Advanced Computing in the Age of AI | Friday, March 29, 2024

Kneron to Acquire Image Signal Processor Developer Vatics 

SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2021 -- Kneron, a leading San Diego-based AI chip and software developer, announces it will make its first acquisition amidst new investment from key technology partners. Kneron will acquire Vatics, a leading innovative image signal processing (ISP) technology provider whose cutting-edge ISP SoC and IP have been widely adopted in the surveillance, automotive, and consumer markets by the top tier US, China, Japan, and Taiwanese companies for many years. Vatics is a subsidiary of VIVOTEK, a subsidiary of Delta Electronics (TPE: 2308).

Vatics, which develops image signal processing (ISP) semiconductors, will be acquired as part of an all cash deal worth $10 million. Vatics executives will join Kneron and lead its surveillance and security camera division. Vatics’ technology will be integrated with Kneron’s technology in a new suite of chips, with the first set to launch later this year. Combining Vatics’ state of the art ISPs with Kneron’s leading Neural Processing Unit (NPU) will create a full-stack AI solution for customers.

Albert Liu, Founder & CEO of Kneron, says: “We’re proud to welcome Vatics and its technology to the Kneron family. This is a significant milestone for us at Kneron - in our quest to be the market leader in AI, it’s crucial that we offer a breadth of products to our customers that contain best-in-class technology. This acquisition will allow us to offer full stack AI solutions, along with our current class-leading NPUs, and will significantly speed up our go-to-market strategy.”

Kneron is also announcing further extensions to its Series A funding. As part of the Vatics deal, Delta Electronics is investing $7 million in Kneron. This adds to previous extensions and strategic investment from the likes of Foxconn, Winbond, and Weltrend, and Kneron’s initial Series A raise led by Horizons Ventures, with Alibaba, Qualcomm, Sequoia, and more. This brings total funding to date to over $100 million.

These investments, despite a global semiconductor shortage, highlight investors’ belief in the future of AI at the edge, and the need for innovative new chips to power our futures. With manufacturing giants like Foxconn integrating Kneron’s technology in the future of electric and autonomous vehicles, Kneron is uniquely positioned to power our AI-fuelled future.

Kneron recently announced its expansion into the autonomous vehicle (AV) and electric vehicle (EV) industries. Strategic partnerships with Foxconn (Apple product manufacturer), Otus (supplier for Honda and Toyota) and more ensures Kneron’s technology will be used by the biggest manufacturers in the automotive space. Edge AI solutions are essential for the future of EVs and AVs. Example use cases include significantly improved AI image processing for object and hazard detection, and Automated Driver Assistance Solutions (ADAS), all produced at a lower cost, dramatically improving vehicle safety and reducing crashes.

Kneron’s Edge AI solutions are advantageous for EV and AV manufacturers because Edge AI is faster than cloud-reliant AI. Edge AI allows data to be processed on the low-power chips in the car, rather than needing to be sent to the cloud and back. Speed is an important factor for decision making while in traffic. The faster that information is processed and decisions are made the safer the journey will be. The time saved could be the difference between life and death.

About Kneron

Kneron is a San Diego based technology company that was founded in 2015. It develops both hardware and software products, which are used in smart devices to run and power AI applications. Kneron is a single port of call for device manufacturers who want to integrate AI into their products. The products include hardware such as AI chips and software such as AI models, that device manufacturers can use in everything from autonomous cars, all the way down to a smart fridge, doorbell, or any Internet of Things device. Kneron primarily solves three main problems for smart devices running AI — security, energy and cost, thereby enabling AI everywhere and for everyone. Kneron’s solutions are reconfigurable, and will be as efficient at processing image and audio AI models in the future as they are now. It has raised over $100mn to date and is backed by Horizons Ventures, Alibaba, Qualcomm, Sequoia, SparkLabs Taipei, and more. For further information about Kneron, please visit: http://www.kneron.com/about.php


Source: Kneron

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