Focal and Naim Acquired by Projector Specialist Barco

The Belgian display tech company Barco makes some of the world’s finest projectors, used both in professional cinemas and in elite, megabuck home theater systems. (Michael Bay, the director of Hollywood blockbusters, uses a Barco projector in his personal theater.) Now it seems that the company wants to delve into the audio side of things, as it was just announced that Barco has reached an agreement in principle to acquire 100% of the shares of VerVent Audio Holding, the French-British parent company to Focal and Naim. The Enterprise Value of the acquisition is approximately €135 million. The transaction is planned to be financed with Barco’s own funds. According to the company, Barco realized sales of €964 million in 2025.

Barco Cinema Projectors

As the owner of the Focal and Naim brands, VerVent Audio Holding is active in high‑end audio systems, headphones, and automotive OEM audio solutions. Combined with Barco’s existing position in display tech and cinema projection, the acquisition of VerVent Audio Holding positions Barco to become a fully integrated audiovisual solutions provider. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Barco teamed up with Bose to develop the Videobar VB1 All-In-One Video Conferencing Solution. This type of project is just one of many that Barco will now be equipped to undertake without external collaboration from an audio partner. Although Barco is deeply involved in both healthcare display tech and enterprise business operations, the acquisition of Focal and Naim suggests that Barco is adding to its AV portfolio with the entertainment industry in mind.  

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. The addition of high‑fidelity audio strengthens the overall experience of our offering across high‑end residential and broader consumer/home entertainment environments, as well as in professional markets. This combination expands our reach, deepens our technology capabilities, and positions us to capture new opportunities across the audiovisual value chain. We are excited to embark on this next chapter together.

— An Steegen, CEO of Barco

Currently headquartered in Focal’s home of Saint-Étienne, France, VerVent has an established reputation for designing and manufacturing high-end audio systems of all kinds, from wireless headphones like the Focal Bathys MG, to smart integrated amps like the Naim Uniti Nova, to cutting-edge high-end speakers like the Focal Diva Utopia Active Loudspeakers. Since Focal and Naim joined forces under the VerVent umbrella in 2011, the two brands have also opened a growing network of more than 80 Focal Powered by Naim stores, featuring premium passive and active loudspeakers, immersive audio solutions, world-class headphones, soundbars, and more. Focal also makes some of the most respected active studio monitors in the industry, as well as automotive and yachting OEM systems. And as my colleague Theo Nicolakis reported in 2025, the company makes the wickedly powerful Focal 1000 Utopia IWLCR & IWSUB Speaker System for high-end home theaters. 

Meanwhile, Naim makes some of the finest home audio electronics available today. Together, under the VerVent umbrella, the two brands enjoy a strong global retail and distribution network with thousands of sales points. Barco reckons that, as a whole, the premium audio market is worth more than €3 billion, and the company is ready to take its piece of that pie. Barco surely hopes that the combination of VerVent’s brand recognition and premium market position, combined with Barco’s own expertise on the video side of things, will enable Barco’s evolution towards integrated audiovisual solutions for both consumer and professional customers. According to Barco, opportunities abound in consumer AV, advanced home cinema, public spaces, and professional cinema, just to name a few.  

VerVent currently generates annual revenues of around €110 million according to a Barco press release announcing the deal. After closing, VerVent will be integrated into Barco’s Entertainment division. The completion of the transaction remains subject to various regulatory and legislative hurdles, but this is certainly an interesting development to keep an eye on as the acquisition process continues.

More information: Barco