Ams Osram Sells Sensor Unit Amid Photonics Refocus
Ams Osram announced it will sell its CMOS image sensor business to U.S.-based Indie Semiconductor for approximately €40 million (~$47 million) in cash, with closing expected within six months. The transaction includes €35 million (~$41 million) in cash and a €5 million (~$5.9 million) seller’s note payable after two years. The company said the divestment supports its strategy of concentrating investments on digital photonics applications, including AI photonics for optical interlinks in AI data centers and display technologies for AR smart glasses. About €20 million (~$23 million) of proceeds will be applied to further deleverage ams Osram’s balance sheet. In February, Infineon Technologies announced the acquisition of ams Osram’s non-optical analog/mixed-signal sensor portfolio for €570 million (~$678 million), on a debt-free, cash-free basis. “Infineon is reinforcing its leading position as a sensor supplier in the automotive, industrial, and medical markets with this acquisition, while ams Osram is divesting from non-strategic business,” Jérôme Mouly, director of imaging and sensing activities at Yole Group, then told EE Times. When asked whether further divestitures were planned, ams Osram’s spokesperson told EE Times, “These sales are decisive for our portfolio transformation. Our focus now is on execution, deleveraging, and operational performance while regularly reviewing our portfolio in line with our strategy.”