What HARMAN makes

HARMAN's automotive business is organized around the in-cabin experience: the audio, display, software, and connectivity systems that sit between the driver and the vehicle's electronics. The product portfolio runs from car audio to full digital cockpit platforms, and from telematics infrastructure to augmented-reality head-up displays.

On the audio side, HARMAN supplies premium branded systems under the Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson, and Bang & Olufsen names, all engineered specifically for automotive acoustic environments. These are not rebranded consumer speakers -- each system is tuned for the specific vehicle cavity, seat placement, and noise profile of the model it ships in. Harman Kardon has supplied BMW across its lineup for more than 30 years, with the BMW 5 Series and the first-generation BMW i5 among the documented production programs.

The digital cockpit platform, called the Intelligent Cockpit Platform, integrates infotainment, driver information cluster, and over-the-air update capability into a single scalable hardware and software stack. HARMAN offers this in both a global-market configuration (Android Automotive OS, dual HD displays, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) and a premium tier that adds augmented-reality navigation, AI-powered face and voice recognition, in-cabin monitoring, and a sensor fusion layer. The Ready Display family, powered by Samsung Neo QLED panels, is already in production vehicles including the Tata Harrier.ev, and carries the first HDR10+ Automotive certification in the industry.

The Ready Vision AR HUD product line takes the display into the windshield itself. The flagship QVUE system transforms the windshield into a pillar-to-pillar reflective display, co-developed with Samsung Display, with local dimming, gaze detection, and a software UI editor for OEM customization. Ready Vision AR HUD is in the production-ready product portfolio as of 2025.

Beyond hardware, HARMAN operates a software and services layer: the Ready Link Marketplace is an automotive app store that OEMs embed in their vehicles; Ready Connect adds satellite connectivity via a collaboration with Skylo Networks for vehicles without terrestrial cellular; Ready Aware provides near-real-time vehicle-to-network alerts for safety; and Ready Care adds driver monitoring and wellbeing functions. A digital transformation services arm (HARMAN DTS) handles software integration and engineering services for OEMs who need a systems integrator, not just a component supplier.

HARMAN signed a definitive agreement in December 2025 to acquire the ADAS business of ZF Group for approximately €1.5 billion. The transaction, subject to regulatory approval, would add ZF's compute platforms, smart cameras, radar systems, and ADAS software to HARMAN's portfolio, extending its footprint from cockpit and audio into perception and centralized compute -- a core requirement for software-defined vehicles.

The consumer and professional audio businesses -- JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, and others at HARMAN -- expanded significantly in September 2025 when HARMAN completed its acquisition of Sound United, adding Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, HEOS, Classé, and Boston Acoustics to the portfolio.

Financial performance

HARMAN's automotive business generated €5,567 million in revenue in FY2025, up 1.1% from €5,508 million in FY2024, per the Berylls by AlixPartners global automotive supplier study. This figure covers the automotive segment only.

Across the full company, HARMAN reached approximately 15.78 trillion Korean won in revenue in 2025 -- roughly $10.8 billion USD -- with an operating profit of approximately 1.53 trillion won, the highest since Samsung's 2017 acquisition. Per the Seoul Economic Daily's April 2026 coverage of the Samsung results, revenue was roughly double the level at the time of acquisition and operating profit had grown by a factor of 27 over the decade.

HARMAN employs approximately 26,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, per the company's own published figure prior to the Sound United close. The completed Sound United integration will add to that count.

The automotive segment is the largest contributor to HARMAN's revenue, with European OEM business cited in Samsung's Q4 2025 commentary as a specific driver of automotive growth, alongside expansion in digital cockpit and car audio supply.

Ownership and history

Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon founded Harman Kardon in 1953 in New York, each contributing $5,000 in starting capital. Harman bought out his partner in 1956 and spent the following decades acquiring audio brands: JBL in 1969, Soundcraft in 1988, Becker Radio in 1995. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1986. By the 2000s, HARMAN had become a major Tier-1 supplier to the automotive industry -- it introduced Bluetooth connectivity in cars in 2004 -- and its automotive electronics business grew to a scale that made it attractive to a hardware-and-chip company looking for a vehicle software foothold.

Samsung Electronics acquired HARMAN International in March 2017 for approximately $8 billion, the largest overseas acquisition by a Korean company at that point. The rationale was automotive technology and connected services; Samsung gained HARMAN's OEM relationships, its software stack, and its brand portfolio in one transaction. HARMAN operates as a wholly owned subsidiary, with its own senior leadership team reporting to Samsung.

Christian Sobottka became President and CEO of HARMAN on April 1, 2025, having previously led the Automotive division since January 2021. He brought more than 25 years of automotive industry experience from roles including executive positions at Robert Bosch. Mark Hartje serves as Chief Financial Officer and Armin Prommersberger as Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Thomas Irawan was named Chief Operating Officer of the Automotive division in September 2026, effective late 2026.

