Samsung's Harman acquires leading automotive brand ZF's ADAS unit for $1.76 billion

Samsung has announced that Harman International, its audio and automotive technology firm, is acquiring the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) division of the globally renowned automotive firm ZF. This is a high-profile acquisition and gives Samsung a strong foothold in the modern connected cars segment.

Harman International will acquire ZF's ADAS division at a valuation of €1.5 billion (~$1.76 billion). This division makes ADAS systems, compute solutions, radar systems, and smart cameras for vehicles. With the help of these technologies, Harman can accelerate its software-defined vehicles (SDV) solutions for carmakers.

ZF's ADAS capabilities will be integrated into Harman's Digital Cockpit solution, offering a centralized compute design for next-generation connected cars and vehicles. It will offer assisted and automated driving solutions to cars. Harman and ZF will streamline the system design, reduce integration complexity, and bring more efficiency and speed to their connected automotive solutions.

Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group, said, “With HARMAN, we have found the ideal partner to fully unlock the growth and innovation potential of our ADAS business. At the same time, this deal makes an important contribution to reducing our company’s debt and allows us to focus our resources on the core technologies in which ZF is a global leader.“

Harman International, one of the world's most popular audio and automotive technology firms, was acquired by Samsung Electronics for around $8 billion. Since then, the company has scaled its business from $7 billion to over $11 billion today. With ZF's technologies, its business will grow further and deliver more intelligent and safer cars.