TomTom acquires self-driving startup Autonomos

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Danette Breitenbach

Amsterdam-based navigation and mapping company TomTom has acquired Autonomos, a Berlin-based self-driving startup - a deal which is believed to strengthen TomTom's position in autonomous driving. The valuation of the deal remains undisclosed.

Autonomos has provided research and development consultancy services for automated vehicle assistance systems and has built up expertise and technologies in the process, including a full demonstration-level autonomous driving software stack, 3D sensor technology, and digital image processing. The company was established in 2012 after the founders had worked for several years in successful autonomous driving research projects at the Free University of Berlin.

With the acquisition of Autonomos, TomTom is joined by a team that traces its lineage back to the DARPA Grand Challenge competitions. The team will advance TomTom’s map-based products for autonomous driving applications. Having an in-house autonomous driving stack will enable TomTom to better serve customers with its products, including its HD map, RoadDNA localisation technology, as well as its navigation, traffic and other cloud services.

“This is an important development for TomTom as it will help us to continue to strengthen our capabilities for the future of driving and expand our knowledge and expertise,” says Harold Goddijn, CEO and co-founder of TomTom. “With this deal we are further positioning ourselves as one of the leaders in autonomous driving.”