Bridgestone Acquires Stake in ClearMotion

Bridgestone’s subsidiary in the US, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. has acquired a stake in ClearMotion, Inc., a company that specializes in developing road sensing software and hardware. This technology is said to make a significant difference when it comes to ride performance in cars. ClearMotion is a venture-backed company and in its role as an investor in the company, Bridgestone will have opportunities to integrate and leverage ClearMotion’s technology to develop new solutions for the automotive industry. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Commenting on the deal, Bill Thompson, chief operating officer, Bridgestone Americas said that Bridgestone has a long history of engineering best-in-class tire and mobility solutions. He said that the investment in ClearMotion will give Bridgestone a chance to expand a technology area that is closely aligned with its solutions mindset and strategic growth plans. He said that Bridgestone will collaborate closely with ClearMotion on advancing the future of the digital, connected, autonomous car, and on leveraging the company’s expertise in tire, anti-vibration, and air spring technology to provide customers with ride comfort, safety and more advanced mobility solutions.

ClearMotion designs and builds digital motion control systems, and has developed a technology called proactive ride. This system comes with proprietary software algorithms that makes traditional dampers intelligent and responsive. The use of this system can considerably enhance comfort, performance and safety.

Shakeel Avadhany, ClearMotion’s chief executive officer and co-founder said, “We want to improve the quality of time in cars. Innovation coming online now will change how we spend time on the road. ClearMotion delivers previously unachievable levels of comfort and safety combined with handling abilities beyond that of today’s sports cars. The vision for autonomy is to enable productivity on the road, but this is only achievable with a stable, comfortable ride.”

Bridgestone already offers a full range of anti-vibration technologies through its Firestone Industrial Products business. It is the only tire and rubber manufacturing company that has invested in ClearMotion.