HARMAN's automotive engineering headquarters and North American R&D hub is in Novi, Michigan, near the Detroit OEM cluster. The company operates engineering and manufacturing facilities across more than 30 sites on six continents, including manufacturing in Suzhou, China and Szerencs, Hungary for European and Asian OEM supply, and software engineering centers in Pune, India. Global headquarters and corporate registration is at 400 Atlantic Street, Stamford, Connecticut.

Certifications and quality

HARMAN operates to automotive-grade quality standards across its manufacturing and development operations. The company's supplier-facing policies, published on its own website, reference IATF 16949 as a baseline quality management system requirement for the automotive supply chain. The company markets its products and engineering services under the banner "Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade." and its automotive technical centers are built to functional safety and cybersecurity compliance requirements relevant to ISO 26262 and UNECE WP.29 regulations.

HARMAN requires its own suppliers to maintain ISO 14001 environmental management, conflict-minerals traceability per the OECD due diligence guidance, and adherence to its Supplier Code of Conduct, which was updated in late 2024. The company publishes an annual GHG verification statement and a Responsible Minerals Policy, both accessible on its supply chain pages.

Specific external IATF 16949 certificate details with scope and date are not published on HARMAN's own site, which is consistent with many large Tier-1 suppliers who hold site-level certificates across dozens of manufacturing locations rather than a single company-wide document.

Known customers

HARMAN's OEM relationships are among the most extensively documented of any automotive Tier-1 supplier, because the brand-name audio agreements require disclosure.

Toyota (digital cockpit and infotainment wins per Samsung FY2025 results) and Hyundai Motor (audio systems, same source) are cited in press coverage of Samsung's financial results rather than in a dedicated HARMAN program release. Volkswagen Group announced a future infotainment partnership with HARMAN based on Android Automotive. Ferrari announced a partnership in 2023. HARMAN's own published materials state that more than 25 million vehicles worldwide are currently equipped with HARMAN technology, though this figure covers the full portfolio across all OEM relationships.

Sourcing evidence

US customs bill-of-lading records show HARMAN International Industries as the importer of record on 8,430 US-bound shipments between January 2015 and March 2026. The inbound network is concentrated in Asia: China accounts for roughly 5,900 shipments, with Vietnam (~1,250), Hong Kong (~800), and Malaysia (~160) forming the next tier, reflecting a contract-electronics and audio-component supply base rather than direct OEM-facing assembly.

Top named foreign suppliers in the records include Tonly Electronics, Anam Electronics Vietnam, Three Link Technology, and Guoguang Electric -- consumer-audio and electric-motor/speaker manufacturers, consistent with HARMAN's branded-audio product lines. The most recent recorded shipment was a soundbar consignment from Vtrek Group International (Malaysia) on March 28, 2026. These figures cover ocean shipments visible in US import manifests only; air freight, domestic sourcing, and shipments under confidentiality requests are not represented, so the network shown understates HARMAN's full component footprint.

Frequently asked questions

What does HARMAN make for the automotive industry?

HARMAN supplies Tier-1 automotive electronics and software to global automakers, including digital cockpit and infotainment platforms, premium branded audio systems (Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson), augmented-reality head-up displays, in-cabin driver monitoring, telematics, over-the-air update infrastructure, and an automotive app marketplace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

Who owns HARMAN International?

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. acquired HARMAN International in 2017 for approximately $8 billion and has operated it as a wholly owned subsidiary since then. HARMAN has its own CEO and leadership team. Prior to the Samsung acquisition, HARMAN was an independent public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1986.

What is HARMAN's revenue?

HARMAN's automotive business generated approximately €5.6 billion in revenue in FY2025, per the Berylls by AlixPartners global automotive supplier study covering automotive-segment revenue. Across all its businesses -- automotive, consumer audio, and professional audio -- HARMAN reported approximately $10.8 billion USD in total revenue in 2025, with operating profit at a record high since the Samsung acquisition, per Samsung's consolidated financial results.

Where is HARMAN headquartered?

HARMAN's corporate headquarters is at 400 Atlantic Street in Stamford, Connecticut. Its automotive engineering and North American R&D operations are centered in Novi, Michigan. The company operates globally across more than 30 sites on six continents, including manufacturing in Suzhou, China and Szerencs, Hungary, and engineering centers in Pune, India, with approximately 26,000 employees.

Who are HARMAN's automotive customers?

HARMAN supplies audio and infotainment systems to a broad range of global automakers. Documented programs include BMW (Harman Kardon audio across the lineup, including the 5 Series and i5), Mercedes-Benz (branded audio and infotainment including the S-Class), General Motors (2025 Supplier of the Year), Tata Motors (Ready Display in the Harrier.ev), Volkswagen Group (future infotainment platform partnership), and Ferrari (partnership announced 2023). Toyota and Hyundai Motor are cited in Samsung financial results coverage as digital cockpit and audio customers. The company states that more than 25 million vehicles are currently equipped with HARMAN technology.

Last verified September 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.