Connected mobility
ZF acquires majority stake in security specialist doubleSlash
ZF has increased its stake in the Friedrichshafen-based software company doubleSlash from 40 percent to 51 percent as of October 1, 2021. doubleSlash will continue to operate independently in the market. ZF and doubleSlash jointly develop software products and services for connected mobility.
One example of software solutions that are being developed jointly are so-called over-the-air updates. Similar to a smartphone, the software functions of a vehicle can thus be kept up to date throughout the vehicle's entire life. For this purpose, the vehicle receives the software wirelessly via a mobile phone or WLAN connection. As a specialist for automotive security, doubleSlash contributes its know-how for the secure transmission of data, among other things.
The sales and employee figures are proof of doubleSlash's positive development: In the past five years, sales have grown organically from 10 to 25 million euros and the number of employees has risen from 120 to 250. The company serves well-known customers from the automotive industry, medical technology and other sectors, which is why the software experts have maintained additional locations in Munich since 2011 and in Stuttgart since 2018. At the Friedrichshafen headquarters of the company, which was founded in 1999, a software innovation center is currently being built, which doubleSlash will move into at the end of the year.
»Over the past five years of successful collaboration, a strong basis of trust has been built up,« says ZF's Head of Development Dr. Dirk Walliser, explaining the expansion of the commitment. »As a specialist for connected mobility with an excellent reputation among customers in the automotive industry, doubleSlash is an innovative and long-term partner in our software ecosystem.«
»Together with ZF as one of the global leaders in technologies for future mobility, we can continue our course of sustainable growth in the best possible way,« says doubleSlash CEO Konrad Krafft. »Our customers will benefit from even better coordinated software solutions and will continue to have us at their side as independent and reliable partners for connected mobility.«
