Aeris Acquires Ericsson’s IoT Business
Ericsson exits IoT, calls it "key driver" of company losses
Expert nationwide installation services for fleet technologies.
Saying it is a “key driver” of financial loss, Ericsson ERIC 0.00%↑ will sell its IoT business to Aeris Communications. The Swedish tech giant said while the division is expected to post net sales of more than $76 million this year, it confirmed that its foray into IoT has not been successful.
As part of the deal, of which financial details were not disclosed, San Jose, Calif.-based Aeris will acquire Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform and Connected Vehicle Cloud assets. Ericsson will hold a minority stake in the new Aeris entity and its employees will be integrated at the close of the transaction, expected in the first quarter of 2023.
The IoT market has suffered from fragmentation as IBM IBM 0.00%↑ and Google GOOG 0.00%↑ have exited it in high-profile moves. In Europe, Sigfox, once a significant IoT startup, was purchased by Singapore-based UnaBiz after a lengthy financial downturn.
The combination of Aeris and Ericsson’s IoT platforms will connect over 100 million IoT devices worldwide, covering 190 countries, and provide IoT connectivity, software and solutions to thousands of enterprises, the company said. In addition, the Connected Vehicle Cloud is used by the auto industry to connect six million vehicles and across 180 countries.
“Our intelligent, software-defined IoT network and Ericsson’s leading connectivity management platform will provide the foundation to become a leading IoT technology stack in the industry,” said Marc Jones, Aeris’ chairman and CEO, in a statement.
UniBiz Receives $50 Million in Funding
In other IoT news, UniBiz has completed a Series B funding extension worth $25 million for a total funding round of $50 million. Existing investors Tokyo-based investment firm SPARX Group, with G K Goh Holdings and Optimal Investment. UniBiz owns Sigfox’s IoT technology.
Sigfox, once seen as a major IoT player, had its financial woes chronicled by Techcrunch and French Tech Journal. Sigfox posted a net loss of nearly $102 million on revenues of more than $27 million, with $132.8 million in debt, in its annual financial statement.
Your next business idea, delivered weekly.
Trends tells you the next big thing – months before everyone else. Their dynamic team of business analysts already outlined 1,000+ vetted business ideas you can start in a weekend, and they send new ideas and market signals straight to your inbox weekly.
Try Trends for a week for only $1!
Kodiak Robotics Gets $50 Million DoD Contract for Autonomous Vehicles
Self-driving truck company Kodiak Robotics has been awarded a $49.9 million U.S. Defense Department contract to automate U.S. Army ground vehicles. The contract, which runs for two years, will led by the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program.
Kodiak, which was the only autonomous vehicle company in a competition of 33 companies, will use its self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the Army’s driverless vehicles in reconnaissance and surveillance. Some of the requirements include having the vehicles navigate in rugged terrain, diverse conditions and GPS-challenged environments, the company said.
The award, which started in October 2022 and awarded through DoD's Defense Innovation Unit, calls for Kodiak to apply its autonomous software stack for Army vehicles in the first year. In the second year, the company will implement its autonomous driving system on off-road vehicles capable of traversing complex terrain and “operating remotely in unpredictable and austere conditions,” the company said.
The military is looking at deploying autonomous vehicles in high-risk mission near or behind enemy lines. By using driverless vehicles in these dangerous tasks, a reduction in troop risk is anticipated. “I started Kodiak because I believe autonomous technology can save lives, and helping the U.S. Army develop driverless vehicles for the most challenging operating environments fits perfectly with that goal,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, in a statement.
Meet urban mobility key leading players, policy makers, governments, companies, institutions, NGOs, startups at Autonomy Mobility World Expo! Official Location Business News media partner.
NASA to Use NextNav’s TerraPoiNT Network in SF Bay Area
NextNav NN 0.00%↑ has announced that it has been selected by NASA’s Ames Research Center to deliver PNT services for its urban drone program. The program will use NextNav’s TerraPoiNT network in the San Francisco Bay Area to capture in-flight horizontal and vertical location data and validate drone flight safety, the company said.
NASA will use TerraPoiNT beacons to capture in-flight data on drone navigation, detection, and collision avoidance, and support a stronger understanding of positioning, navigation, and timing in GPS-denied environments.
NextNav and the federal agency already have a partnership at its Hampton, Va.-based Langley Research Center in which NASA leverages the TerraPoiNT network to support its CERTAIN facilities at its Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. NextNav’s commercial-grade TerraPoiNT network will be leveraged by NASA Ames to conduct tests on drone flights within their Urban Air Mobility program, the company said.
Specifically, NASA will use TerraPoiNT beacons to capture in-flight data on drone navigation, detection, and collision avoidance, and support a stronger understanding of positioning, navigation, and timing in GPS-denied environments, the company said. Initial tests, will use TerraPoiNT’s network to allow for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) testing.
Contact: NextNav, media@nextnav.com, www.nextnav.com.
Discover investment opportunities in deep tech and fintech startups.
What if you were able to unleash technological innovations, grow businesses, and truly impact the way we live? And what if you could do it while potentially making investment returns? Our goal is to make that vision a reality.
