We’ve consistently exceeded client expectations and grown into an internationally renowned business operating in all continents. And we’ve done some really cutting-edge work along the way – explore our journey below.

1997

Foundation as a spin‑off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH).

1998

Development of the first commercial GPS product used for the heavy vehicle road pricing system in Switzerland (LSVA).

2000

u‑blox provides the GPS receiver module for the first GPS‑enabled mobile phone.

2001

u‑blox expands its global presence by opening offices in the USA and Asia.

2002

u‑blox develops its own GPS receiver chip, Thomas Seiler becomes CEO.

2004

Delivery of 1 millionth GPS receiver.

2007

In 2007, we successfully made our IPO on the Swiss stock exchange. Now we could actually see how our work and strategy were valued in the open market.

2008

Launch of AMY, world’s smallest GPS module. Delivery of the 10 millionth GPS receiver.

2009

u‑blox gains a foothold in the wireless market through acquisition of Italy‑based NeonSeven and UK‑based Geotate. Introduction of a wireless module based on the GSM (2G) standard.

2010

Introduction of a wireless module based on the UMTS (3G) standard.

2011

Introduction of CDMA modules for the North American market through acquisition of California‑based Fusion Wireless.

2012

Extension of 4G wireless chip technology through the acquisition of UK‑based 4M Wireless (LTE stack) and Cognovo (software‑defined modem technology).

2012

Acquisition of Finland‑based Fastrax (extension of the portfolio with multi‑GNSS modules and antenna modules).

2014

Acquisition of connectBlue AB, Sweden, for adding competence in Bluetooth technology to the portfolio. The following acquisition of Antcor, Greece, was the first step to add Wi‑Fi IP. At the end of the year, the acquisition of a team of key engineers from lesswire AG, a subsidiary of the PRETTL group in Berlin, rounded out the short range radio competencies with key automotive‑grade Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi module products.

2015

u‑blox opened new offices in Osaka (Japan), Chongqing (China) and Tampere (Finland), thereby significantly increasing the workforce.

2015

In October, u‑blox took over the manufacture and marketing of the Cohda Wireless Vehicle‑to‑Everything (V2X) module in a move to rapidly meet the increasing demand for trial purposes, early deployments and infrastructure roll‑outs.

2015

u‑blox successfully issued bonds for 60 million CHF. The bonds were placed with institutional and private investors in Switzerland.

2016

u‑blox started the year by bringing centimeter‑level precision GNSS technology to the mass market, with the NEO‑M8P module.

2016

u‑blox Taiwan expanded in spring.

2016

u‑blox launched the world’s first cellular Narrowband IoT (NB‑IoT) module, SARA‑N2 in June.

2016

In September, u‑blox pioneered with its first cellular module, LARA‑R3121, with u‑blox proprietary UBX‑R3 LTE modem technology and integrated GNSS.

2017

u-blox celebrated 20 successful years.

2018

Launch of the u-blox F9 high-precision GNSS platform that delivers centimeter-level accuracy in seconds.

2019

Launch of the SARA-R5 series - our most advanced, secure and highly integrated cellular product. The module offers unmatched end-to-end security and long product availability, making it ideal for IoT applications with long-term device deployments.

2019

Acquisition of US-based Rigado for an extended Bluetooth product offering. The acquisition complements our already extensive portfolio and gives us access to more channels and new interesting customers in the area of smart home, wearables and fitness.

2020

Acquisition of Thingstream, which provides a comprehensive, end‑to‑end solution for global IoT connectivity using the industry standard MQTT protocol, and its platform to accelerate our services business, which will provide customers a reliable, smart and secure solution to connect sensor data to public or private cloud.

2021

The acquisition of full ownership of Sapcorda Services, a joint venture originally formed by u‑blox, Bosch, Geo++, and Mitsubishi Electric, follows our silicon-to-cloud strategy and enables us to innovate and grow our GNSS augmentation services for high-precision positioning across the industrial, automotive and consumer markets.

2022

We launched the NEO-F10T, a new, compact dual-band timing module offering nanosecond-level timing accuracy while meeting the stringent timing requirements for 5G communications and remaining unaffected by ionospheric errors. It supports space-constrained designs without compromising on size.

 

 

 

2022

We introduced PointPerfect, an advanced GNSS augmentation service which leverages the Safe Position Augmentation for Real-Time Navigation (SPARTN ) correction industry standard, thereby expanding u-blox’s suite of location services, assistance data, and communication services offering centimeter-level accuracy and convergence within seconds.

 

 

2022

The acquisition of NAVENTIK strengthens u-blox’s mission to become the leading provider of safe positioning solutions by onboarding a talented team with the relevant skills and experience. It is also a new site in Chemnitz, Germany, geographically well positioned for our GNSS aspirations within the automotive market.