Bosch wants to take over Atlatec

Atlatec has developed a technology for self-driving cars that can create high-resolution maps using a sensor box and AI. Bosch wants to strengthen its market position with the takeover.

Bosch would like to take over the Karlsruhe-based start-up Atlatec and continue to operate it as an independent company in its Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division. The contracts have already been signed, but the antitrust authorities still have to approve the takeover. The companies are not disclosing the purchase price.

Atlatec emerged from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in 2014 and is now active in Germany, Japan and the USA. The start-up has developed a technology for high-resolution digital maps for automated driving. A sensor box on the roof of the car collects raw data. Artificial intelligence evaluates this data and adds information on traffic signs, bend radii and structural features such as streetcar tracks. The algorithms learn as they go, which should make the maps created by Atlatec ever more accurate.

"In Bosch, we have found the right partner with whom we can take the next step. We want to further expand our expertise in the field of digital maps," says Atlatec Managing Director Henning Lategahn. Bosch wants to strengthen its market position in automated driving with this acquisition. This is because high-resolution maps become all the more important the higher the level of vehicle automation. Based on the maps, self-driving cars can adjust their speed before a bend, for example.