Silicon Labs Says $308M Purchase of Indian Chipmaker Quickens Wi-Fi 6 Work

Silicon Labs agreed to buy Redpine Signals’ connectivity business, including its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth assets, development center and patent portfolio, for $308 million in cash, it said Thursday. Integration of Redpine technology will accelerate Silicon Labs’ work on Wi-Fi 6 silicon, software and solutions, said the company. The acquisition also includes Bluetooth Classic IP (including Extended Data Rate) for audio applications including wearables, hearables, voice assistants and smart speakers. The deal includes an at-scale design center with about 200 employees in Hyderabad, India. Silicon Labs expects the transaction to add about $20 million in incremental revenue on an annualized basis for fiscal 2020; the deal is expected to close in Q2.