market segment, a segment that is expected to be an early adopter of LTE Cat1. The acquisition is part of our strategy to enhance our product offering by both acquisition and our own R&D,” said Oozi Cats, Telit’s chief executive.

  • Averna acquires European company Test & Measurement Solutions

    Averna has acquired 100 percent of Europe-based Test & Measurement Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Averna is a developer of test solutions and services for communications and electronics device-makers worldwide.

    Averna’s main shareholders, Tandem Expansion and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), both helped finance the acquisition. For CDPQ, the investment is consistent with its objective to further the international expansion of high-performing Quebec companies.

    T&M Solutions develops multidisciplinary solutions to test, measure, inspect, assemble and validate products in nearly all segments of the production industry. Headquartered in Belgium and with offices in the Netherlands and Poland, T&M Solutions is a National Instruments Gold Alliance Partner and has 100 employees, including 70 engineers with almost 50 NI certifications.

    The acquisition increases Averna’s global reach as well as provides a strong local presence in Europe, according to an Averna press release. It will enable Averna to enter the market with a well-established and respected solution provider while giving it a springboard for further European deployments. In addition, T&M Solutions brings unique expertise in semiconductor testing, vision inspection systems and precision assembly.

    T&M Solutions’ management, including current owners Roel Geraerts and Kurt Hensen, will continue to play key roles in operations and expansion plans for the European market.

    “This major expansion into Europe signals Averna’s strategic positioning to accelerate growth and become a truly global Test Engineering powerhouse. Test & Measurement Solutions and Averna share complementary solution portfolios, clients and partners, so this is a real win-win arrangement for everyone,” said François Rainville, vice president of sales and marketing for Averna. “We are proud to welcome T&M Solutions’ customers and employees while providing all our customers with additional expertise and increased worldwide presence.”

    André Gareau, Averna’s president and CEO, added “We’re building a strong track record of successful acquisitions and are motivated by our robust pipeline of opportunities in Europe and around the world. These are exciting times for Averna and the industry as our leading test expertise, rapid processes and global support continue to demonstrate that we are a strategic-value partner for our clients’ ongoing product quality and market goals.”

    “We are very excited to become part of Averna, a leading player in our field. This transaction creates a unique strategic opportunity as we combine T&M Solutions’ mature European presence and respected expertise with Averna’s expansive global footprint and renowned products and solution delivery capabilities,” said Kurt Hensen, CEO of Test & Measurement Solutions. “As part of Averna, our portfolio will deliver even greater value as we remain focused on our strengths and customers.”

  • CartoDB acquires Nutiteq to bring location intelligence to mobile devices

    CartoDB is acquiring Nutiteq, a mobile mapping software development company with more than 15 million unique installations of its software development kit (SDK).

    CartoDB is a location intelligence, data analysis and visualization company. Nutiteq’s clients include SeatGeek, LonelyPlanet, iRobot and Accenture, among others.

    The acquisition will allow CartoDB to offer a cross-platform mobile mapping SDK, with a core rendering engine that complements its geo-analytics capabilities. The offline mapping and routing capabilities, along with an ability to work with a number of different sources of data, will enable enterprise customers to implement core location intelligence apps from a one-stop solution.

    “We believe there is a big opportunity to rethink how we interact with location data on mobile devices. Most geospatial innovation has been pushed to the consumer space. Now enterprises will be able to make use of location intelligence on mobile devices with CartoDB,” said Javier de la Torre, CEO of CartoDB.

    Nutiteq’s current SDK offering, including on-device analytics and vector rendering, will be augmented with CartoDB’s cloud location analytics and self-service products. This will provide a complete solution for companies building external facing apps or productivity tools on mobile.

    “We’re thrilled for the potential to unlock massive value for location intelligence in virtually every industry,” said Jaak Laineste, CEO of Nutiteq. “It’s no surprise that people are moving from laptops to smartphones, and it’s safe to say that enterprises will be quick to follow.”

    Laineste will lead the mobile division for CartoDB. The entire Nutiteq team will join CartoDB, with an office opening in Estonia, where Nutiteq is currently headquartered.