u-blox Acquires Rigado Bluetooth Modules Business

According to a recent announcement, u-blox, a provider of positioning and wireless communication technologies, has acquired Rigado’s Bluetooth modules business in an Asset Purchase Agreement. Rigado is a provider of Edge-as-a-Service gateway solutions for Commercial IoT, and began offering certified wireless modules in 2015.

The company said this acquisition will allow it to extend its range of products in the area of Bluetooth low energy, Zigbee and Thread, and to access additional market segments and channels. The combined short range radio offering adds new modules targeting consumer oriented markets like sport and fitness, while Rigado’s existing customers reportedly will get access to all u-blox Wi Fi, cellular, and positioning solutions for their IoT applications. In addition, Rigado’s customers will benefit from u-blox’s global support capabilities.

“Rigado’s Bluetooth modules business complements our already extensive portfolio and gives us access to more channels and new interesting customers in the area of smart home, wearables, as well as fitness,” said Herbert Blaser, Head Product Center Short Range Radio, u-blox. “We’re also looking forward to the ongoing collaboration with distribution partners like Digi key or Future Electronics, where we’ll be able to offer a seamless transition”, he noted.

“We’re very proud of both our market leading modules division and Rigado’s fast growing edge infrastructure gateway business”, said Greg Rau, President, Rigado. “The value we capture from the acquisition of the modules division will allow us to further accelerate Rigado’s growth in the gateway market – especially in key solution areas such as smart building and asset tracking.”  

Going forward, Ben Corrado, former CEO of Rigado, will be part of u-blox’s Short Range Radio product strategy team. In addition, other key Rigado modules division staff have joined u-blox, and the existing Rigado office in Salem, Oregan, will be the North American Short Range Radio Engineering Center for u-blox.

The Rigado Bluetooth modules portfolio will be re branded under the u-blox name and integrated into the short range radio offering.