TomTom partners with SoundHound AI to bring multi-agent AI voice navigation to CES 2026
MWN-AI** Summary
At CES 2026, held in Las Vegas, TomTom (TOM2) and SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) announced a strategic partnership aimed at advancing in-car navigation and voice interaction technologies. This collaboration integrates TomTom's AI Agent and Automotive Navigation Application with SoundHound's advanced agentic voice AI, resulting in a unified assistant that enhances the driving experience through natural and conversational interactions.
The new multi-agent system allows drivers to engage in dialogue, asking for recommendations, searching for nearby charging stations, and planning complex routes—all without the need for extensive visual input. This integration not only simplifies navigation tasks but also enhances safety by reducing distractions.
Furthermore, the proactive route intelligence of TomTom’s AI Agent continuously assesses traffic conditions and potential hazards, offering real-time suggestions to ensure efficient and personalized routes. Notably, electric vehicle (EV) drivers will benefit from customized routing that considers charging needs and travel time.
The joint solution provides automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a pre-integrated offering that leverages TomTom's navigation expertise alongside SoundHound's voice AI capabilities. This pre-integration shortens the time to market for OEMs and minimizes the need for ongoing use case development, with software updates delivered through the cloud.
At the heart of this collaboration is the desire to provide innovative, flexible, and brand-controlled solutions for automakers, ultimately delivering a superior driving experience. Attendees at CES can witness firsthand how these technologies work in tandem, setting new standards for in-car voice and navigation interactions. TomTom will showcase this cutting-edge technology at its booth (West Hall, W311-312) during the event.
MWN-AI** Analysis
TomTom's partnership with SoundHound AI to showcase advanced in-car navigation and voice technology at CES 2026 presents a significant opportunity for investors focusing on the automotive technology sector. This collaboration not only enhances the user experience for drivers but also positions both companies strategically within the rapidly evolving landscape of vehicle technology.
From a market perspective, the integration of TomTom's robust mapping capabilities with SoundHound's sophisticated voice AI offers a competitive edge against other players in the automotive tech space. The seamless interaction between navigation and other in-car systems, such as music and calendars, caters to a growing demand for integrated smart solutions. The proactive route intelligence that offers real-time updates based on traffic and hazards is particularly relevant for the expanding electric vehicle (EV) market, addressing concerns over charging infrastructure and route planning.
For investors, this partnership signals a forward-looking approach by both companies. TomTom's expertise in location technology, combined with SoundHound's strengths in voice AI, creates a pre-integrated solution for automotive OEMs—a major selling point as car manufacturers strive to enhance their offerings while reducing development times. Furthermore, the cloud-based updates mean ongoing innovation and improvements without extensive resource allocation from the OEMs, presenting a compelling value proposition.
Investing in TomTom (TOM2) and SoundHound AI (SOUN) could be wise, given the anticipated growth in demand for advanced automotive technologies. As consumers increasingly seek personalized and intuitive driving experiences, companies that lead in this space may see significant market gains. It's advisable to closely monitor the developments from CES 2026, as the initial reception of their collaborative solutions could provide critical insights into future market performance.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TomTom (TOM2), the specialist in mapping and location technology, and SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in voice and conversational AI, today announced a partnership to showcase a unified in-car AI voice and navigation experience. The collaboration integrates TomTom AI Agent and Automotive Navigation Application with SoundHound’s industry-leading agentic voice AI platform, creating a seamless, intelligent assistant for drivers.
The solution delivers a natural, conversational voice interface that simplifies complex navigation tasks. With natural conversation, users can ask for place recommendations, search for charging stations near specific amenities, plan complex multi-waypoint routes, or ask about any aspect of their route. The multi-agent architecture enables navigation to work hand-in-hand with other in-car domains such as music, HVAC, and calendar, empowering the driver while reducing visual distractions. The TomTom AI Agent’s proactive route intelligence continuously evaluates traffic and hazards, offering real-time suggestions with clear reasoning. EV drivers benefit from tailored routing that factors in charging preferences, amenities, and time constraints, ensuring journeys are efficient and personalized.
Automotive OEMs benefit from a pre-integrated solution that combines TomTom’s navigation expertise with SoundHound’s advanced agentic voice AI technology. This reduces time-to-market and eliminates the need for ongoing use case development, as updates are delivered seamlessly via the cloud. The architecture also gives OEMs greater brand control and solution modularity, enabling them to innovate while providing drivers with a premium voice and navigation experience.
“At SoundHound, our goal is to make driving experiences more intuitive and truly voice-enabled,” said Matt Anderson, Senior Director, Automotive, SoundHound AI. “This collaboration allows us to pair our advanced conversational and agentic AI capabilities with TomTom’s navigation capabilities to deliver a smarter, more seamless experience for drivers, while giving OEMs greater brand control and a premium, differentiated solution.”
“Our collaboration with SoundHound AI marks a significant milestone in delivering an exceptional in-car experience,” said Manuela Locarno Ajayi, SVP for Product Engineering, TomTom. “By combining our advanced navigation technology with SoundHound’s agentic voice AI platform, we’re showing how the TomTom AI Agent can seamlessly coordinate with any voice assistant. This proves that automakers can achieve a cohesive, brand-owned solution without sacrificing flexibility or innovation.”
At CES 2026, TomTom will showcase this collaboration with SoundHound AI at its booth (West Hall, booth W311–312), where attendees can experience the power of intelligent navigation, EV routing, proactive hazard alerts, and lane-level guidance firsthand, setting a new benchmark for voice technology in vehicles.
About TomTom:
Billions of data points. Millions of sources. Hundreds of communities.
We are the mapmaker bringing it all together to build the world’s smartest map. We provide location data and technology to drivers, carmakers, businesses, and developers. Our application-ready maps, routing, real-time traffic, APIs, and SDKs enable the dreamers and doers to shape the future of mobility.
About SoundHound AI:
SoundHound AI (Nasdaq: SOUN), a global leader in voice and conversational AI, delivers solutions that allow businesses to offer superior experiences to their customers. Built on proprietary technology, SoundHound’s voice AI delivers best-in-class speed and accuracy in numerous languages to product creators and service providers across retail, financial services, healthcare, automotive, smart devices, and restaurants. The company’s various groundbreaking AI-driven products include Smart Answering, Smart Ordering, Dynamic Drive-Thru, and the Amelia Platform, which powers AI Agents for enterprise. In addition, SoundHound Chat AI, a powerful voice assistant with integrated Generative AI, and Autonomics, a category-leading operations platform that automates IT processes, have enabled SoundHound to power millions of products and services, and process billions of interactions each year for world-class businesses.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e8e8d8c-5036-4f9b-a9e7-32a2997c3b6e
FAQ**
How does the partnership between TomTom and SoundHound AI enhance the user experience in vehicles, especially for EV drivers using Tomtom NV TMOAF technology?
What competitive advantages does the integration of TomTom AI Agent with SoundHound's voice platform offer car manufacturers in the marketplace, particularly concerning Tomtom NV TMOAF?
How does the collaboration between TomTom and SoundHound AI address real-time navigation challenges, and what role does Tomtom NV TMOAF play in delivering these solutions?
What implications does the TomTom and SoundHound AI partnership have for future automotive technologies and advancements, particularly in relation to Tomtom NV TMOAF for OEMs?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Tomtom NV (OTC: TMOAF).
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