Recently, German giant Bosch acquired MEMS speaker manufacturer Arioso Systems, which will further expand its consumer electronics sensor business. It is reported that Bosch and Arioso Systems signed a relevant agreement, agreeing not to disclose any details of the project, such as the purchase price, etc. The acquisition still needs to be approved by the anti-monopoly agency.
As one of the leading industrial enterprises in Germany, BOSCH GROUP was established in 1886. Currently, Bosch has four business units: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, Energy and Building Technology.
With the advancement and development of science and technology, the global consumer electronics industry has ushered in a golden age. Under the strategy of increasing the layout of the consumer electronics sensor business, Bosch recently acquired Arioso Systems, a MEMS speaker manufacturer, and is preparing to enter the MEMS speaker market segment with promising market prospects.
According to public information, Arioso Systems was established in 2019 and is a startup company independently operated from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (Fraunhofer IPMS) in Germany. Headquartered in Dresden, Germany, it is the most innovative company in the world. One of the leading MEMS speaker technology manufacturers. After being acquired by Bosch, its technology will expand the Bosch MEMS portfolio for wearable and hearable devices.
Arioso Systems has developed a novel acoustic transducer using an innovative energy-efficient acoustic transducer principle. Unlike traditional speakers, this new MEMS acoustic transducer does not use traditional diaphragm technology, but uses multiple sets of curved diaphragm actuators with different lengths to form a chip cavity. The sound is produced by squeezing the gas in the enclosed space by moving a vertically oriented diaphragm laterally within the silicon chip. The result is a much smaller MEMS speaker that produces sound pressure levels (SPL) of up to 120 dB in an active area of 10 square millimeters. Thanks to all-silicon MEMS electrostatic actuation and extremely low capacitance, Arioso Systems technology can save power for new sensor applications in demanding hearables such as TWS headsets and other wearables.
The addition of Arioso Systems not only further expands Bosch’s expertise in sensing solutions in the field of MEMS speakers, but the combination of Arioso Systems’ unique and innovative technical concepts and Bosch’s unique market advantages will promote a more diversified product portfolio, which is expected to shape The emerging market for MEMS loudspeakers worldwide strengthens Bosch’s position as a technology leader in this field.
The Internet of the future will be mobile and audio-based, including listening, speaking, and devices with more and more functions requiring smaller form factors and longer battery life. Therefore, smart in-ear device components will become smaller, lighter, smarter and more scalable. According to Yole forecast, the overall market size of micro speakers is expected to grow from $9 billion in 2020 to $11 billion in 2026, and the market share of MEMS speakers will also grow rapidly.