UPPSALA, SWEDEN, 14 March 2017 — Dirac Research, a global leader in platform-optimized sound enhancement technology, announced today an investment of 44 MSEK ($4,865,000 USD) from current and new investors. The capital investment will be used to accelerate Dirac’s expansion into new markets such as virtual and augment reality, strengthen their position as the global leader in mobile audio optimization technology, and to further develop their management and engineering teams. The company also announced that Jörgen Lantto, long-time Ericsson executive and former CEO of Fingerprint Cards AB, has joined Dirac’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.
“Dirac is now the global leader in mobile audio optimization, with a growing customer portfolio that includes Huawei, OPPO, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, as well as new customers to be announced in the coming months,” said Dirac CEO Mathias Johansson. “At the same time, we’ve also established strategic positions in the virtual and augmented reality markets with the recent launch of our Dirac VR audio platform. This new capital infusion, along with the appointment of Jörgen to our Board of Directors, allows our company to keep pace with the industry’s exploding demand for premium audio in nearly every consumer technology product category – from VR and AR, to mobile, headphones, speakers, home theatre, automotive, and more.”
Investors include John Wattin, IT industry executive and Executive Chairman of and investor in MySql; Henrik Didner, co-founder of fund management company Didner & Gerge; Rami Yacoub, acclaimed music producer for Britney Spears, One Direction, Backstreet Boys, among others; Staffan Persson, CEO of Swedia Capital; China’s AAC Technologies, the world’s leading provider of comprehensive micro-component solutions; and Jörgen Lantto, former President and CEO of Fingerprint Cards AB, where he grew revenues over 2000%.
“Dirac Research is one of the most dynamic technology innovators to emerge out of Sweden in years, which has been recognized by industry leaders in smartphones, automotive and premium home audio systems,” stated Lantto. “Sound has a profound impact on us as consumers every day. Digital sound technology is becoming an essential component of virtually all consumer electronics, and will shape how augmented reality and virtual reality is brought to life. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the company’s continued growth within this exciting area.”
Since the start of 2017, Dirac has introduced the world to breakthroughs in virtual reality and mobile audio with their CES 2017 and Mobile World Congress 2017 launches of Dirac VR and Dirac Panorama Sound audio platforms, which have been described by the world’s most discerning tech journalists as platforms that “might just change the way people experience VR” and something that left them “speechless.”
“The caliber of our new investor class and the appointment of Jörgen to our Board of Directors represent a tremendous vote of confidence in our technology, our team, and our corporate vision,” concluded Johansson. “It’s proof that as successful as recent years have been – which includes 60% average annual revenue growth since 2010 – our strongest years still lie ahead of us.”
In addition to the company’s portfolio of mobile customers, Dirac’s suite of audio optimization solutions is also utilized by blue chip technology companies in the automobile and home theatre markets such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Volvo, BMW, Datasat, Harman, Pioneer, and many more.
For hi-res photography, click here. For the press release announcing Dirac VR and Dirac Panorama Sound at MWC 2017, click here.
About Dirac:
Dirac is a world-renowned audio technology company on a mission to invent the future of sound. Dirac’s team of engineers and scientists deliver optimized sound solutions for mobile, automotive, residential and commercial environments through inspired innovation and a keen sense of evolving market trends and demands. Dirac’s digital sound optimization technologies have been adopted by some of the most respected and recognizable electronics manufacturers spanning the globe, achieving dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac Research maintains its headquarters in Sweden and has representatives in Japan, USA, Korea, Germany and China. For more information, visit www.dirac.com.
