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Knowles completed the sale of its Consumer MEMS Microphones business to edge-AI company Syntiant on December 27, 2024. The announced consideration was approximately $150 million: $70 million in cash and $80 million in Syntiant preferred stock, subject to adjustments. The deal moved Knowles’ SiSonic consumer microphone business to Syntiant, which aims to combine microphones with low-power processors and machine-learning models.
What Knowles sold—and when
Knowles announced the definitive agreement on September 19, 2024; its SEC filing says the purchase agreement was signed the day before. The buyer was Syntiant Corp., an Irvine, California-based edge-AI company. Knowles’ 2024 annual report identifies December 27, 2024, as the legal closing date. Both companies announced completion on December 30.
The transaction covered certain assets and liabilities of Knowles’ Consumer MEMS Microphones (CMM) business. It was not a sale of Knowles Corporation or all of its microphone-related operations. Knowles’ agreement announcement, Syntiant’s acquisition announcement and Knowles’ completion release describe the transaction and its public timeline.
What the deal was worth
Knowles described the announced total consideration as approximately $150 million, comprising $70 million in cash and $80 million in Syntiant Series D-2 preferred stock, subject to customary working-capital and other adjustments. It was not an all-cash sale.
#1 Best Overall
- INMP441 is a high-performance, low-power, digital output, omnidirectional MEMS microphone with a bottom port
- The INMP441 module includes MEMS sensors, signal composition adjustment, analog-to-digital converters, anti-aliasing filters, power management, and an industry-standard 24-bit I2S interface
- The I2S interface allows INMP441 to be directly connected to digital processors, such as DSPs and microcontrollers, without the need for audio codecs used in the system
- The INMP441 has a high signal-to-noise ratio of 61dBA, making it an excellent choice for near-field applications
- INMP441 has a flat broadband frequency response, resulting in high sound clarity
Knowles’ 2024 annual report gives additional accounting detail: the company reported approximately $58 million in net cash received after specified deductions and a fair value of approximately $77.2 million for the preferred stock. Those figures differ from the announced gross cash and contractual stock amounts because they reflect deductions and the stock’s reported fair value. The annual report records the transaction as consummated on December 27, 2024. Read the Knowles 2024 annual report.
What was included in the CMM business
The divested business made Knowles’ SiSonic MEMS microphones, used in consumer and adjacent products such as smartphones, smart speakers, earbuds and other wearables, automotive systems, and household appliances. Syntiant’s completion announcement said the business had approximately $256 million in revenue in 2023; that is a historical revenue figure cited by Syntiant, not the purchase price or a statement of current revenue.
Rank #2
- The INMP441 is a high-performance, low power, digital-output, omnidirectional MEMS microphone with a bottom port.
- The INMP441 is available in a thin 4.72 x 3.76 x 1 mm surface mount package. It is reflow- solder compatible with no sensitivity degradation. The INMP441 is halide free.
- The INMP441 has a high signal-to-noise ratio and is an excellent choice for near field applications. The INMP441 has a flat wideband frequency response that results in high definition of natural sound.
- SCK: Serial data clock for I2S interface; WS: Serial data word selection for I2S interface; L/R: Left/Right channel selection.
- Applications: Teleconferencing Systems; Remote Controls ; Gaming Consoles; Mobile Devices ;Laptops Tablets ;Security Systems
The public announcements do not establish that every product number, customer contract, qualification, distributor relationship, or warranty changed hands in the same way. The transaction’s scope was the CMM business and certain related assets and liabilities, not every Knowles microphone activity or every product that uses a Knowles-branded component.
Why Knowles sold the business
Knowles said the sale followed a strategic review and advanced its transformation into a more focused industrial-technology company. It described its remaining businesses as centered on Precision Devices and MedTech & Specialty Audio, serving markets that include aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, and electrification. The company said it planned to use net cash proceeds for debt repayment and share repurchases, while also emphasizing protection of intellectual property associated with its Hearing Health business and shareholder value. These are the company’s stated reasons, not independent measures of the transaction’s outcome.
Rank #3
- Product Overview: The INMP441 is a high-performance omnidirectional MEMS microphone with digital output and a bottom-port design. Combining low power consumption with superior acoustic performance, it delivers exceptional audio capture quality for professional applications
- Compact Design: Housed in an ultra-thin 4.72 × 3.76 × 1 mm surface-mount package, this microphone retains consistent sensitivity after reflow soldering. Its halide-free construction ensures reliable performance and seamless PCB integration
- Acoustic Excellence: Featuring an impressive 61 dBA signal-to-noise ratio and a flat wideband frequency response, the INMP441 reproduces natural, high-definition audio with outstanding clarity, making it an ideal choice for near-field sound applications
- Digital Interface: Equipped with a built-in 24-bit I²S interface, the microphone connects directly to digital processors—such as DSPs and microcontrollers—without the need for external audio codecs, greatly simplifying system design
- Application Versatility: Suitable for a wide range of uses including teleconferencing systems, gaming peripherals, mobile electronics, laptops, and security systems, the INMP441 provides consistent performance across diverse operating conditions
As an interpretation, divesting a consumer-focused operation is consistent with reducing exposure to consumer-electronics cycles and concentrating on markets Knowles identified as strategic priorities. Knowles also warned in its annual report that a smaller company could face some dis-synergies. It therefore did not present the sale as a change without potential operating costs.
