Qualcomm to acquire Autotalks for its automotive safety chip platforms

Qualcomm is making a move to expand beyond its more well-known business of making processors for smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Today, it announced that it plans to acquire Autotalks, an Israel-based chip company that was founded in 2009.

Qualcomm's press release says that Autotalks designs chips that are made for vehicle safety. These chips can help drivers avoid road hazards. The chips can also communicate with other vehicles to help improve response times. The press release added:

The combination of Autotalks’ expertise and industry-leading products with Qualcomm’s 20 years of automotive industry experience and commitment to V2X aims to help accelerate the development and adoption of V2X solutions to improve traffic efficiency and help with driver and road user safety.

When the deal closes, Qualcomm will incorporate Autotalks' tech into its Snapdragon Digital Chassis automobile platform. The deal is still subject to regulatory approvals. There was no mention of how much Qualcomm is paying for Autotalks, but TechCrunch reports via unnamed sources that Qualcomm will pay between $350 million to $400 million for the company.

Earlier this year, Qualcomm announced the development of a new chip called Snapdragon Ride Flex, which will put in automated driving (AD) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on one chip.