Propel(x) is an investment platform that gives accredited investors the power to potentially change the world. By funding breakthrough technology startups, you may empower companies that are finding potential cures for debilitating diseases, creating abundant energy for all, and even taking us into space.
Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Top News:
🤔 Apple Pushes Self-driving Car Launch to 2026 but Still Eyes Major EV Industry Disruption. “The wait for Apple AAPL 0.00%↑ to bring a self-driving car to the market has been pushed back until 2026. Sources indicate the tech giant has also moved away from producing an electric car without steering wheel or pedals in favor of a less ambitious design that still offers full autonomous capabilities on highways.”
✔ Autonomous and Electric Truck Company Einride Raises $500M in Equity and Debt. “Einride today announced a $500 million tranche of financing as it looks to expand its autonomous and electric trucks into new markets globally.”
😕 TomTom Shares Fall As 2023 Uncertainties Outweigh Q3 Beat. “TomTom [TOM2] last week cut its cash flow target for 2023, citing inflationary pressures and economic uncertainty, sending its shares tumbling 12 percent despite better-than-expected third-quarter performance.”
Maps:
🗺 Why Geospatial Data is Stuck in the Year 1955 – Map Happenings. “The lack of common, broadly adopted geospatial data exchange standards is crippling the geospatial industry. It’s a bit like going to an EV charger with your shiny new electric vehicle and discovering you can’t charge it because your car has a different connector to the one used by the EV charger.”
😮 Here’s How Apple Wants to Turn Its Google Maps Alternative Into a Waze Killer. “But at the same time, it’s also not a secret that Apple AAPL 0.00%↑ is exploring various ideas to improve Apple Maps, and one way to do this is by expanding the app into Waze territory.”
😐 Google Maps CarPlay Bug Makes a Good Case for Switching to Apple Maps or Waze. “But as it turns out, Google Maps doesn’t guarantee a flawless experience either, and a bug that was recently discovered by CarPlay users is living proof in this regard. More specifically, it appears that the voice search in Google Maps never works on the first attempt for some users, with everything coming back to normal when the voice search is launched a second time.”
📱 Waze Is Getting Its Own Dedicated Android Automotive App. “Waze is France's most popular navigation app, to the point that it was recently updated with three regional accents (Toulouse, Provençal and ch'ti). So it makes sense that Waze elected to partner with French automaker Renault to launch a new, dedicated version of the app for cars.”
👍 Why Better Mapping Technology Is Critical To Autonomous Vehicles. “EMs that are developing AVs need to develop their own mapping technologies, or work with partners to come up with digital maps, because the types of maps AVs need are more complicated and have multiple layers that autonomous driving systems can leverage.”
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🚗 Honda To Develop Advanced Level 3 Self-driving Technology by 2029.
🤔 Ford May Be On To Something in Deferring Level 5 Autonomy. “Ford F 0.00%↑ executives concede that fully autonomous vehicles are — well, at least five years away.”
🙁 Tusimple, Navistar Scrap Deal To Develop Self-driving Trucks. “TuSimple Holdings TSP 0.00%↑ and Navistar have ended a deal to co-develop self-driving trucks. The trucks would have operated at Level 4 autonomy - where vehicles can operate without a driver under set conditions.”
Drones:
🛩 BAE Systems' New Drone-hunting Missiles Can Take Down Unmanned Aerial. Systems. “BAE Systems [BAESY] completed additional ground-to-air test firings to prove the effectiveness of 70mm rockets guided by APKWS guidance kits against Class-2 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that weigh roughly 25-50 pounds and can travel at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour.”
Financial:
✔ Semtech Announces Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 Results.
Beautiful, custom travel maps – starting at $20
Atlas.co is the only map company that lets you add your custom route to your personalized map. The process is simple:
- Select your trip type and add your trip
- Style your map, move / edit your labels
- Select your size and material type and submit your order!
Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Location Business News at CES
Location Business News will be onsite at CES in Las Vegas from Jan. 3 to Jan. 7, 2023. Interview requests are filling up. Contact Kevin Dennehy at kdennehy@driverlessreport.com to schedule an interview/product demonstration.
Oriient Partners With Google, Gains Marketplace Entry
Oriient, which offers the indoorGPS software, is now on the Google Cloud Marketplace. Through its partnership with Google GOOG 0.00%↑, businesses on Google Cloud now have access to indoorGPS using the same procurement and consolidated billing.
Oriient uses smartphone sensors to deliver in-store location to within 3 feet, or 1 meter, the company said. Features include indoor navigation, proximity messaging and location-based insights on shopper’s journeys.
Contact: Amy Kenigsberg, for Oriient, (913) 440-4072, amy@k2-gc.com, www.oriient.me.
Spirent Launches SimORBIT For LEO Satellite Applications
Spirent Communications [SPT] has announced the availability of SimORBIT software for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite simulation. Created with SpacePNT, Spirent SimORBIT enables developers to calculate LEO orbits more precisely and realistically for GNSS/PNT testing, the company said.
“Until now, PNT testing on LEO applications has been limited due to the lack of an integrated solution that could offer realistic LEO orbital data together with GNSS simulation capabilities,” explained Adam Price, Spirent’s vice president of PNT Simulation, in a statement.
