AB Dynamics plc has acquired Ansible Motion, a provider of advanced simulators to the global automotive market. The acquisition is for a total fee of £31.2m, which comprises a £19.2m initial consideration and a £12m payment subject to meeting certain performance criteria.
Ansible Motion will become part of the AB Dynamics Group’s simulation portfolio, which supplies advanced simulation products and services to the automotive and motorsport industries. Ansible Motion will sit alongside the newly formed AB Simulation division (responsible for the advanced vehicle driving simulator (aVDS) product range) and rFpro (a simulation software provider) which was acquired in 2019.
“We are delighted to welcome Ansible Motion onboard,” said Dan Clark, managing director of AB Simulation. “It is a well-established, successful business that has an outstanding reputation for driving simulator solutions. Ansible Motion’s product offering complements our own range and creates a comprehensive family of simulator solutions. We are now positioned to be market leaders in the sector.”
Ansible Motion reports it is currently experiencing “significant growth”, which is primarily driven by sales in its Delta series dynamic simulator range. The company forecasts that it will double its turnover in the 2023 financial year, which is says is underpinned by existing orders and a strong sales pipeline.
Ansible Motion’s current product range includes the Delta series dynamic simulator, the Sigma series static simulator and the compact, portable Theta series simulator. They are used for the development of a range of ground vehicle applications, including ADAS, autonomy, motorsport, chassis, powertrain, human factors, Human-Machine Interface (HMI), NVH, steering systems and tyres.
Ansible Motion is being acquired from its three shareholders – Kia Cammaerts, Jonathan Walker and Robert Stevens – with Cammaerts and Stevens remaining in the business as technical director and chief engineer, respectively.
“AB Dynamics’ acquisition of Ansible Motion marks an exciting and pivotal moment, and we are delighted to become a part of the AB Dynamics family,” said Kia Cammaerts, technical director of Ansible Motion. “It’s a remarkable fit. Both companies have always shared a common vision: to provide superlative tools for automotive product development work. Now, we’ll be joining forces to better serve automotive customers worldwide, with broader and deeper offerings. Ansible Motion will continue to focus on the development of the world’s most immersive Driver-in-the-Loop simulation technologies, propelled further by the business and technical expertise of one of the world’s most trusted suppliers of automotive test systems and services.”
Dan Clark added, “This acquisition will significantly benefit our customers by providing a broader range of products and services to enable the development of better and safer vehicles, quicker and more cost-effectively. We will supply complete end-to-end simulation solutions comprising hardware, software, application and use-case consultancy, training and aftermarket support.”
