Irvine-based Syntiant Corp. to Acquire Consumer MEMS Microphones Business of Knowles Corp. - Los Angeles Times
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Irvine-based Syntiant Corp. to Acquire Consumer MEMS Microphones Business of Knowles Corp.

B2B Industries
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Syntiant Corp. in Irvine entered into an agreement to acquire the Consumer MEMS Microphones (CMM) business of Knowles Corp. for $150 million on Sept. 18. The transaction is expected to close by year-end.

The Knowles CMM business is a manufacturer and supplier of high-performance micro-electro-mechanical systems microphones that are utilized in voice and audio applications in smartphones, smart speakers and wearables. The microphones are also used in household appliances and cars. The unit generated $256 million in revenue for fiscal year 2023 and $136 million during the first half of 2024.

“We believe almost every microphone of the future will be AI-enabled, as large language models continue to revolutionize industries by improving natural language understanding and automating complex tasks,” said Kurt Busch, chief executive at Syntiant, in a statement.

The acquisition consists of $70 million in cash and $80 million of preferred stock to be issued upon closing. Jefferies served as exclusive financial advisor to Knowles, and Sidley Austin served as legal counsel. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal advisor to Syntiant while Needham & Company acted as financial advisor to Syntiant on the transaction.

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