u-blox Acquires Rigado's Bluetooth Module Business
Expanding Low-Energy Bluetooth Technology Through Acquisitions
| Accelerate the development of new sales channels and markets

u-blox has expanded its Bluetooth product line.

u-blox announced on July 31 that it has acquired Rigado's Bluetooth module business through an asset purchase agreement.

Rigado is a provider of Edge-as-a-Service (EaaS) gateway solutions for commercial services, and has been supplying certified wireless communication modules to the market since 2015.

This acquisition expands u-blox's product portfolio in the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee and Thread segments, while also providing access to new markets and channels.

u-blox has also added new modules to its short-range wireless communication product line targeting consumer markets such as sports and fitness. At the same time, existing Riga customers will have access to purchasing and technical support for all u-blox solutions for IoT applications, including Wi-Fi, cellular and positioning solutions, and will have access to u-blox' global support system.

“This acquisition is an opportunity to expand u-blox’s portfolio and reach new channels and customers in the smart home, wearables and fitness segments,” said Herbert Blaser, Head of Product Center, Short Range Radio, at u-blox. “Our continued collaboration with partners like Digi-Key and Future Electronics will help us provide a smooth technology transition.”

“The acquisition of the module business provides Rigado with the momentum to accelerate growth in the gateway market, particularly in key solution segments such as smart buildings and asset tracking,” said Greg Rau, President of Rigado.

“Other key individuals from Rigado’s module business unit will join u-blox’s Short Range Radio product strategy team,” said Ben Corrado, former CEO of Rigado. “The existing Rigado office in Salem, Oregon, will become u-blox’s North American Short Range Radio engineering center.”

“The Liga Bluetooth module portfolio will be rebranded as u-blox and integrated into the u-blox short-range radio product family,” he added.