For More Development And Production Capacities: Cherry Acquires Vienna-Based Hardware And Software Producer Theobroma Systems

Auerbach, Germany /PRNewswire/ - CHERRY, a leading global manufacturer of computer input devices and switches for mechanical keyboards, announced today the acquisition of Theobroma Systems Design and Consulting GmbH, an Austrian-based developer and trusted manufacturer of embedded systems. These support various industrial applications in the field of IoT and Industry 4.0. With this acquisition, CHERRY is specifically expanding its development and production capacities in the security sector.

The two companies already have a long-standing development partnership with a focus on security computer input devices. The acquisition gives CHERRY access to Theobroma Systems' comprehensive expertise in embedded Linux software development and the production facilities throughout the product development process. The newly acquired development skills will initially be used at CHERRY in the security areas. In the medium term, it is planned that CHERRY's entire portfolio will benefit from the expanded expertise.

CHERRY is thus increasing its existing capacities for the development of embedded industrial systems and trustworthy IT systems. The initial focus will be on development activities, especially hardware development and engineering for Linux, Android, and RTOS (Real-time Operating Systems).

"The acquisition of Theobroma Systems is an important impulse for us in the areas of engineering and development," says Rolf Unterberger, CHERRY's Chief Executive Officer. "We see this as an important step to further expand our technology leadership for modern and secure input devices. This is also a further milestone on our expansion course, which has received a decisive boost from our new majority shareholder Argand Partners. The market is in motion, and customer expectations of our products are constantly changing. With the expanded software expertise in our own company, we are ideally positioned to meet these challenges promptly and precisely."

"Combining Theobroma Systems' technology portfolio with the resources and the strong market presence of CHERRY will allow us to finally harness the full potential of the platforms and technologies we have developed since the start of our journey," explains Dr. Philipp Tomsich, Theobroma Systems' Chief Technology Officer and Founder.

About CHERRY
CHERRY, headquartered in Auerbach/OPf., Germany, is a world-leading manufacturer of computer input devices with a focus on office, gaming, industry, security, eHealth solutions and switches for mechanical keyboards. CHERRY employs approximately 400 people in production facilities and subsidiaries in Germany, France, Great Britain, China (Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan) and the USA. Since its foundation in 1953, CHERRY has stood for German quality products designed in Germany and developed specifically for the needs of its customers. In December 2019, the company opened a new headquarters in Auerbach, Germany, reflecting CHERRY's new values of Workplace of the Future and New Work. CHERRY brings high quality, passion and design to the world of work, addressing end customers and companies alike who demand high performance, durability and functionality from their computer input devices.

Further information on CHERRY can be found on the website:
www.cherry.de

About Theobroma Systems
Theobroma Systems is a designer and producer of intelligent devices incorporating embedded systems for IoE, Industry 4.0, and other bleeding-edge applications. Based in Vienna, we provide cutting-edge System-on-Module (SoM) solutions, WiFi modules for the embedded market, and application-specific single-board computers. Our portfolio of products is backed by an expert range of hardware and software engineering services, including in-house manufacturing and end-of-line testing. We offer thus our customers the carefree option to build their dream products based on our existing validated modules. With exceptional expertise and nimble knowledge of the ever-evolving tech space, the company has expanded to meet growing market needs and risen to become one of Austria's most awarded innovators.

Further information can be found on the website:
www.theobroma-systems.com.