CARIAD to strengthen in-house expertise in active safety functions

CARIAD Group intends to acquire 24.5% of shares in VAIVA GmbH, an automotive active safety expert, from ANDATA, which is one of the leading artificial intelligence companies in the automotive software space. CARIAD Group and ANDATA have signed a share purchase agreement to that effect, completion of which remains subject to approval by antitrust authorities. Following completion, CARIAD Group would own 100% of VAIVA GmbH, thereby further strengthening CARIAD’s in-house expertise in active safety functions.

Several fundamental transformations must be mastered in parallel: electromobility, introduction of automated and connected driving, shift to software-defined vehicles. Ways of working are changing with the introduction of new development processes through artificial intelligence, data-based development as well as new collaboration and cooperation models. This requires a clear focus, concentration, and coordination of the various areas of expertise.

In this context CARIAD and ANDATA intend to reorganize their cooperation through the VAIVA joint venture. CARIAD Group plans to acquire the remaining 24.5% stake in VAIVA GmbH currently owned by ANDATA (Hallein, Austria). Audi Electronics Venture has held 75.5% of shares in the Joint Venture since its foundation in 2009 and CARIAD Group stepped in as shareholder at a later stage.

ANDATA will be able to focus on the innovation fields and new topics of customers within and outside the VW Group; driving forward and contributing its own solutions. VW Group brands will still have direct access to ANDATA's approaches and new solutions in connected and system-oriented development. This will facilitate collaboration with third parties (e.g. infrastructure operators and technology suppliers) - a necessity in future connected driving - and the formation of new, cross-sector innovation networks.

VAIVA has already supplied CARIAD and the Volkswagen Group with active safety functions for many years and benefitted from its long-lasting expertise in automotive safety software development. While passive safety systems, including predictive passenger protection, merely mitigate the consequences of an accident, active safety systems aim to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. This includes informing, warning, braking, and steering.

VAIVA’s strong knowledge base in developing active safety functions, simulation and accident analysis will enable CARIAD to cover 100% of active safety functions and software development in-house. The transaction represents an important step on CARIAD’s way to deliver a market-defining, 360° active safety platform with a dedicated software stack for individual functions.

“I would like to thank Birgit Kuhn for her valuable contribution to VAIVA in her function as shareholder representative. She helped establish the long and successful cooperation that has made VAIVA what it is today: a well-positioned player at the forefront of active safety technology for the European automotive industry. ANDATA has been a crucial partner for us and a major driver of innovation in the field of vehicle safety and connected, automated driving”, says CARIAD’s CFO André Stoffels.

Dr. Andreas Kuhn, CEO and CTO at ANDATA adds: "The introduction of cooperative, connected and automated driving requires in future new forms of cooperation and collaboration, cross-brand and cross-industry. We as ANDATA are pleased about the continuation of the cooperation and collaboration with the VW Group in the new setting, which also facilitates the introduction of additional new innovations by ANDATA. Above all, ANDATA will be able to better bridge the gap between the vehicle industry, infrastructure operators and other stakeholders and responsible parties in the transportation system."

"We welcome the new cooperative and more flexible organizational structure. The new structure allows us to better support and more easily integrate ANDATA innovations into our Roadmap. ANDATA will be directly available to us with full speed and innovative strength in the development of new vehicle functions," says Thomas Günther, Chief Launch Officer at CARIAD.

About ANDATA

ANDATA is a technology company specializing in the development and application of artificial intelligence and advanced simulation techniques since 2004. ANDATA has unique, combined expertise in the fields of integral safety, connected, automated driving and traffic automation. ANDATA is one of the founders of data-based development with artificial intelligence and modern development processes at Audi and VW.

About VAIVA

VAIVA GmbH was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between Audi Electronics Venture and ANDATA in order to establish ANDATA's development approaches more quickly within the VW Group. Since then, VAIVA has built up extensive expertise in the domains of ADAS, safety, virtual development and tooling with proven capabilities in timely and process-compliant implementation of safety-critical software. In addition to its end-to-end engineering services, VAIVA now offers technology & implementation advisory, and own products to facilitate system and software development.

About CARIAD

CARIAD is the automotive software company within the Volkswagen Group that bundles and further expands the Group's software competencies.

Established in 2020 under the name Car.Software Organization, CARIAD now has more than 6,500 experts worldwide working on a scalable technology stack for all Volkswagen Group brands, comprising a software platform, a unified electronic architecture, and a reliable connection to the automotive cloud. The company is also developing digital functions for the vehicle, including driver assistance systems, a standardized infotainment platform, software functions for linking powertrains, chassis and charging technology, as well as the new digital ecosystem and digital services in and around the vehicle. CARIADs software products can already be found in the Volkswagen ID. family – including for example the beloved ID. Buzz or ID. 7. The software platform E3 1.2, which launches in 2024, will empower the next generation of Audi and Porsche cars.

CARIAD has software competence centers in Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt, the Stuttgart region, Berlin and Munich, and has subsidiaries in China and the USA.