Cambridge computing firm Raspberry Pi Ltd has received a minority investment from Sony’s semiconductor division.
As part of the deal, Raspberry Pi users will gain access to Sony Semiconductor Solutions’ AITRIOS platform to develop AI applications such as visual sensing using cameras. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Terushi Shimizu, president and CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, said: “Our goal is to provide new value to a variety of industries and support them in solving issues using our innovative edge AI sensing technology built around image sensors.”
Raspberry Pi is best known for selling its single-board computers. It has sold more than 40 million of these customisable devices since 2012 and produces them from a Sony factory in Wales.
It is wholly owned by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which is a UK charity championing digital skills in young people.
“This transaction will allow us to expand our partnership, bringing Sony Semiconductor Solutions’ line of AI products to the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, and helping our users to build exciting new machine-learning applications at the edge,” said Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Ltd.
Upton added: “Sony Group is a longstanding and valued strategic partner. Our pre-existing relationship encompasses contract manufacturing and the provision of image sensors and other semiconductor products.”
The Raspberry Pi Foundation previously raised $45m in September of 2021 at a valuation of $500m.
Regtech Clausematch received backing from the Sony Innovation Fund last June.
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