Qualcomm and TDK Announce Launch of Joint Venture

RF360 Holdings to Enable Delivery of RF front-end (RFFE) modules and RF filters into fully integrated systems for mobile devices, automotive and IoT

San Diego – based Qualcomm Incorporated and TDK Corporation have announced the completion of the previously announced joint venture under the name RF360 Holdings Singapore PTE. Ltd. (RF360 Holdings). The joint venture will enable Qualcomm’s RFFE Business Unit to deliver RF front-end (RFFE) modules and RF filters into fully integrated systems for mobile devices and fast-growing business segments, such as Internet of Things (IoT), automotive applications, connected computing, and more. The business being transferred constitutes a part of the TDK SAW Business Group activities.

“The ongoing expansion of mobile communication across multiple industries, and the unprecedented deployment of multi-carrier 4G technologies now reaching over sixty-five 3GPP frequency bands are driving manufacturers of wireless solutions to higher levels of miniaturization, integration and performance, especially for the RFFE in these devices,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and president, QCT. “Further, 5G will increase the level of complexity even more. To that end, the ability to provide the ecosystem a truly complete solution is essential to enabling our customers to deliver mobile solutions at scale and on time.”

Together with RF360 Holdings, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) will be ideally positioned to design and supply products with end-to-end performance and global scale from the modem/transceiver all the way to the antenna in a fully integrated system.

RF360 Holdings will have a comprehensive set of filters and filter technologies, including surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature-compensated surface acoustic wave (TC-SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW), to support the wide range of frequency bands being deployed in networks across the globe. Moreover, RF360 Holdings will enable the delivery of RFFE modules from QTI that will include front-end components designed and developed by QTI. These components include CMOS, SOI and GaAs Power Amplifiers^[1], a broad portfolio of Switches, Antenna Tuning, Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) and the industry’s leading Envelope Tracking solution.

Deepening collaboration between Qualcomm and TDK
In addition to operating the joint venture, Qualcomm and TDK will deepen their technological cooperation to cover a wide range of cutting-edge technologies for next-generation mobile communications, IoT and automotive applications.

“The deeper collaboration with Qualcomm fits perfectly into our growth strategy,” said Shigenao Ishiguro, President and CEO of TDK Corporation. “It is a further step that aims to open up new promising business opportunities for TDK, while strengthening the company’s innovativeness and thus competitiveness in such attractive future markets as sensors, MEMS, wireless charging and batteries. Our customers will clearly benefit from the resulting unique and comprehensive technologies and products portfolio.”

Additional transaction details
RF360 Holdings will be a Singapore corporation and will have a global presence with R&D and manufacturing and/or sales locations in Europe and Asia and its headquarters in Munich, Germany. Christian Block will serve as Senior Vice President and General Manager of RFFE, QTI, which includes RF360 Holdings. Block was previously the Chief Technology Officer of EPCOS AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TDK, and General Manager of the TDK SAW Business Group.

As asserted on January 12, 2016, when the agreement to form the joint venture was announced, RF360 Holdings will initially be owned 51 percent by Qualcomm Global Trading PTE. Ltd. (QGT) and 49 percent by EPCOS AG (EPCOS). QGT has an option to acquire (and EPCOS has an option to sell) the remaining interest in the joint venture 30 months after the closing date.

Giving effect to the payment made at closing, additional future payments to TDK based on sales by the joint venture of RF filter functions, as well as Qualcomm and TDK’s joint collaboration efforts, and assuming QGT’s exercise of its option to acquire EPCOS’ interest in the joint venture, the aggregate transaction value is expected to be approximately $3 billion US dollars. Qualcomm expects the transaction to be accretive to Non-GAAP earnings per share in the 12 months following the transaction close.

About RF360 Holdings
RF360 Holdings is a Qualcomm and TDK Joint Venture driving innovation in Radio Frequency Front End (RFFE). With more than 4,000 employees worldwide, RF360 Holdings develops and manufactures innovative RFFE filtering solutions for mobile devices and fast growing business segments, such as IoT, drones, robotics, automotive applications and more. RF360 Holdings offers a comprehensive portfolio of filters and filter technologies, including surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature-compensated surface acoustic wave (TC-SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) solutions to support the wide range of frequency bands being deployed in networks across the globe.