Essilor International has acquired a majority interest in Technologies HumanWare Inc, a Quebec-based designer and distributor of electronic assistance products for people who are blind or vision impaired.
Products designed by this company, which has 150 employees and is located in Drummondville, Quebec, are mainly marketed in visual rehabilitation clinic networks. It reports revenues of $35 million and records sales in North America, Europe, Australia, and some parts of Asia. It recently introduced Prodigi, hybrid technology that helps people with visual impairment whether they are sitting or moving about. This new product was awarded the Silmo d'Or in 2013.
With this acquisition, Essilor hopes to increase its market share in the low-vision sector. According to the French giant, only 5% of the 140 million people with low vision own equipment adapted to their situation. The two companies will combine their research teams in the field of optics and electronics to develop new products.
Essilor Chairman and CEO, Hubert Sagnières, described this partnership as a fundamental step in the development of a range of effective and accessible vision tools for the greatest number of people. For his part, Gilles Pepin, CEO of HumanWare, is pleased to be partnering with Essilor, whose knowledge in optics and access to optician distribution networks will accelerate innovation to help people with visual impairments.
Sources:
http://www.acuite.fr/articles.asp?REF=9045
