The acquisition complements u-blox’s commitment for an extended Bluetooth product offering and adds access to new sales channels and market segments.
u-blox has announced it acquired Rigado’s Bluetooth modules business in an Asset Purchase Agreement. Rigado is a leading provider of Edge-as-a-Service gateway solutions for Commercial IoT, and began offering certified wireless modules in 2015.
This acquisition will allow u-blox to extend their range of products in the area of Bluetooth® low energy, Zigbee and Thread, as well as to access additional market segments and channels. The combined short range radio offering adds new modules targeting consumer-oriented markets, for instance sport and fitness, while Rigado’s existing customers will get access to all u-blox Wi-Fi, cellular, and positioning solutions for their IoT applications. In addition, Rigado’s customers will benefit from u-blox’s global support capabilities.
“Rigado’s Bluetooth modules business complements our already extensive portfolio and gives us access to more channels and new interesting customers in the area of smart home, wearables, as well as fitness,” said Herbert Blaser, Head Product Center Short Range Radio, u‑blox. “We’re also looking forward to the ongoing collaboration with distribution partners like Digi-key or Future Electronics, where we’ll be able to offer a seamless transition”, he noted.
“We’re very proud of both our market-leading modules division and Rigado’s fast-growing edge infrastructure gateway business”, Greg Rau, President of Rigado, added. “The value we capture from the acquisition of the modules division will allow us to further accelerate Rigado’s growth in the gateway market – especially in key solution areas such as smart building and asset tracking.”
Going forward, Ben Corrado, former CEO of Rigado, will be part of u-blox’s Short Range Radio product strategy team. With him, other key staff of Rigado’s modules division have also joined u-blox, while the existing Rigado office in Salem (OR) will be the North American Short Range Radio Engineering Center for u‑blox.
The Rigado Bluetooth modules portfolio will be re-branded under the u‑blox name and integrated into the short range radio offering.
About u-blox
u-blox (SIX:UBXN‑) is a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies for the automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. Their solutions let people, vehicles, and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules, and a growing ecosystem of product supporting data services, u-blox is uniquely positioned to empower its customers to develop innovative solutions for the Internet of Things, quickly and cost-effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, the company is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA. (www.u-blox.com)
