Qualcomm Technologies has announced it will buy Italian-based open-source hardware and software company Arduino.
Qualcomm said Arduino’s 33 million-plus users would be able to use its technologies to prototype and test new solutions “with a clear path to commercialisation”.
The acquisition built on its recent integrations of Edge Impulse and Foundries.io and reinforced its commitment to delivering a “full-stack edge platform” spanning hardware, software and cloud services.
“By combining Qualcomm Technologies’ leading‑edge processing, graphics, computer vision, and AI (artificial intelligence) with Arduino’s simplicity, affordability, and community, the Company is poised to supercharge developer productivity across industries,” Qualcomm said in a news release.
No price was announced for the acquisition, which is part of the global technology company’s plan to give more developers access to its technologies.
Arduino’s free electronics tools are used by entrepreneurs, businesses, technology professionals, students, educators and hobbyists to build prototypes of robots and other gadgets, and are popular for testing ideas or proving concepts.
Qualcomm’s Group General Manager, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT, Nakul Duggal, said its acquisitions were accelerating its vision to democratise access to leading‑edge AI and computing products for the global developer community.
“Arduino has built a vibrant global community of developers and creators. By combining their open-source ethos with Qualcomm Technologies’ portfolio of leading edge products and technologies, we’re helping enable millions of developers to create intelligent solutions faster and more efficiently—including a path towards global commercialisation by leveraging the scale of our ecosystem,” Duggal said.
The purchase is subject to regulatory approval and other conditions.
Qualcomm shares closed US$3.16 (1.87%) lower at $165.46, capitalising the company at $178.33 billion (A$270.9 billion).