Contact: Janet Peng, Spirent Communications, 86 (10) 823 30055, ext. 160, janet.peng@spirent.com, www.spirent.com.
PreAct Technologies Rolls Out Flash Lidar
PreAct Technologies has launched its T30P Flash Lidar. PreAct says T30P is the industry’s first software-definable Flash Lidar for a vehicle’s ADAS system that provides revenue opportunities for automakers.
The unit is available through Digi-Key Electronics, Argo in Japan, or directly through PreAct. The company is exhibiting at CES in LVCC West Hall, Booth 4677.
Contact: PreAct Technologies, www.preact-tech.com.
Mapbox Announces New Location Platform Updates
Mapbox has announced new location platform updates that allow new location-aware applications. These include the Matrix API that delivers improved up-to-date routes and ETAs to enable advanced functionality on fleet optimization and cost savings. Other features include Navigation SDK with Drop-in UI, Navigation SDK Copilot that provides fleet companies insight into route performance and Maps Internationalization that improvise user experience while saving hours and days of backend coding, the company said.
Contact: Mapbox, www.mapbox.com.
Russia Launches Last GLONASS-M Satellite
A Soyuz rocket launched a GLONASS-M satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Nov. 28. The spacecraft, designated Cosmos 2564, according to Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency. The last GLONASS launch was in October.
The satellite is the 61st and final spacecraft in the GLONASS-M line, which was first launched in 2003, according to published reports. It will operate 12,000 miles above the Earth. Russia will be launching the newer GLONASS-K, first launched in 2011, in the future. However, reports indicate that production of these newer satellites have been delayed due to sanctions stemming from the Ukraine invasion.
INRIX Launches Alternative Dataset to Identify Trading Opportunities
INRIX has announced INRIX Trips Plus, a “tickerized” geolocation alternative dataset to help investment managers evaluate performance and identify trading opportunities, the company said. Trips Plus is a dataset that combines anonymous and aggregated connected vehicle (passenger and commercial) and mobile device data, with U.S. points of interest (POI) information including parking lots and building footprints from SafeGraph. By analyzing travel habits to and from POIs – like theme parks, restaurants, hotels, and manufacturing facilities – investment managers can gain valuable insights for investment decisions, the company said.
Contact: INRIX, www.inrix.com.
News Without Motives.
1440 is the daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between - in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.
Parkopedia Powers BMW Parking, Partners With Desay SV
Parkopedia’s new service will be installed in all vehicles with BMW Operating System 7 and 8 to enable drivers pay for parking in Germany and Austria, with plans for further expansion to other European countries in 2023.
In other company news, Parkopedia has partnered with Desay SV to provide parking services, including payments, to Chinese automakers and their drivers. Parkopedia collects parking payment QR codes for each location and embeds these into the vehicle’s infotainment system to be displayed to the driver in the correct location or zone, the company said.
Contact: Hilary Qian, Parkopedia, 86 15102184863, hilary.qian@parkopedia.com.
GPS Insight Enhances Field Service Management Suite
GPS Insight has made enhancements to its integrated Field Service Management (FSM) suite. The company, which purchased FMS companies ServiceBridge and FieldAware, says the market will grow 19 percent. The company also purchased fleet and field services company Certified Tracking Solutions.
The FSM suite is integrated with the GPS Insight fleet management to allow businesses to toggle between fleet and field applications and schedule jobs based on technician working hours, skills and permits, the company said.
Contact: Bailey Wray, for GPS Insight, (318) 470-5403, bailey.wray@anthonybarnum.com, www.gpsinsight.com.
Skypath Security Partners With Rypplzz
Skypath Security has partnered with Rypplzz to integrate its Mobile Defense Platform in workplace facilities to mitigate workplace threats and hazards. Rypplzz’ spatial computing and geolocation platform enables location-based monitoring in warehouses, construction sites, stadiums, parks and entertainment venues, the company said.
Contact: Skypath Security, (401) 351-7900, info@skypath.com, www.skypath.com.
People:
CalAmp CAMP 0.00%↑ has named Jikun Kim as senior vice president and CFO. Kim currently serves as CFO of Momentus MNTS 0.00%↑. Cindy Zhang will cease service as interim CFO and continue as senior vice president, financial planning and analysis.
Navenio named Bill Kloes as COO. Kloes was vice president of customer operations at McKesson.
Frank Fischer has been appointed as executive vice president of global marketing and communications for UnaBiz. Fischer was CEO and general manager of adeunis.
Taoglas Antennas has named Bryan Young as regional sales manager, mobility and infrastructure. Young had leadership positionis at Verizon VZ 0.00%↑ and Sierra Wireless.
Airspace Link has named Sonny Beech as vice president of business development. Beach was director, Atrius Platform sales for Acuity Brands.
Jobs
Manager, Product Management, Maps. Apple.
Director – Content Product Owner - Platform Foundation. HERE Technologies.
Sales Manager - Small & Medium Enterprise. TomTom.
Click HERE to Join our growing Location Business News LinkedIn Group!