Ouster Is in Talks to Acquire Lidar Rival Sense Photonics

(Bloomberg) -- Ouster Inc., a lidar startup that went public after merging with a blank-check firm, is in advanced talks to acquire rival Sense Photonics, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

A transaction value couldn’t immediately be learned.

An Ouster spokesperson declined to comment. A representative for Sense didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

San Francisco-based Sense, led by Chief Executive Officer Shauna McIntyre, has said its platform delivers 3D data density at more than 10 million points per second compared with other automotive lidar systems at 2 million points per second. Lidar tracks a vehicle’s external environment and is seen as crucial to developing autonomous vehicles.

Sense, which says its technology is protected by almost 300 patents, counts Acadia Woods, Congruent Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Shell Ventures, Hemi Ventures and IPD Capital among its backers.

Ouster, whose CEO is Angus Pacala, in March completed a merger with a SPAC led by Remy Trafelet. The San Francisco-based company, which provides high-resolution digital lidar sensors, counts Cox Enterprises among its investors.

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