China’s Huawei bought British internet-of-things startup

You’ve likely heard about Huawei’s acquisition of Neul in 2014. This acquisition was a strategic move by Huawei to strengthen its position in the Internet of Things (IoT) market. Neul, a UK-based company, specialized in developing low-power wireless technologies for IoT devices.

By acquiring Neul, Huawei aimed to:

• Enhance IoT capabilities: Leverage Neul’s expertise in low-power wireless technologies to improve its IoT product offerings.
• Expand market reach: Utilize Neul’s existing partnerships and customer base to accelerate market penetration.
• Strengthen research and development: Combine the strengths of both companies to drive innovation in IoT technologies.

This acquisition marked a significant step for Huawei in the IoT domain, allowing them to compete more effectively in a rapidly growing market.

Chinese wireless-networking gear giant Huawei has acquired British Internet of Things (IoT) company Neul for $25m, according to reports.

Neul, the reports say, will provide the nucleus of a large new effort by Huawei to get involved in the IoT business. Huawei will reportedly build a “center of excellence” around Neul in the UK.

Cambridge-based Neul makes the radio modules that allow “things” to talk to each other, and to a central host. These are very lightweight, low-power sensors and meters that are used in industrial environments.

The future of Internet of Things

“Huawei is optimistic about the future of IoT,” Huawei told GigaOm in a statement.

It is a business opportunity that we are keen to exploit, and the acquisition of Neul with its unique brand of skills and technologies will help Huawei to achieve this.

Another report says that Neul had been looking for a large investor but could not find one. Meanwhile its nine-month-long relationship with Huawei developed quickly and led to the acquisition offer.