Irvine-based chipmaker Conexant Systems has been acquired by Synaptics Inc. for $300 million in cash and 726,666 shares of Synaptics stock.
Synaptics, a maker of touchpads, fingerprint sensors and more, is based in San Jose.
The pairing will help the combined company be “positioned to invest in new opportunities that greatly enhance the human-machine-interface experience,” according to a statement by Conexant.
“We have spent the past few years sharpening Conexant’s focus on providing silicon and software solutions for voice-enabled devices, consumer and commercial imaging, and next-generation audio applications,” Jan Johannessen, CEO of Conexant, said in a statement. “We believe that by joining Synaptics, we will further scale in the USB-C headphone market, while also enabling device makers to develop innovative applications for some of the industry’s most advanced human-machine-interface technologies, including voice.”
Conexant has more than 480 patents. It has 60 different products which include home appliances, security devices and toys. It was founded in 1999.
The company, once one of Orange County’s biggest chipmakers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2013 in Delaware under a plan to reorganize the company to eliminate debt and cut real estate expenses.
Conexant, which was based in Newport Beach before shifting to Irvine, did not immediately return a request for information about how employees might be affected by the deal.