Angoka chair Steve Berry and R4dar Technologies founder Clem Robertson. Image: Darren Kidd/Presseye.com
The two firms plan to combine their services to boost drone safety and navigation, while creating safe air and road transport routes.
Belfast-based cybersecurity company Angoka has acquired R4dar Technologies to extend its reach in the ground and air transport sectors.
Angoka is an IoT security company focused on protecting machine-to-machine communications. The company specialises in securing autonomous and remote-controlled vehicles, while protecting aircraft and the routes they travel from hacking and other interference.
UK-based R4dar Tech, meanwhile, has created a geospatial awareness device that helps drones navigate and land safely without relying on communication networks or a GPS location.
The two firms plan to combine their services to boost drone safety and navigation, while creating safe air and road transport routes.
Angoka chair Steve Berry said R4dar Tech is making a “vital contribution to the drive towards autonomous transportation”.
“We have both been collaborating in recent years on a variety of UK government-backed projects and this acquisition will accelerate our journey to safer, cleaner and more reliable transportation on the ground and in the air,” Berry said.
R4dar Tech founder Clem Robertson said the early detection of obstacles and hazards is the “single biggest challenge” for intelligent transport systems.
“Being able to securely locate and identify potential dangers in complex environments will be fundamental to ensuring safety in the autonomous world, and we’re very thankful to organisations such as Zenzic and Innovate UK which are championing this important work,” Robertson said.
Founded in 2019, Angoka has been on a path of rapid expansion, with additional offices in London and The Hague.
The company had a busy 2022 when it raised £2.4m in a funding round to accelerate its growth in the aviation and road transport industries.
Angoka was one of eight start-ups vying for the top spot in the Irish leg of last year’s KPMG Global Tech Innovator prize, which was eventually bagged by Limerick’s Provizio.
Angoka claimed victory at a cybersecurity pitching event hosted by Enterprise Ireland in June, earning the company a nomination for the European Cybersecurity Startup Award.
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