Movea SA Aquires Gyration, Inc., Creating New Motion-Sensing Technology Company

Business Wire, Jan 7, 2008

Movea, SA Combines Gyration's Patents and Innovative Consumer Products with Movea's Microsystems

SARATOGA, Calif. -- Movea SA today announced the acquisition of all assets of Gyration, Inc., creating U.S. subsidiary Movea, Inc., the leader in motion-sensing technology for digital media, mobile communications and the healthcare industry.

Movea SA develops and markets microsystems for human motion capture and analysis. Its acquisition of Gyration, Inc., the inventor of technology that senses human motion to interface with digital media content, marries the very best in motion-based solutions and products for consumers and OEMs.

Gyration's in-air motion controls translate natural hand movements into immediate on-screen action, accurately responding to changes in position and direction. The addition of Movea's technology - with its smaller dimensions, additional axis and ultra-low power consumption - will enable Movea, Inc. to create remote devices with more features, smaller form factors, lighter weight, prolonged battery life and increased responsiveness to hand movements.

Movea, Inc.'s consumer products will remain under the Gyration brand name. The first Gyration products from Movea, Inc. will be the M2000 Travel Mouse - a compact mouse designed for business travelers that works in the air up to 100 feet, as well as on the desktop - and the R4000 LCD Music Remote, which controls all digital home entertainment without the need to turn on the TV or PC monitor. Both are scheduled to be on shelves at major consumer electronics retailers by mid-2008.

"The company resulting from this merger possesses a unique portfolio of technologies, allowing for the most innovative in-air mouse capabilities on the market," said Sam Guilaume, Chairman and CEO, Movea SA. "The acquisition of the pioneer in motion-based devices promotes Movea as a leader on the market. Through our combined technologies and our worldwide distribution network, Movea has taken an additional leap, bringing the very best in motion-sensing technology to its customers."

Movea SA, which spun-off the French research institute CEA-Leti in March 2007, also announced today its securing of a first round of investment of more than $10M. Leading the investment are European based VC funds, I-Source Gestion (Versailles, France), which has more than $295M under management, and GIMV (Antwerp, Belgium) with more than $1.9B under management. Also investing is the French research institute CEA via its subsidiary CEA Valorisation SA.

Gyration was purchased from Thomson, which will consequently also hold a minority stake in Movea. Financial details of the operation were not disclosed.

About Movea, Inc.

Movea, Inc. is the newly formed company created by the acquisition of all assets of Gyration, Inc. by Movea SA. Movea SA, a spin-off from the French research institute CEA-Leti, licenses CEA-Leti's unique gyroscope free motion-sensing technology for the Consumer and Healthcare markets. Gyration is the inventor and patent holder of gyroscopic motion-sensing technology for in-air navigation and cursor control on a television screen or monitor. Movea, Inc.'s consumer products, including Gyration's range of controllers for the digital media markets, will remain under the Gyration brand name. Movea, Inc. offers products through traditional retail store fronts, value added resellers, system integrators and OEM partners. Additional information about Movea, Inc. and its range of Gyration consumer electronics products can be found at www.gyration.com and www.movea-tech.com.