Microelectronics

Infineon: Acquisition of ultra-wideband pioneer 3db Access

October 4, 2023. Infineon Technologies AG today announced the acquisition of Zurich-based startup 3db Access AG (3db) by Infineon. 3db is a pioneer in energy-efficient ultra-wideband (UWB) technology and is already a preferred IP provider for leading automotive manufacturers. The acquisition strengthens Infineon’s portfolio for secured and intelligent access control, precise localization and enhanced pulse measurement. Infineon’s addition of UWB complements its connectivity technologies Wi-Fi, Bluetooth ®/Bluetooth ® Low Energy and NFC. Initial IoT applications include secured access and authentication, enabling accurate indoor location and navigation, and presence detection using UWB radar implementations. Infineon is acquiring 100 percent of the company’s shares. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Share this Post

Contact info

Silicon Saxony

Marketing, Kommunikation und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Manfred-von-Ardenne-Ring 20 F

Telefon: +49 351 8925 886

Fax: +49 351 8925 889

redaktion@silicon-saxony.de

Contact person:

“3db’s expertise in ultra-wideband technology is accelerating our IoT roadmap to unlock the market potential in secured connected devices. Our mutual strengths enable the UWB rollout, which will include more automotive, industrial and consumer IoT applications in the next step,” said Thomas Rosteck, president of Infineon’s Connected Secure Systems Division. ABI Research forecasts the market for UWB chipsets to grow 13 percent annually, to reach approximately $3.1 billion by 2028 [1]. “Together, we are now creating complete system solutions with unique features – from low power consumption, to improved security of ultra-wideband communications, to support for complex and high-frequency antenna configurations, to hardware architecture optimized for localization.”

“Already today, smartphone manufacturers are equipping their products with UWB capabilities, which is expected to significantly increase demand for UWB-enabled devices. Our goal is to harness the key strengths of this technology for smartphones and cars alike, and enable standalone integration into low-power IoT devices,” said Boris Danev, co-founder and CEO of 3db Access AG. “As part of Infineon, we see it as our mission to significantly expand the range of secured localization and sensor solutions for key IoT and automotive applications. From a pure IP provider, we are now evolving into a team of experts offering solutions from our own manufacturing.”

In the dynamic UWB market and in the face of rapidly increasing demand from numerous manufacturers, vendors are also differentiating themselves through their research activities. The combined experience of Infineon and 3db will offer customers additional added value in the future: as a spin-off of ETH Zurich, 3db maintains a strategic partnership with ETH. Infineon is determined to further expand this cooperation and to intensify joint efforts in the relevant standardization bodies in the field of secured localization and sensor technology. In addition to broad market access, Infineon benefits from extensive R&D activities. For example, Infineon currently holds more than 31,000 patents with 59 R & D;E sites worldwide and invests 13 percent of its sales annually in research and development.

About 3db Access AG

3db delivers encrypted, ultra-low-power and high-precision UWB-based solutions for distance measurement and sensing. The integrated product solutions cover a wide range of applications based on verified and secured access control for valuable assets such as vehicles and buildings, verified proximity control for seamless mobile payments, and highly accurate real-time location of smart networked devices.

[1] Source: ABI Research – Wireless Technology Segmentation and Addressable Markets, September 2023

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG is a leading global provider of semiconductor solutions for power systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). With its products and solutions, Infineon is driving decarbonization and digitalization. The company has around 56,200 employees worldwide and generated sales of around 14.2 billion euros in the 2022 fiscal year (ending September).

– – – –

Further links

👉 www.infineon.com 

Photo: pixabay

You may be interested in the following