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Bosch Service Solutions to invest in U.S. startup Sfara

Strategic move to expand mobility services

  • Bosch to acquire minority holding in Sfara
  • eCall and breakdown service to be developed into complete smartphone-based accident-response service
  • Existing successful partnership to be strengthened
Jana Bronsch-Chassard

Jana Bronsch-Chassard

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Frankfurt am Main, Germany / Hoboken, NJ – As part of its plans to further expand its mobility service business, Bosch Service Solutions is acquiring a minority stake in the startup Sfara Inc., based in Hoboken, NJ (USA). The two companies have been working together since 2019. Set up in 2012, Sfara offers app-based technologies for mobile devices that detect vehicle collisions and other emergencies. The user’s smartphone triggers then an emergency call, such as the Bosch eCall service, to quickly contact first responders. The two companies signed an agreement on the investment of a minority stake on November 25, 2020. It has been agreed that the financial details will not be disclosed.

“With this investment in Sfara, we are strengthening collaboration between our two companies and will continue our joint effort to expand the successful Bosch eCall emergency and breakdown service,” says Henning von Boxberg, President of Bosch Service Solutions.

The automatic emergency call system – eCall for short – is a milestone in vehicle safety. For newly registered vehicle types, it has been mandatory in the European Union since March 31, 2018. Technology developed by Sfara now makes it possible for drivers to use this digital aide via a smartphone in vehicles without the eCall installed, usually in older vehicles that don’t include the necessary technology. This way, a significantly greater number of road users can benefit from this emergency call system and can automatically get help in the event of an accident. Thanks to the Sfara technology, users can also access eCall outside the vehicle from their smartphones, for example when moving around on foot. “We are delighted to be working with a well-known investor such as Bosch, and pleased that our technology can play a valuable part in expanding Bosch’s global eCall service portfolio,” says Erik Goldman, the CEO of Sfara.

eCall by smartphone, regardless of age of car or means of transport

Smartphone-based eCall means that vehicle manufacturers, auto insurers, and fleet operators can offer a comprehensive accident and breakdown service to their customers – independent of the age of their car or means of transport. A service app for customers’ smartphones is available from the respective provider. In case of an accident, the app connects the user with the Bosch accident and breakdown network. Accelerometers, GPS and other sensors are embedded in modern smartphones. Sfara’s proprietary app-based technology uses sensor fusion to detect accidents and suppress false positives. If an accident is detected, the app automatically triggers an emergency call to a Bosch service location and simultaneously transmits information necessary to get first responders to the scene quickly. An emergency call can also be triggered manually. This connects the user with a member of the service team, who will then contact emergency services, if required. The technology contains optimized crash detection functions that considerably reduce false positives, which are costly to the business and frustrating to end users.

Digital accident and breakdown management

The data for rapid assistance in case of an accident or breakdown is collected by Bosch and can be passed on to vehicle manufacturers, auto insurers, and fleet operators. This speeds up the process for all concerned, since the information includes useful accident data such as the location of impact. The report of an accident can also go hand in hand with a first notification of loss (FNOL). Insurers need this information to carry out smooth claims processing. In accordance with GDPR, only the data needed to perform service is transmitted, based on approval given by the user in advance.

Bosch Service Solutions plans to extend the eCall service further with its partners and make all steps involved in accident and breakdown management available in digital form to its business customers. These range from the first notification of loss or accident, to repair and towing services and the provision of a replacement vehicle and claims management.

Contact person for press inquiries:
Bosch Service Solutions
Talitha Strickler
Phone +49 69 7562-1681
Email: Talitha.Strickler@de.bosch.com

Sfara Inc.
Rocco Tricarico
+1 301-785-1961
Email: Press@sfara.com

Bosch Service Solutions is a leading global supplier of Business Process Outsourcing for complex business processes and services. Using the latest technology and the Internet of Things, the Bosch division develops integrated and innovative service solutions in the areas of Mobility, Monitoring, and Customer Experience. Around 10,000 associates at 36 locations support national and international customers in around 40 languages, primarily from the automotive, travel and logistics sectors as well as information and communication technology.

Additional information is available online at www.boschservicesolutions.com

About Sfara Inc.
Sfara is enabling a mobile revolution in safety and control. Sfara’s patented AI technology and global platform transforms the smartphone into a secure mobile safety and analytics solution, available as a GDPR-compliant SaaS (Software as a Service) offering to our partners in the mobility space, including automakers and mobile network operators.

Capable of running on more than 4.6B smartphones sold worldwide since 2013, Sfara technology represents a paradigm shift for the telematics industry and our partners – offering unprecedented detection capabilities, without incremental hardware or data transport costs. Sfara provides a highly scalable, cloud-based data analytics and assurance solution designed to assist companies navigating the challenges of shifting multi-modal transportation models, such as transportation-as-a-service, semi and fully autonomous vehicles, as well as fleet management and lone workers.

Sfara is led by a deeply experienced executive team with over 150 billion miles driven on their leading-edge, embedded and aftermarket telematics solutions for consumer and fleet applications, including UBI (Usage-Based Insurance) and MPERs (Mobile Personal Emergency Response Service), operated throughout North America, Europe and China. Headquartered in Hoboken, NJ, Sfara also is expanding in Silicon Valley, Finland and Germany via Sfara GmbH.

More information at www.sfara.com

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 429,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). The company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch’s broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is “Invented for life,” Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch’s innovative strength is key to the company’s further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 48,000 are software engineers.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.

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