The Harman Consumer Group, which owns the brands JBL and Harman Kardon among others, today said they would be acquiring PhatNoise out of Los Angeles. PhatNoise is best known for their after market PhatBox car MP3 player hard drive.
PhatNoise’s team will join the Harman Consumer Group’s engineering group in designing digital media systems in the automotive environment. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“PhatNoise is a remarkably talented organization focused on developing innovative solutions for acquiring, organizing, and enjoying digital media in the car. In its six-year history, the company has defined the leading edge of digital media systems in the automotive market and counts Kenwood, General Motors, Volvo, Mazda, Volkswagen and Audi among its customers,” commented Gina Harman, President of the Harman Consumer Group. “The addition of the PhatNoise team to our engineering group will greatly accelerate the delivery of innovative products for the automotive environment.”
“Given Harman’s enviable position as a proven leader in all aspects of automotive entertainment, this transaction is an excellent strategic fit for us and for our customers,” said Sharon Graves, PhatNoise CEO. “Ultimately, digital media in the car has to be about creating a great consumer experience. That has always been PhatNoise’s mission, and it is exciting to be joining a company that not only shares that goal, but also has such extensive market depth, experience and resources.”