Why Syntiant wanted the microphones
Syntiant’s rationale was to add physical audio sensors to its low-power edge-AI processors and machine-learning models. A microphone captures sound; processors and models can analyze it locally, enabling functions such as wake-word detection, speech recognition, voice commands, echo cancellation, background-noise suppression, and audio-event detection. Syntiant said the combination could support turnkey, always-on audio and speech solutions.
Rank #4
- INMP441 is a high performance, low power consumption, digital output, omnidirectional MEMS microphone with bottom port
- The complete INMP441 solution consists of a MEMS sensor, signal composition conditioning, analog-to-digital converter, anti-aliasing filter, power management and industry standard 24-bit I²S interface.
- The I²S interface allows INMP441 to connect directly to digital processors, such as DSPs and microcontrollers, without the need for the audio codec used in the system
- INMP441 has a high signal-to-noise ratio and is an excellent choice for near-field applications. INMP441 has a flat broadband frequency response, resulting in high definition of natural sound.
The strategic bet is vertical integration: offering more of the audio input and processing chain together, rather than only supplying an AI processor or model. Syntiant also said the acquisition brought technology, multinational operations, customer relationships, and products serving consumer and industrial markets. Its positioning describes an intended product strategy; it does not by itself establish that every customer will buy a bundled microphone-and-AI system.
What changed for Knowles and Syntiant
Knowles retained other businesses
Knowles continued as a company focused on Precision Devices and MedTech & Specialty Audio after the divestiture. Its remaining microphone-related activities are distinct from the consumer MEMS business sold to Syntiant, so describing the transaction as Knowles’ complete exit from microphones would be too broad.
Best Value
- Package Includes: You will receive 5 INMP441 microphone modules, featuring a bottom-port design with digital output, delivering superior acoustic performance, low power consumption, and exceptional audio capture quality for professional applications like voice assistants and IoT devices.
- Product Material: Built with a good-quality PCB and precision soldered pins using premium tin (solder), ensuring strong electrical conductivity, stable signal transmission, and excellent durability for long-term reliable performance in electronic applications.
- I2S Digital Output Interface: Features a built-in 24-bit I2S interface for direct digital audio transmission, ensuring low noise and easy integration with ESP32 and other microcontrollers.
- High Sensitivity & Omnidirectional Pickup: Equipped with a high-performance MEMS sensor, the INMP441 captures clear and balanced audio from all directions, ensuring accurate voice recognition even in noisy environments, making it ideal for smart assistants, DIY audio projects, and embedded voice control systems.
- Versatile Application Range: Perfect for teleconferencing systems, gaming peripherals, smart home devices, security systems, mobile electronics, and voice recognition projects. This module offers consistent performance across diverse operating conditions for makers, engineers, and developers.
Syntiant added a sensor business
The deal expanded Syntiant beyond processors and AI models into MEMS microphones and the associated business operations. Syntiant’s later SEC filing includes the acquired CMM business in its financial reporting from December 27, 2024. It also identifies agreements with Knowles dated May 11, 2026, to settle and amend certain arrangements connected with the acquisition. The filing reference establishes that amendments occurred, but does not, by itself, establish what they changed economically or operationally. See Syntiant’s filing.
What customers should verify
The public deal announcements explain the transaction’s broad scope and strategic aims, but do not resolve operational questions for every buyer. Customers and distributors should confirm current details directly with their Syntiant or Knowles contact before relying on assumptions about supply or support.
- Whether a specific part number, datasheet, qualification status, or warranty has changed.
- Which entity now handles a particular supply agreement, purchase order, or customer-support request.
- Whether vendor records, contracts, or payment details need updating.
- Whether Syntiant offers a particular microphone as a standalone component or as part of an integrated solution.
- Whether manufacturing locations, inventory arrangements, or distributor channels changed for a specific product.
The releases do not establish that all customers had to change suppliers or that continuity was guaranteed across every product and contract. Those details depend on the relevant product and customer arrangements.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhy the transaction matters
For Knowles, the sale was a portfolio-focused divestiture intended to sharpen its emphasis on industrial and specialty markets. For Syntiant, it was an effort to pair an established MEMS microphone business with edge-AI hardware and software. The approximately $150 million headline value combined cash and preferred stock, while the closing and annual-report figures clarify that the transaction was completed in late December 2024 and involved more than a simple cash payment.
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