ON Semiconductor announced that it has acquired SensL Technologies (SensL).

This acquisition expands ON Semiconductor’s capabilities in imaging, radar and LiDAR, while strengthening its market leadership in automotive sensing applications for ADAS and autonomous driving.

Furthermore, by combining SensL’s technology capabilities with the radar technology companies and design centers previously acquired in the UK and Ireland, ON Semiconductor is expected to be able to provide sensor solutions for next-generation autonomous vehicles and solidify its position as a leader in image sensing. In the second half of 2018, ON Semiconductor plans to launch samples of technology from the radar assets acquired last year into the market.

“SensL, founded by Carl Jackson and led by Bryan Campbell, has done a great job bringing SiPM to market, and we plan to further build on this market success and continue to expand our product portfolio across LiDAR technology, medical imaging, and radiography,” said Taner Ozcelik, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Image Sensor Group.

He continued, “The demand for automotive sensor fusion is growing at a rapid pace, driven by the growing need for additional sensor technologies that SensL offers. Expanding our sensor technology and design capabilities in Ireland will enable us to strengthen our market leadership in established segments and deliver world-class solutions for emerging segments.”

SensL will report directly to the Image Sensor Group. The team is based in Cork, Ireland and currently has an expanding global sensor design footprint with key locations in the US, UK, Japan, India, Israel and Ireland.

SensL is a leader in the emerging medical imaging space today, with a broad product line in SiPM and SPAD technologies, pioneering the affordable solid-state LiDAR market. With a strong roadmap and multiple customers, based on leading SPAD and SiPM-based depth sensing technologies, SensL is a leader in the emerging automotive LiDAR market, and has been leading the depth sensing technology field with continuous investment for the past 15 years.

This technology enables economies of scale for cost-effective solid-state LiDAR solutions, and is based on CMOS, which supports precise depth sensing and excellent range measurement and power consumption in challenging imaging situations. Depth sensing technology is also driving advancements in industrial robotics, machine vision and drone technology, as well as mobile and consumer applications. By combining ON Semiconductor’s product line and powerful ASIC technology with SensL’s sensors, ON Semiconductor can provide more complete and optimized solutions to a wider customer base in the automotive, medical, industrial and consumer markets.

This acquisition solidifies ON Semiconductor’s position as a leading provider of sensing solutions for autonomous driving and ADAS applications with a comprehensive portfolio including imaging, radar, ultrasonic and LiDAR technologies.