Automotive Companies Merge to Advance AI Solution

Rather than continuing as competitors in the automotive market, Smart Eye and Affectiva are joining forces. Smart Eye will acquire Affectiva for USD $73.5 million. The companies are merging to create a transatlantic AI juggernaut that will lead and accelerate the growth and development of the automotive interior sensing market, as well as the media analytics and human factors research markets.

Smart Eye has over two decades of experience building AI-based eye tracking and delivering automotive-grade Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), as proven by 84 production contracts with 12 global OEMs. Spun out of MIT Media Lab in 2009, emotion AI pioneer Affectiva has, in recent years, broadened its technology to in-cabin sensing, using machine learning and computer vision to gain a deep, human-centric understanding of what is happening in a vehicle.

The combined company’s solution aims to not only improve automotive safety, saving human lives around the world, but also provide differentiated mobility experiences that enhance wellness, comfort and entertainment.

“As we watched the DMS category evolve into Interior Sensing, monitoring the whole cabin, we quickly recognized Affectiva as a major player to watch,” said Martin Krantz, Founder and CEO of Smart Eye. “Affectiva’s pioneering work in establishing the field of Emotion AI has served as a powerful platform for bringing this technology to market at scale. At the end of the day, this is about saving lives and bridging the gap between humans and machines. In the future, looking back at this moment in time, I am convinced that this is a decisive moment for road safety thanks to the announcement that we have made today.”

In addition to strengthening Smart Eye’s automotive offering, Affectiva brings significant incremental revenues and profit from its Media Analytics business. Affectiva’s enterprise-grade technology analyzes consumers’ emotional reactions to brand content and experiences. This technology has synergies with Smart Eye’s Research Instruments solutions, which provide research organizations with high-fidelity eye tracking systems for human factors research. The integration of Affectiva’s AI with Smart Eye’s eye tracking systems can provide human factors researchers and marketers with a more holistic and insightful view of people’s behaviors. Combined, the two companies will capitalize on the continued growth of behavioral technologies within the marketing and research industries, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The acquisition expands Smart Eye’s global presence. Affectiva’s Boston office gives Smart Eye a footprint within the US East Coast, and its Cairo office provides access to local talent. Smart Eye is headquartered in Gothenburg (Sweden), with offices in Detroit (US), Tokyo (Japan), Chongqing (China), and soon Germany.