Hamburg-based automotive LiDAR specialist Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH has formed a strategic partnership with AAC Technologies. AAC will also become a shareholder of Ibeo alongside the founders and ZF Friedrichshafen AG.
Ibeo is a technology leader for LiDAR systems with its new ibeoNEXT combining true solid-state technology – the next generation of LiDAR systems – with competitive pricing, a key requirement, especially in the automotive industry. In 2020 Ibeo was the first LiDAR company worldwide to receive a nomination from an automotive OEM for the serial production of a solid-state LiDAR. For the OEM, Great Wall Motors of China, automated driving is a key strategic pillar of their product roadmap. Earlier this year a number of other OEMs also announced to introduce LiDAR systems to enable automated driving functionalities. Automated driving is one of the fastest growing market segments within the automotive industry. The combination of leading proven technology, industrialization competencies and competitive pricing positions Ibeo as a key supplier in this market. Besides addressing the automotive market Ibeo signed a cooperation agreement for volume orders with SICK, a market leader in optical sensors for industrial applications, in 2021 to address the industrial market.
AAC is a market leader for technology solutions in the consumer electronics industry and supplies some of the most prominent manufacturers in the world. AAC complements the existing partnership of Ibeo with ZF, which focuses on the industrialization of the new ibeoNEXT. The partnership with AAC strengthens Ibeo’s market position in Asia and allows Ibeo to leverage AAC’s unique leadership in imaging technologies as well as its long-standing expertise in high precision, high volume manufacturing. In addition, the newly formed partnership with AAC will open access for Ibeo to other potential applications for Ibeo’s solid-state LiDAR in other markets, e.g. consumer electronics. Ibeo aims to establish themselves as a Top-3 global supplier for automotive LiDAR systems and a leading supplier of LiDAR technology to the industrial and consumer electronics markets. ZF and AAC support this development path as strategic partners. “We welcome AAC as a strategic partner willing to strongly support our common LiDAR activities for automotive as well as industrial and consumer electronics applications,” says Christophe Marnat, EVP of ZF’s Electronics and Advanced Driver Assist Systems division.
“The strategic partnership with AAC is the next great milestone for Ibeo after signing the world’s first serial contract for automotive solid-state LiDARs in 2020. It will enable us to further strengthen our technology leadership and bring us closer to our goal of becoming a Top-3 automotive LiDAR supplier. This close cooperation with AAC, combined with continued support from ZF as our industrialization partner, will open doors to new and enriching opportunities for all parties involved,” says Dr. Ulrich Lages, CEO of Ibeo Automotive Systems.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to become a strategic partner of Ibeo and committed to supporting and accelerating its continued growth as a new shareholder. Ibeo is undoubtedly a leader in the field of LiDAR and perception technologies with a solid and innovative product portfolio. The ibeoNEXT is ready to address the future of ADAS and offer competitive performance to a wide range of mobility customers,” says Mr. Kelvin Pan, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of AAC Technologies.
