The heart of the AirTag beats to the rhythm of French technology! It was following the acquisition of a French company that Apple was able to develop the precise location function of its lost object tracker.
Apple regularly takes out the checkbook to offer the services of small businesses, but the American manufacturer very rarely announces its new acquisitions. He has not yet confirmed anything for Blinksight, a French startup based near Caen, but the appointment last July of Peter Denwood at the head of the company leaves no doubt. The international legal manager of the Californian giant also manages Apple France, Apple Retail France and other French entities owned by the Apple firm, as revealed The Informed.
Apple AirTag (Pack of 4) at the best price Base price: €119
See more offers
A white and tricolor beacon
However, we do not know when the transaction took place, but it is likely that it dates back a few years. Blinksight has in fact developed a location chip based on UWB (Ultra Wideband) technology, which allows you to get your hands on objects inside a building. If this reminds you of something, nothing could be more normal, since precise location is one of the main functions of the AirTag!
The white beacon was launched in spring 2021 and has since enjoyed great success, particularly among frequent travelers who use it to no longer lose their luggage in airports! A version 2 would also be in the pipeline. A success to be credited in part to Blinksight and its technology.
Former Philips and ST-Ericsson founders founded this company in 2011, and originally, the idea was to sell this very precise location technology to factories in order to closely monitor the progress of their production lines. . The acquisition of Apple made it move towards the general public. The amount of the transaction is unknown, but a priori it was a great financial transaction for the founders.
Source :
The Informed