Harman Makes First Investment in Head-up Display Maker after Its Acquisition by Samsung

Harman, a US-based company recently acquired by Samsung Electronics for US$ 8 billion, invested in a US head-up display start-up. This is the first investment move by Harman since Samsung’s acquisition of Harman. People are paying attention to whether or not synergies between Samsung Electronics and Harman will expand into the automotive display field.

According to the auto parts industry and foreign news on December 7, Harman invested in start-up "Navdy" with head-up display production technology. Navdy said it had raised US$ 42 million through a US semiconductor company, Qualcomm and venture capital firms, but did not specify how much Haman's invested in the company.

Navdy is a start-up that has technology to link a driver’s smartphones with his car’s head-up display. The driver can see the contents of his smartphone, check cell phone messages and listen to music through his car’s head-up display. When the phone comes in, a driver can use an action recognizing function that allows the user to move the hand to the left on the control wheel to receive the call and refuse the call by moving to the right. Navdy is selling this product for $ 799. It is said that Navdy has sold about 20,000 since 2014,

It is noteworthy whether or not a combination of technologies of Harman, the world's largest automobile infotainment company, and Navdy’s ideas will develop advanced connected-car technology. In addition, Navdy can expand into purchases of Haman's other electric parts if Navdy informs the driver that the car needs to be repaired.