Navigon
The official Navigon corporate logo as of 2016.
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Information and communications technology |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Würzburg, Germany |
| Products |
GPS navigation software GPS navigation devices |
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Number of employees
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400 (2008) |
| Parent | Garmin |
| Website | www.navigon.com |
Navigon GmbH is a Würzburg, Germany-based manufacturer of GPS devices and GPS navigation software. It was privately owned, until in June 2011, it was announced that Navigon was to be acquired by Garmin and become a subsidiary of the company. With effect from October 31, 2011, Navigon has changed its legal entity from corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) to GmbH.
Navigon's full portfolio included Navigon branded personal navigation devices as well as OEM software solutions for the navigation, wireless and automotive sectors. Navigon had offices in Asia, North America and Europe, and employed more than 400 people. Navigon AG was purchased and fully acquired by Garmin Ltd. in July 2011.
The company was founded in 1991. In 2000, Navigon launched the industry's first navigation software for the Pocket PC. With the introduction of Traffic Message Channel-based (TMC) traffic avoidance features in 2002, Navigon became the first company to offer such a feature on a consumer GPS product.
In 2005 private equity firm General Atlantic bought a minority interest in the company in order to provide capital for expansion. Peter Scheufen continues to have majority ownership. In 2006 Navigon acquired Navteq's navigation software business. After primarily catering to the European market, in 2004 Navigon directly entered the North American market by forming a subsidiary, Navigon Inc. headquartered in Chicago, IL.
Navigon GmbH was the parent company of all Navigon brands. Navigon was one of the largest GPS brands in Europe and was well established there. Navigon GmbH sold several models that carried similar model numbers (usually differentiated with the xx10 or xx50 in their number) to those sold in North America. Most of the devices included similar features and functionality as their counterparts.
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