Embedded Insiders Industry Acquisitions, Connectivity, IoT, AI, and Embedded Trends For 2026
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Feb 12, 2026 Sandra Rivera, former Intel exec now Chairwoman at Visora, helps scale networking and leads AI inference chip strategy. Dennis Nikles, Managing Director at Vodafone IoT Americas, runs large-scale connectivity and IoT platforms. They discuss recent semiconductor M&A, Visora’s low-latency inference chips and roadmap, massive IoT connectivity scale, rising data for AI, 5G/NTN trends, security layers, and device migration challenges.
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M&A Is About Tech And Culture
- The TI acquisition of Silicon Labs is less about revenue and more about acquiring complementary technology that informs future product development.
- Rich Nass and Ken Briotta see culture fit as critical to whether TI captures Silicon Labs' innovative strengths.
Embedded Sector Undergoing Consolidation
- Multiple major acquisitions signal either consolidation or the start of a new growth wave in embedded technology.
- Hosts note plenty of cash on hand driving deals rather than high leverage financing.
Single Global Platform Reduces Complexity
- Vodafone runs a single global IoT platform with 220 million connections to reduce customer integration complexity.
- Dennis Nikles emphasizes simplifying connectivity by offering global reach without local integrations.