Silicon Valley-based software-defined vehicle leader strengthens ties with Japanese vehicle manufacturing ecosystem
SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Sonatus, a leading automotive software company that is accelerating the transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs), today announced its expansion into Japan. Sonatus has appointed Intralink, an international business development consultancy specializing in helping western tech firms expand into Asian markets, as its local representative, in addition to local staff from Sonatus. Leveraging the significant automotive relationships and sector experience from Intralink unlocks opportunities for Sonatus to work with Japan’s advanced automotive industry including the country’s leading local automakers and suppliers. The new Japan presence is bolstered by Sonatus Field Applications Engineer, Yoshiaki Morita, based in Tokyo, who brings decades of IT, Big Data, and local market expertise to his new role at Sonatus.
SDVs dramatically expand the possibilities for automakers to innovate with development, vehicle capabilities, connected services, new business models, and more. This digital transformation of vehicles will allow car makers to continually improve and enhance their products and ownership experiences in a manner consumers have already come to expect with their personal digital devices. The Sonatus software-defined vehicle platform includes technologies and solutions that serve as building blocks that empower automotive companies and their ecosystems to innovate faster and deliver continuous improvements in costs, capabilities, reliability, and user experience over the vehicle’s lifespan.
“We are thrilled to expand our team into Japan, which is a long-standing leader in the worldwide automotive market,” said Jeffrey Chou, co-founder and CEO, Sonatus. “We incorporate deep expertise in modern data center technologies into our market-proven software solutions to help automakers accelerate their realization of a dynamic SDV stack. This is an exciting time for the industry and we are excited to work with Japanese vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to earn their confidence in the value Sonatus offers for their critical SDV programs.”
Sonatus offers a rich software platform to speed vehicle manufacturers’ journey towards building dynamic in-vehicle software infrastructures in areas including data collection, vehicle automation, advanced vehicle networking, cybersecurity, and others. The company’s platform is deployed in mass production with multiple industry-leading OEM brands.
“Expansion into Japan will help to create meaningful and lasting partnerships between Sonatus,local customers and talent,” said Will Jasprizza, Managing Director, Japan at Intralink. “We believe that Japan’s commitment to innovation, safety and environmental responsibility will help drive Japanese OEMs to implement robust and eco-friendly SDV platforms that cater to global market demands. As a result, Japan is an ideal market for Sonatus to establish mutually beneficial partnerships that will accelerate the realization of software-defined vehicles.”
Japan’s automotive sector, which includes several of the world’s top manufacturers, is ranked fourth globally. Entering the Japanese market will allow Sonatus to capitalize on the region’s early adoption of advanced technologies and its dedication to innovation.
Additional resources:Video – Announcement from Jeffrey Chou, Sonatus CEO (English subtitles)Video – Announcement from Jeffrey Chou, Sonatus CEO (Japanese subtitles)
ABOUT SONATUSSonatus is accelerating vehicle software innovation and the transition towards software-defined vehicles. Our platforms and products serve as the key building blocks that allow automotive companies and their ecosystem to innovate faster and deliver continuous improvements in costs, capabilities, reliability, and user experience over the vehicle lifespan. Sonatus’ award-winning software platform is in production vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, and will be on the road in millions more vehicles in 2023. The company has raised more than $110 million USD with world-class automotive, technology, and venture investors including Foxconn, Hyundai Motor Group’s Kia Corporation, LG Electronics, Marvell, SAIC Capital, Translink Capital, UMC Capital, and Wanxiang Group Company. Sonatus is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA (Silicon Valley), with offices in Paris, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. For more information visit www.sonatus.com.
ABOUT INTRALINKIntralink is an international business development and innovation consultancy with a deep specialism in Asia. It enables western companies to expand in Asia, Asian corporations to harness the power of global innovation, and governments to grow their exports and attract foreign investment. Founded in 1990, it has offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Boston, Silicon Valley, LA, Oxford, London, Paris, Berlin, Poznan and Tel Aviv.
SOURCE Sonatus