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Knowles acquires Microphone Design assets from ams AG
Knowles has acquired the MEMS microphone ASIC design business from ams AG. The transaction includes intellectual property, rights to source ASIC wafers from multiple foundry partners, and the transfer of the ASIC design team, which will continue to be based in Switzerland.
“As voice has become a primary interface for mobile, ear, and IoT applications, we expect this acquisition to result in an immediate financial benefit from vertical integration and further enhance our leading position in the MEMS microphone market,” said Jeffrey Niew, president and chief executive officer of Knowles. “In addition to bringing in world-class mixed signal circuit design talent and IP, this transaction will provide significant cost synergies. We plan to leverage this ASIC design team and IP to develop innovative new products, further broadening our industry-leading portfolio of MEMS microphones.”
The purchase price of $58 million was paid from cash on hand.
