If you've ever mixed on a pair of Focal Twin6 Be monitors or dialled in the low end on the SM9, you'll want to pay attention to this one. Belgian visualisation technology company Barco has agreed to acquire Vervent Audio Group — the holding company behind French loudspeaker maker Focal and British hi-fi stalwart Naim Audio — for approximately €135 million.
The deal, announced on 9 March, positions Barco as what it calls "a fully integrated audiovisual solutions provider." For a company best known for cinema projectors and control room displays, that's a significant pivot into premium audio territory.
Who's buying whom?
Barco, headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, is a technology firm with €964 million in annual sales. Its projectors light up commercial cinemas worldwide and its high-end residential systems serve clients including, reportedly, Hollywood director Michael Bay. The company is listed on the Euronext exchange and turned a net profit of €71.6 million in 2025.
Vervent Audio Group was formed in 2014 to unite Focal and Naim under one roof. Focal, founded in Saint-Étienne in 1979, designs and manufactures everything from earbuds to the Utopia flagship loudspeakers — and, crucially for our readers, a professional studio monitor range that includes the Solo6, Twin6 Be, SM9, and Trio series. Naim Audio, based in Salisbury, England, is a cornerstone of British hi-fi, producing amplifiers, streamers, and integrated music systems revered by audiophiles.
Together, the brands generate around €110 million in annual revenue through more than 80 branded boutiques and thousands of retail points globally.
The strategic logic: AV convergence
The acquisition makes clear commercial sense on paper. Barco projectors plus Focal loudspeakers plus Naim electronics equals a vertically integrated home cinema and immersive entertainment package — a market Barco estimates is worth more than €3 billion.
"Building on our leadership in visualization, we go all-in on Entertainment," CEO An Steegen said in Barco's press release. "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."
After closing, Vervent will sit inside Barco's Entertainment division, which generated roughly €467 million in revenue last year.
The pro audio question
For studio professionals, the key concern is straightforward: will Focal's monitoring line remain a priority, or will it become a footnote in a consumer-focused AV empire?
Barco's official language is encouraging. The company says it will support Vervent's existing strategic plan, including its "high-end premium audio positioning" and a "technology upgrade towards digital, active, and connected products." Focal's manufacturing base in Saint-Étienne — where all high-end products are designed and built in-house — appears set to continue operating.
There's also an upside scenario. Barco's deep presence in professional cinema and commercial AV could open new channels for Focal's pro speakers, potentially expanding their reach into cinema sound installations and immersive venue audio.
A bargain price?
At €135 million for a business generating €110 million in revenue, the deal values Vervent at roughly 1.2 times annual sales. For two brands with the heritage and recognition of Focal and Naim, that looks modest — particularly compared to recent audio industry consolidation, such as Harman's acquisition of Sound United's Denon, Marantz, and Bowers & Wilkins portfolio in 2025, or Bose's purchase of the McIntosh Group in 2024.
Barco is financing the deal from its own cash reserves, suggesting confidence in the return.
What happens next
The transaction still requires employee consultation and standard regulatory approvals. Once complete, Vervent's brands will operate within Barco's Entertainment division.
For mix engineers and studio owners, the immediate impact should be minimal — Focal monitors will still ship from Saint-Étienne. The longer-term question is whether Barco's backing accelerates product development or gradually shifts focus toward the consumer and home cinema markets where the bigger margins live.
Either way, when a projector company spends €135 million on a speaker company, it tells you something about where the AV industry is heading: towards a future where image and sound are sold as one experience.
