Tessera, a US-based provider of miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry has acquired Israeli technology firm Eyesquad, in a move that could lead to the development of cell phone cameras so advanced that they can compete with long lens professional cameras in terms of picture quality.
Tessera's $24 million takeover of Eyesquad, completes a two-year acquisition program during which Tessera bought Israeli chip wafer manufacturer Shellcase and North Carolina-based micro optics company Digital Optics. Tessera now owns all the technology it needs to provide image sensor and camera module manufacturers with a camera module that includes advanced auto-focus and optical zoom, wafer level packaging, and wafer-level optics.
Eyesquad's technology is key to this strategy as it equips cell phones with features such as high quality images, optical zoom, automatic focus and close up images, without changing the lens of the cell phone camera. Its technology automatically brings objects into focus without the use of moving parts.
When the acquisition is complete Eyesquad will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tessera and will be integrated with the Tessera Israel operations.