STMicroelectronics acquires UWB and cellular technology suppliers to expand its wireless product portfolio

STMicroelectronics recently announced the acquisition of UWB supplier BeSpoon and cellular IoT supplier Riot Micro, marking the company's continued expansion of its IoT-related product lines.

“Cellular IoT and ultra-wideband technologies are key wireless connectivity solutions that are driving the next wave of innovative IoT applications,” said Claude Dardanne, Vice President and President of STMicroelectronics’ MDG Division. “These acquisitions complement ST’s existing wireless microcontroller products, including Bluetooth and IEEE 802.15.4 communication protocols, as well as the world’s first SoC system supporting LoRa. With these acquisitions, we will address all wireless IoT communication protocols.”

BeSpoon, headquartered in France, is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2010 that specializes in UWB. Their UWB technology enables secure real-time indoor positioning with centimeter accuracy in harsh environments.

Integrating this critical secure positioning technology into the STM32 portfolio will enable developers of IoT, automotive and mobile communications applications to offer services such as secure access and precise indoor and outdoor mapping.

ST will acquire BeSpoon from its major shareholder TRUMPF and its founders. At the same time as the transaction, ST and TRUMPF will establish a strategic partnership based on UWB tracking technology.

Riot Micro, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, designs cellular IoT solutions by applying mature design technologies from Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi to LTE Cat-M and NB-IoT to optimize system cost and power consumption. Integrating cellular communication capabilities into the STM32 portfolio will strengthen ST's services to customers in applications such as asset tracking, metering and fleet management services.