indie Semiconductor Extends Automotive Photonics Leadership With Advanced Optical Component Integration Capabilities

Rhea-AI Summary

indie Semiconductor (Nasdaq: INDI) has expanded its photonics capabilities by adding in-house photonics integration, packaging, and system test capabilities. This enhancement allows the company to offer complete photonics sub-systems for rapid solution evaluation, pre-production validation, and low volume production. The development targets automotive applications including ADAS sensing, head-up displays, and gyroscopes. According to S&P Global Mobility, the automotive optical components market was valued at $6.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $9.2 billion by 2030. First production deployments are expected in the first half of 2025.

Positive

• Market opportunity in automotive optical components projected to grow from $6.5B (2023) to $9.2B (2030)
• Enhanced capabilities enable complete photonics sub-systems offering
• Strategic expansion into high-value automotive and industrial applications

Negative

• Production deployments not expected until first half of 2025

Insights

Market Research Analyst

The expansion into photonics integration represents a significant strategic move for indie Semiconductor. The $6.5 billion automotive optical components market in 2023, projected to reach $9.2 billion by 2030, offers substantial growth potential. This vertical integration strategy addresses critical supply chain and integration challenges while capturing higher margins through value-added services.

The company's leveraging of TeraXion and EXALOS acquisitions demonstrates effective M&A execution, creating synergies in the automotive ADAS and industrial segments. With production deployments targeted for H1 2025, this positions indie to capture a larger share of the automotive photonics value chain, potentially improving gross margins and competitive positioning against larger players.

Tech Expert

The technical advancement in offering complete photonics sub-systems is particularly noteworthy. By combining component manufacturing with integration and testing capabilities, indie addresses a important market gap. This end-to-end solution significantly reduces complexity for OEMs, who traditionally struggle with optical component integration and reliability validation.

The focus on automated assembly and packaging is important for maintaining automotive-grade quality standards while achieving scale. This capability extension enables indie to move up the value chain from component supplier to system-level partner, potentially leading to stronger customer relationships and higher revenue per customer.

Enables complete photonics sub-system development and integration of optical components for rapid customer deployment across automotive and adjacent market segments

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- indie Semiconductor (Nasdaq: INDI), an automotive solutions innovator, has extended its photonics offering with the addition of in-house photonics integration, packaging and system test capabilities. By combining a class-leading optical component portfolio through indie’s prior acquisitions of TeraXion and EXALOS, with the latest in-house advanced automated assembly, packaging and optical test capabilities, indie can now offer customers complete photonics sub-systems for rapid solution evaluation, pre-production validation, and low volume production. This strategic capability supports automotive and mobility applications including Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensing, head-up displays, gyroscopes, and several adjacent industrial segments which also mandate similar precision, quality and reliability performance as the automotive sector.

(Graphic: Business Wire)

S&P Global Mobility estimates that the market in 2023 for optical components in the automotive segment alone was $6.5 billion, growing to an impressive $9.2 billion by 2030. The integration of these discrete optical components such as lasers, Superluminescent Emitting Diodes (SLEDs), photodiodes and gratings into photonic sub-systems drives substantial additional value by enabling system integrators and OEMs to practically and rapidly deploy optics-enabled capabilities into their user-end applications with higher reliability and significantly simplified supply chain logistics.

“indie has built a world-class optical components portfolio through targeted acquisition and organic growth. In our engagements with key customers, a consistent request to indie - beyond supplying innovative optical components - has been to also solve their component integration, reliability and supply chain logistics challenges by offering complete photonics sub-systems,” said Mathieu Drolet, executive vice president of indie’s photonics business unit. “Our turnkey photonic design, integration and full-system test capability will help unlock time-to-market and commercial deployment opportunities for a broad customer and segment base.”

indie is currently developing commercial photonics integration solutions for multiple customers, with first production deployments anticipated in the first half of 2025.

About indie

Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, CA, indie is empowering the automotive revolution with next generation semiconductors, photonics and software platforms. We focus on developing innovative, high-performance and energy-efficient technology for ADAS, in-cabin user experience and electrification applications. Our mixed-signal SoCs enable edge sensors spanning Radar, LiDAR, Ultrasound, and Computer Vision, while our embedded system control, power management and interfacing solutions transform the in-cabin experience and accelerate increasingly automated and electrified vehicles. As a global innovator, we are an approved vendor to Tier 1 partners and our solutions can be found in marquee automotive OEMs worldwide.

Please visit us at www.indiesemi.com to learn more.

Safe Harbor Statement

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning indie Semiconductor such as the features, functionality, performance, availability, development, timing and expected benefits of indie Semiconductor products and technology, including its photonics products and the market for optical components. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future business and financial performance and prospects, and other statements identified by words such as “will likely result,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “outlook,” “should,” “could,” “may” or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results included in such forward-looking statements. In addition to the factors previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on February 29, 2023 and in our other public reports filed with the SEC (including those identified under “Risk Factors” therein), the following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, rising interest rates and volatility in the credit and financial markets; the impacts of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; our reliance on contract manufacturing and outsourced supply chain and the availability of semiconductors and manufacturing capacity; competitive products and pricing pressures; our ability to win competitive bid selection processes and achieve additional design wins; the impact of recent acquisitions made and any other acquisitions we may make, including our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and risks that the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions may not be fully realized or take longer to realize than expected; our ability to develop, market and gain acceptance for new and enhanced products and expand into new technologies and markets; trade restrictions and trade tensions; our ability to build, staff and integrate new design, testing, sales and marketing facilities throughout the world; and political and economic instability in our target markets. All forward looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements.

Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this announcement or in our other public filings, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241119166554/en/

Investor Relations

ir@indiesemi.com

Source: indie Semiconductor

FAQ

What is indie Semiconductor's (INDI) new photonics capability announcement?

indie Semiconductor announced the addition of in-house photonics integration, packaging, and system test capabilities, enabling complete photonics sub-systems development and integration.

What is the market size for automotive optical components according to S&P Global Mobility?

According to S&P Global Mobility, the automotive optical components market was $6.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $9.2 billion by 2030.

When will INDI begin production deployments of their photonics integration solutions?

indie Semiconductor expects to begin first production deployments in the first half of 2025.

What applications will INDI's new photonics capabilities target?

The capabilities will target automotive applications including ADAS sensing, head-up displays, gyroscopes, and adjacent industrial segments requiring precision, quality, and reliability performance.