Automotive technology supplier Aptiv said Tuesday it has agreed to buy software firm Wind River from private equity firm TPG Capital for $4.3 billion in cash as it seeks to capitalize on a surge in spending by automakers to digitalize their cars.
The all-cash deal will expand Aptiv's footprint in an area that is fast becoming the next battleground for automakers, which are spending billions of dollars to enable over-the-air updates and add smartphone-like features.
Once owned by Intel Corp., Wind River develops software and cloud systems for several industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical and telecommunications. Last year it generated revenue of about $400 million.
Aptiv said it would finance the deal through a combination of cash and debt. Shares in Aptiv fell 3.25 percent to close the day at $159.70.
"The automotive industry is undergoing its largest transformation in over a century, as connected, software-defined vehicles increasingly become critical elements of the broader intelligent ecosystem," Aptiv CEO Kevin Clark said in a statement.
"Fully capitalizing on this opportunity requires comprehensive solutions that enable software to be developed faster, deployed seamlessly and optimized throughout the vehicle lifecycle by leveraging data-driven insights."
While only about 10 percent of Wind River’s revenue comes from its automotive business, company executives said the company’s experience in other industries — particularly telecom, aerospace and defense — will be a major benefit to Aptiv as it looks to boost business for its automotive software stack.
“This was unique, because we think some of the big answers to some of the big questions that are being faced by automotive and how to deploy software effectively across the fleets is actually going to come from other industries,” Aptiv CFO Joe Massaro said on a Tuesday call with analysts. “Wind River has a lot of that know-how and a lot of that understanding.”