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Hasso Plattner Ventures invests in OpenSynergy GmbH, Berlin
On 6th March 2008 the venture capital company Hasso Plattner Ventures invested 750.000 € in the start-up company OpenSynergy GmbH based in Berlin. This was the first financing round for the company which was founded in July 2007 by five partners. OpenSynergy is developing the software platform COQOS for the automobile industry which enables an interface between security and comfort technology, infotainment and mobile terminals.
The company keeps consistently to the software standard AUTOSAR for the areas of security and comfort technology. AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open Software Architecture) is a standard software architecture which was developed by the international development partnership of the same name in the automobile industry with the aim of establishing a standard for electronics architecture in motor vehicles.
The software product COQOS from OpenSynergy allows for the first time for the coexistence of classic vehicle functions and entertainment appliances on the same hardware. Connecting the automobile to the internet, downloading music while driving and other mobile services are just as feasible as Car-2-X-communications systems or wireless vehicle diagnosis. The special attributes of COQOS enable the automobile industry and its suppliers to lower costs by making savings in electronic components. Using COQOS allows you to adapt your development cycles for infotainment systems to those of consumer electronics and makes you more independent of your suppliers. The first release of COQOS will take place at the end of 2008.
Hasso Plattner Ventures is already engaged in the market of software solutions for automotive embedded systems with one of its first investments, INCHRON, and with OpenSynergy wants to participate even more intensively in the excellent development opportunities of this market. Eran Davidson, CEO of Hasso Plattner Ventures, comments: “We have been convinced by OpenSynergy’s strong focus on their customers’ needs. OpenSynergy has the chance to sustainably influence the future of automotive software with their integrating solution.”
OpenSynergy GmbH — OpenSynergy GmbH was founded in July 2007 by the five founders Frank-Peter Böhm, Dr. Stefaan Sonck Thiebaut, Rolf Morich, Dr. André Hergenhan and Robert Mitschke. All of them had previously been working for at least 5 years with a automotive software subsidiary of Volkswagen and therefore bring with them an extensive network and a deep understanding of the specific problems of their field. The heart of the company is the hardware independent software platform COQOS, which can integrate all important software modules of other producers through standard interfaces. OpenSynergy's services comprise software development and software architecture consulting in the domains of infotainment and AUTOSAR. OpenSynergy is based in Berlin and currently has 17 employees. At the end of 2008 the number of employees will grow to 25.
Portrait of Hasso Plattner Ventures — Hasso Plattner Ventures Management GmbH was founded in July 2005 in Potsdam near Berlin. The venture capital company takes minority stakes in start up companies and helps them to conquer international markets. The main focus of their investments is information technology, and since January 2008 also investments in cleantech and established companies through a new fund. SAP founder Prof. Dr. h.c. Hasso Plattner has been the main investor in the fund, together with the American Venture Fund CMEA Ventures and InvestitionsBank Brandenburg. Companies funded by Hasso Plattner Ventures not only benefit from the financial backing but also from the know how of highly qualified internal and external consultants. With OpenSynergy there are now 10 companies in Hasso Plattner Ventures’ portfolio.
Contact Hasso Platter Ventures Management GmbH
Henning Seeschaaf
August-Bebel-Straße 88
D-14482 Potsdam
Phone: +49.(0)331.979 92-119
Email: seeschaaf@hp-ventures.com
www.hp-ventures.com
Contact OpenSynergy GmbH
Frank-Peter Böhm
OpenSynergy GmbH
Rotherstr. 9
D-10245 Berlin
Phone: +49.(0)30 20181835-11
Email: frank-peter.boehm@opensynergy.com
www.opensynergy.com