Vodafone Automotive SpA, based in

Varese Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the c ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, offers automotive telematics and electronics through two business units. The company was originally listed on the Milan Stock Exchange on 12 December 2006. Originally named "Cobra Automotive Technologies SpA", it was acquired by Vodafone PLC in August 2014 for €145 million ($191 million) which was equivalent to Cobra's FY13 revenue, and delisted from the Milan Stock Exchange. On 1 April 2015 it changed name to its current form. The operations of Vodafone Automotive are delivered through two business units: Vodafone Automotive Telematics Services, dedicated to developing infrastructure and telematics services, and Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems, focused on the design, development, production and distribution systems and electronic components. Vodafone Automotive Telematics SA, previously 80% owned by Vodafone Automotive and 20% by Tracker Connect Proprietary Limited, has direct operations in Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In Malaysia, Russia and South Africa Cobra has strong relationships with leading regional players. Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems has direct operations in Italy, China, Japan and South Korea.

History

The company was founded in 1975 under the name "Delta Electronics & C. sas Dall'Osto Isidoro" by Romeo Roman, Serafino Memmola and Isidoro Dall'Osto, and began operations. One of the first products in Italy, in anti-theft vehicle devices, was named ''Cobra'' by Serafino Memmola, which gave the company its name. Over the years it underwent several transformations and name changes: * In 1976 it was transformed into a

general partnership A general partnership, the basic form of partnership under common law, is in most countries an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features: *Must be created by agreement, proof of existence and estoppel ...

; * In 1982 it was transformed into a

limited liability company A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a ...

; * In 1985 it was transformed into a joint stock company, keeping the name'' Delta Elettronica SpA''; * In 2004, it was renamed ''Cobra Automotive Technologies SpA'', following the incorporation of the company ''Cobra Italy srl'', formerly known as ''Proco Italia srlì'', which was founded in 1995. * In 2007, Cobra made three acquisitions in France, Italy and the UK, creating new direct branches and start the project for the construction of the regional headquarters for Asia in China. * In 2008, Cobra opened an office in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil, dedicated to developing telematics. * In 2015, Vodafone Automotive became the new trading name for Cobra Automotive Technologies. Currently the group's activity is divided into three areas: * the design and manufacture of electronic systems for cars and motorcycles vehicles, in particular anti-theft systems and health care systems in low-speed maneuvers; * design and management of geolocation services; * marginal, as part of the group, is the activity of the German subsidiary ''Cobra Deutschland Gmbh'', which also distributes multimedia products to be installed on RV. On June 16, 2014, Vodafone Group PLC announced it had agreed to buy Cobra Automotive Technologies SpA for €145 million as part of its Machine to Machine (M2M) strategy to connect and better manage physical devices, also known as the "Internet of Things" (IOT). On August 7, 2014 Vodafone confirmed that its voluntary tender offer (the “Offer”) for security and telematics provider Cobra Automotive Technologies S.p.A. (“Cobra”) had become wholly unconditional. The Offer settled on 8 August 2014. The total consideration for the entire issued share capital of Cobra was €145 million (£115 million / US$191 million). Vodafone purchased more than 95% of Cobra's share capital through the Offer and then started proceedings to purchase the remaining shares. Cobra became a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone and was de-listed from the Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana). The purchase of remaining shares and de-listing of Cobra were expected to occur on 14 August 2014. As of August 28, 2014 Cobra Automotive Technologies appears to no longer be listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. From 1 April, Vodafone Automotive is the new trading name for Cobra Automotive Technologies.

Owner

Vodafone Global Enterprise Vodafone Global Enterprise Limited is a multinational company which provides telecommunications and information technology services to large corporations, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc. It is headquartered in London, Engl ...

Ltd. - 100%

Significant investments

* Cobra Telematics S.A. -

Mendrisio Mendrisio (; lmo, label= Ticinese, Mendris ) is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian-speaking Switzerland (U ...

(

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

) - 80% * Cobra Telematics Development S.A.S. - Valbonne (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) - 80% * Cobra do Brasil Serviços de Telematica Ltda -

(

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) - 56% * Cobra Italy S.p.A. -

Busto Arsizio Busto Arsizio (; lmo, label= Bustocco, Büsti Grandi) is an Italian city and ''comune'' in the south-easternmost part of the Province of Varese, in the region of Lombardy, in Northern Italy, north of Milan. The economy of Busto Arsizio is main ...

(

) - 80% * Cobra UK Ltd. -

Sale, Greater Manchester Sale is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, in the historic county of Cheshire on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of Manchester. In 2011, it had a population of 134 ...

(

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

) - 80% * Cobra France S.A.S. -

Chaville Chaville () is a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department and Île-de-France region of north-central France. It lies some 12 km from the centre of Paris in the south-western suburbs of the French capital. Geography Chaville is bordered by ...

(

) - 40.75% * Cobra Automotive Technologies Korea Ltd. - Yongin -Si (

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

) - 100% * Cobra (Beijing) Automotive Technologies Co., Ltd. -

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(China) - 100% * Cobra Japan K.K. -

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

(Japan) - 100% * Cobra Deutschland GmbH - Kandel (Germany) - 80% * Cobra FM S.àr.l -

(France) - 100% * Cobra Electronic Systems S.r.l. -

(

) - 100% * Cobra Telematics Car Services Espana S.L. -

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

(

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) - 80% * Help Company S.r.l. -

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

(

) - 70% The company also indirectly controls the company : * Nexo CJSC - (

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

) - 24% (by Cobra Telematics SA) * Wunelli Ltd. - (

) - 22.7% (by Cobra Telematics SA)

References

Notes

{{Vodafone