Google to acquire stake in wearable display maker

Stefan Mileschin · 24th July 2013, 06:24

Google has agreed to purchase a 6.3-percent stake in Taiwanese microdisplay maker Himax Display.

The outfit specialises in the production of tiny LCOS chips and modules, used in pico projectors, head-up displays and wearable products such as Google Glass.

The deal should be finalised by the end of the third quarter, but the financial terms have not been disclosed yet. Google also has an option to scoop up more shares within a year of closing the deal, which means it could end up owning a 14.8-percent stake in the company.

Himax Technologies currently has an 81.5 percent stake in Himax Display, Bloomberg reports.

Himax said the purpose of the deal is to fund production upgrades, extend capacity and enhance capabilities in Himax Display’s facilities involved in the production of LCOS chips and modules.

Over the last few years the company has specialised in head-mounted displays and wearable tech, which is what Google appears to be after.

However, Google Glass is still an immature and unproven product, so we shouldn’t read much into the investment. It does not mean Google will start churning out millions of Glass-like devices any time soon.

http://news.techeye.net/mobile/googl...-display-maker

24th July 2013, 06:24	#1
Stefan Mileschin [M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania Posts: 148,597	Google to acquire stake in wearable display maker Google has agreed to purchase a 6.3-percent stake in Taiwanese microdisplay maker Himax Display. The outfit specialises in the production of tiny LCOS chips and modules, used in pico projectors, head-up displays and wearable products such as Google Glass. The deal should be finalised by the end of the third quarter, but the financial terms have not been disclosed yet. Google also has an option to scoop up more shares within a year of closing the deal, which means it could end up owning a 14.8-percent stake in the company. Himax Technologies currently has an 81.5 percent stake in Himax Display, Bloomberg reports. Himax said the purpose of the deal is to fund production upgrades, extend capacity and enhance capabilities in Himax Display’s facilities involved in the production of LCOS chips and modules. Over the last few years the company has specialised in head-mounted displays and wearable tech, which is what Google appears to be after. However, Google Glass is still an immature and unproven product, so we shouldn’t read much into the investment. It does not mean Google will start churning out millions of Glass-like devices any time soon. http://news.techeye.net/mobile/googl...-display-maker

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