Austin’s National Instruments buys wireless tech companies for $96M

National Instruments, an Austin-based company, said that it acquired Phase Matrix Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based radio frequency developer and microwave application technology firm for $38 million. National Instruments also acquired  radio frequency software firm  AWR Corp. of El Segundo, Calif. for $58M, including the $7M in cash on AWR’s balance sheet.
AWR has more than 100 employees and services clients in the areas of telecommunications, test equipment, aerospace and the defense sector. Phase Matrix employs around 50 workers and makes test and measurement equipment for high-frequency radio and microwave communications equipment.
It appears National Instruments would like to position itself as a bigger player in providing tools for engineers who design and build wireless equipment through the buyouts of what will be two wholly owned subsidiaries under the company.
National Instruments, with annual revenue in excess of $873 million, is the largest supplier of software-enabled virtual instruments used by engineers and scientists. National Instruments released that combined revenue of the two companies it acquired this week was in the range of $38 million to $48 million for the last year.
The move into the RF, microwave, and wireless engineering space will add to National Instruments’ software capabilities to design and simulate tools and make an attempt to take a chunk of the test instrumentation market.
National Instruments was advised by ThinkEquity in the deal, with Needham and Company advising AWR.
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