XMOS Acquires Setem Technologies to Drive Development of Next Generation Voice Interfaces

July 10 2017, 04:00
XMOS announced that it has completed the acquisition of Setem Technologies, a pioneer on algorithms that enable separation of voice or conversation signals within a crowded audio environment to achieve optimized input into speech recognition systems. The two companies have been collaborating on next generation voice interfaces and decided upon the combination of the companies to create a leading vendor in the fast-growing application area.
 

XMOS is a leading provider of audio and digital signal processing platforms that currently power numerous consumer, studio and broadcast audio solutions from over 200 vendors, including high-resolution audio, multichannel and networked audio platforms. The British company is also a leading provider of voice interface solutions, and its second generation XMOS xCORE-200 family of Multicore Microcontrollers is delivering comprehensive Voice User Interface (VUI) controller solutions for all kinds of devices. XMOS is backed by some of the largest names in high tech venture capital: Amadeus Capital, DFJ Esprit, Foundation Capital and Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH.

Headquartered in Newbury, MA, Setem Technologies, Inc., develops, markets and supports the Setem 3S Platform, based on a new, patented mathematical representation of the far-field soundscape to improve the quality of speech recognition for smart-home, connected-car, and other Internet of Things applications. The Setem Software Plattform solves the “Cocktail Party Problem” by applying Advanced Blind Signal Source Separation technology to focus on a specific speech source and mitigate extraneous background noise or interference. This software platform works with a minimum of 2 or 3 microphones and runs real time with small processing demands on tablets, ARM-based processors or cell phones.

Since 2016, Setem Technologies, and XMOS have been working in partnership to develop far-field voice user interface devices that will shorten the time required for OEMs to deliver speech recognition and precise voice interface solutions. The Setem 3S platform includes patented source signal separation technologies that isolate, separate, enhance and de-reverb signals, delivering improved quality of far-field speech recognition and voice communications, while the XMOS xCORE-200 silicon platform provides market-leading audio capture and playback quality.
 

Now, XMOS announced that it has completed the acquisition of Setem Technologies. "The acquisition of Setem allows us to extend the development and deployment of world-leading algorithms capable of driving the rapid adoption of voice user interfaces. The Setem team is world class, passionate about innovation, and we are delighted to welcome them to the XMOS family," said Mark Lippett, president and CEO, XMOS.

“We are excited about joining forces with XMOS," commented Jochen Meissner, Setem CEO, who will become General Manager of the XMOS Boston office and join the XMOS Board of Directors. “We have been working with XMOS for over 18 months, and have concluded that the xCORE architecture is the perfect match for our patented algorithms. We look forward to continued success as part of this exciting company.”
www.xmos.com | www.setemtech.com
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