Focal and Naim Have a New Owner — and It’s Not Who You’d Expect

Announced on 9 March, the deal would bring the two audio brands under Barco’s ownership as it expands beyond picture into integrated audiovisual experiences. Best known for projection, visualisation and professional cinema, Barco said the acquisition would strengthen its position across high-end residential, consumer home entertainment and professional markets.

Headquartered in Saint-Étienne, France, VerVent spans premium loudspeakers, immersive and active audio systems, headphones, studio monitors, automotive and yachting OEM audio, along with a growing custom installation and home theatre business. Barco also pointed to the group’s commercial reach, which includes more than 80 premium boutiques and thousands of sales points, giving it an established retail and distribution platform rather than simply two well-known audio brands.

Barco CEO An Steegen made the strategic intent plain, saying the company is going “all-in on Entertainment” and wants to deliver integrated solutions where image and sound reinforce each other seamlessly: 

Today marks an important step in Barco’s ambition to shape the future of immersive audiovisual experiences. By welcoming VerVent and its iconic Focal and Naim brands into the Barco family, we accelerate our strategy to deliver fully integrated solutions where image and sound reinforce each other seamlessly. Building on our leadership in visualization, we go all-in on Entertainment.

That is the real takeaway. Barco is not simply diversifying out of projection; it is betting that the next phase of premium AV belongs to companies able to own more of the total experience.

The financial backdrop helps explain the confidence. Barco reported €963.8 million in sales for 2025, with its Entertainment division contributing €466.8 million, up 11 per cent year on year. The company also reaffirmed its long-term target of a 15 per cent EBITDA margin by 2028, even with the acquisition factored in.

For Focal and Naim owners, dealers and followers, the more interesting question is what happens next. Barco said VerVent will fold into its Entertainment division after closing, with strategy centred on premium positioning, portfolio rationalisation, stronger use of its sales network, and a push toward digital, active and connected products.

That matters because Focal and Naim have built their standing on audiophile credibility, specialist retail and carefully managed brand identities. Being brought under a larger AV group could open fresh opportunities in integrated systems, luxury residential and home cinema, but it also raises fair questions about product direction. “Connected” and “active” are hardly fringe concepts in 2026, yet they do point to a future that may lean further into broader-system thinking than some traditionalists would prefer.

Barco has also made clear it sees the commercial upside. It values the premium audio market, spanning audiophile consumer audio and high-end home cinema at more than €3 billion, supported by demand for immersive sound, active speakers, integrated systems and direct-to-consumer models.

The deal is not yet complete, with employee consultation requirements and customary closing conditions still to be cleared. But the direction is already clear enough: Barco is betting big on premium audio as it pushes to become a full-spectrum AV company.

The brands have endured a turbulent past in Australia at least, only recently finding stability once again. For the hi-fi and home cinema community, the key question is what that means for two iconic audio brands entering a very different corporate chapter.

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