Vector Acquires RocqStat to Master Timing in Software-Defined Cars

NOVI, MI – January 20, 2026 – In a significant move to address one of the most complex challenges in modern vehicle development, Vector Informatik has acquired the RocqStat software technology and its expert team from the French deep-tech startup StatInf. The deal enhances the German software giant’s portfolio with critical capabilities in timing analysis and Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) estimation, tools essential for verifying the safety and reliability of software-defined systems.

The acquisition underscores a pivotal shift in the automotive industry, where software is not just a component but the central nervous system of the vehicle. As cars become more autonomous and connected, ensuring that millions of lines of code execute precisely on schedule has become a paramount safety concern.

"Timing safety is becoming a critical factor in software-defined vehicles and other software-defined systems," said Eric Barton, Senior Vice President of Code Testing Tools at Vector. "By combining StatInf’s advanced technology with our toolchain, we enable customers to design and verify timing constraints more efficiently and with greater confidence."

The Race Against the Clock in Modern Vehicles

For decades, the performance of automotive software was relatively simple to predict. Today, the landscape has been completely reshaped by the advent of the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV). A modern car can contain over 100 million lines of code running on complex multi-core processors, orchestrating everything from the powertrain and braking systems to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-cabin infotainment. In this environment, timing is everything.

"Timing safety" refers to the guarantee that a software task will complete its execution within a strictly defined deadline, every single time, even under the most demanding conditions. The failure to meet such a deadline, even by a few milliseconds, could be catastrophic in a safety-critical function like an automated emergency brake or a steering correction. Estimating the Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) is therefore not just a technical exercise; it is a fundamental requirement for functional safety.

This challenge is magnified by the complexity of modern hardware. Multi-core processors, while powerful, introduce unpredictability as different software tasks compete for shared resources like memory and caches. This makes it nearly impossible to determine timing behavior through traditional testing methods alone. This is where specialized analysis tools become indispensable. Industry standards, most notably ISO 26262 for automotive functional safety, mandate rigorous verification of software timing to mitigate risks and achieve the necessary Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs).

Building a Dominant and Integrated Toolchain

Vector's acquisition of RocqStat is a clear strategic play to consolidate its position as a one-stop-shop for automotive software development and verification. The company, which generated over €1 billion in revenue in 2024, is building an ecosystem designed to help automakers and their suppliers manage the immense complexity of the SDV. By integrating RocqStat into its well-established VectorCAST toolchain, Vector aims to create a unified environment that seamlessly combines software testing, code coverage, and now, advanced timing analysis.

This move places Vector in a stronger position against specialized competitors in the timing analysis market, such as Germany’s AbsInt, known for its static aiT WCET Analyzer, and the UK-based Rapita Systems, which offers its RVS tool suite. While these companies provide powerful, highly-regarded point solutions, Vector's strategy hinges on the power of integration. By embedding timing analysis directly into the broader development and verification workflow that many of its customers already use, Vector can offer a more streamlined, efficient, and less fragmented process.

For automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, this integrated approach promises significant benefits. It reduces the need to manage multiple vendors and disparate tools, simplifies the data flow across the development lifecycle, and enables teams to identify and resolve potential timing conflicts earlier in the design process. This not only accelerates development timelines but also reduces the significant risk and cost associated with discovering safety-critical flaws late in the cycle.

From French Research to Global Automotive Impact

The story of StatInf and its RocqStat technology is a testament to the power of deep-tech innovation born from academic research. StatInf was founded as a spin-off from Inria, France’s National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology, an institution renowned for its contributions to computer science and automation. This origin provided RocqStat with a strong foundation in cutting-edge algorithms and a rigorous, scientific approach to solving complex timing problems.

What made StatInf an attractive acquisition target was its focus on a highly specialized yet mission-critical niche. The company’s technology was designed to enable early and continuous verification of timing constraints throughout the entire software development lifecycle. This proactive methodology aligns perfectly with modern agile and DevOps practices (often referred to as CI/CD) that are increasingly being adopted in the automotive sector. Instead of treating timing analysis as a final validation step, RocqStat allows developers to monitor and manage timing behavior from the very beginning, preventing issues from being baked into the system architecture.

The acquisition validates the startup’s journey from a research concept to a commercially valuable industrial tool. It highlights a successful pathway for specialized technology startups to achieve significant market impact by solving a specific, high-value problem for a major industry, ultimately leading to integration into a larger platform where its technology can be deployed at a global scale.

The Path Forward for Customers and the Industry

Vector has assured existing StatInf customers of full business continuity, ensuring that their current projects and support structures will remain intact. In the medium term, these customers stand to benefit from the planned integration of RocqStat into the wider VectorCAST ecosystem, which will provide them with access to a broader suite of verification and validation tools.

For Vector's extensive customer base, the acquisition brings sophisticated timing analysis capabilities directly into their existing workflow. This allows engineering teams to tackle timing safety without leaving their familiar development environment, fostering greater efficiency and a more holistic approach to software quality. The integration of StatInf's expert team is also a key component of the deal, promising to accelerate innovation and ensure that the deep technical knowledge behind RocqStat is effectively leveraged within Vector. This strategic blending of technology and human expertise is designed to push the boundaries of what is possible in timing verification and advanced analytics.

By making advanced timing analysis more accessible and integrated, Vector's move is poised to influence industry-wide best practices. It reinforces the notion that timing safety is not an afterthought but a core pillar of quality and safety engineering in the age of the software-defined vehicle, setting a new benchmark for the tools required to build the reliable and safe mobility solutions of the future.