DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that it acquired the start-up company Livio in a bid to accelerate its efforts to help drivers safely access content on their smartphones while on the road.

Livio, which is based in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, develops software that lets drivers connect to their smartphones through their car radios or dashboard infotainment systems. Ford paid less than $10 million for the 11-person start-up. Though owned by Ford, Livio will keep supplying its current customers, including General Motors Co.

Livio is Ford’s first technology acquisition in 13 years. It complements the automaker’s efforts to allow drivers to safely access phone apps such as Pandora, Major League Baseball and Spotify from their vehicles. Ford’s AppLink system, which lets drivers access their apps through voice recognition, will be inside an estimated 7 million vehicles by 2015.