An AR Head-up Display SW Company in Germany

Apostera’s HUD technology (Image from the Apostera website)

Samsung Electronics's U.S. subsidiary Harman announced on Feb. 11 that it has acquired Apostera, a German augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) software company.

Founded in 2017, Apostera is a company that provides augmented reality and mixed reality software solutions.

Apostera supplied HUDs for Audi’s Q4 e-tron 2021. Harman is expected to  apply Apostera's technology to its digital cockpit (infotainment) products.

Apostera’s solutions are expected to strengthen Harman’s portfolio of electronic products by connecting the real world and the digital world. Digital cockpit generally refers to an airplane cockpit, but it is also used as a generic term for the front area of the driver’s seat and passenger seat located in the first row of the passenger car.

“Harman is dedicated to delivering in-car experiences with the speed and flexibility of consumer technology together with the reliability and performance of automotive-grade solutions,” said Christian Sobottka, Harman’s automotive division president.

“By seamlessly blending AR with the physical environment, Apostera’s mixed reality solution furthers this goal, transforming any display in the car into a richly contextual experience.”

Details of the contract, including the acquisition cost, were kept under wraps. However, considering that Apostera has only received a total of US$1 million (about 1.2 billion won) through two investment rounds (a seed investment and the issuance of convertible bonds) since its foundation in 2017, the acquisition cost is not expected to be large.

Whether Harman’s takeover of Apostera signals Samsung Electronics’ expansion of its automotive electronics business remains to be seen. Samsung Electronics has announced that it will seek several large-scale M&A deals. The amount of Samsung Electronics’ cash on hand stood at around 120 trillion won as of the third quarter of 2021. Its net cash excluding short- and long-term borrowings was about 103 trillion won. This means that Samsung Electronics has about 100 trillion won at its disposal for M&A deals.

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