A Connecticut-based company that specializes in automotive technology and lifestyle audio says it has entered an agreement to acquire another business, a transaction valued at €1.5 billion, or $1.8 billion at current currency rates.
The recent deal is by Harman International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and is to acquire the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business of ZF Group, according to Harman.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business of ZF Group is comprised of “automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars and ADAS software functions,” also according to Harman.
Advanced driver assistance systems are designed to assist drivers with safety, such as in backing up, avoiding crashes and more, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
As a result of the agreement, about 3,750 ZF employees in Europe, the Americas and Asia are expected to transition to Harman after the closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the second half of 2026, subject to receiving “necessary regulatory approvals,” according to Harman.
Emails seeking further comment were sent to Harman.
Integrating ZF’s ADAS capabilities with Harman’s flagship Digital Cockpit “offerings within a centralized compute design” allows the acquisition to bolster Harman’s “roadmap for next-generation vehicle architectures,” the company said in a statement. “The combination creates a foundation for future central compute solutions that bring assisted and automated driving solutions, safety and user experiences on a shared platform.”
The approach “streamlines system design, reduces integration complexity, and supports more efficient innovation cycles, allowing HARMAN to enable OEMs to scale differentiated, context-aware vehicle experiences,” according to Harman.
“The industry is at an inflection point where safety, intelligence, and in-cabin experience must come together through a unified computing architecture,” said Christian Sobottka, CEO and president, Automotive Division, Harman, in the statement.
“With this agreement, we take a strategic step to expand our portfolio with complementary ADAS capabilities that unlock a new class of cross-domain experiences ranging from perception-informed audio cues to more personalized, situation-aware driving,” Sobottka said. “Combined with HARMAN’s long-standing automotive expertise and supported by Samsung’s broader technology leadership, this positions us to help OEMs design the next generation of intelligent, empathetic, and connected vehicles.”
Harman said its strategy focuses on “bringing the speed, intelligence, and intuitive experiences consumers expect from leading technology brands into vehicles, while also meeting the highest standards for automotive safety, reliability, and long-term platform support.”
Further, as automakers “accelerate toward software-defined vehicles… this approach enables experiences that seamlessly connect safety and assisted driving functions with comfort, connectivity, and in-vehicle intelligence.”
Harman said the acquisition means it “secured strategic inroads in the ADAS and central compute platforms markets, reinforcing a foundation that anchors and advances its role in the fast-growing SDV market.”
Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group said that with Harman, “we have found the ideal partner to fully unlock the growth and innovation potential of our ADAS business.”
“At the same time, this deal makes an important contribution to reducing our company’s debt and allows us to focus our resources on the core technologies in which ZF is a global leader,” Miedreich said.
Young Sohn, chairman of the board of directors, Harman and senior advisor, Samsung Electronics, said “Samsung has a successful record of strategic acquisitions that accelerate innovation and expand what’s possible for our customers.”
“Since acquiring HARMAN in 2017, the company has scaled its automotive and audio business from $7 billion to more than $11 billion today,” Sohn said in a statement. “Adding ZF’s ADAS capabilities builds on that momentum. HARMAN will further expand its technology foundation to deliver safer, more intelligent, and more intuitive in-vehicle experiences. This acquisition reinforces HARMAN’s leadership in the industry’s transformation and underscores Samsung’s long term commitment to the future of mobility.”
“This transaction marks a major milestone in the execution of [Harman’s] long-term strategy and further strengthens our portfolio,” said Carolin Reichert, chief strategy officer of HARMAN. “Throughout the process, we worked in a very constructive collaboration with ZF and demonstrated our ability to successfully execute a highly complex carve-out.”
After the closing, Harman said, it plans to “integrate ZF’s ADAS capabilities into its centralized compute and digital cockpit roadmap, enabling OEMs to deploy more scalable, safety-integrated vehicle architectures. The companies will maintain strong support for existing programs while aligning engineering, ADAS and compute teams to accelerate innovation for next-generation platforms.”
Harman said its brands include JBL®, Harman Kardon®, AKG®, Bowers & Wilkins®, Denon®, and Marantz® and that more than 50 million vehicles worldwide rely on its technologies to “deliver safer, smarter, and more intuitive in-cabin experiences.” It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and has about 26,000 employees worldwide.
ZF said it supplies “advanced mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology.” It has some 161,600 employees worldwide, operates 161 production locations in 30 countries, and reported sales of €41.4 billion in fiscal 2024.