Esko confirmed last week that it had completed its acquisition of Stonecube, whose patented software allows designers to experiment with different print and finishing options interactively in 3D environments, with accurate lighting conditions.
Martin Coulthard, founder and chief executive of Bristol-based Stonecube, said: “We’d been in discussions with Esko for a couple of years about forming a close commercial relationship but, in the end, they decided they would rather have us as part of the company.
“Our technology fits very nicely into the sector of the packaging market, in which Esko is a world leader, but it’s hard for a six-man operation outside of Bristol to communicate that on a large scale. The Esko group is definitely the right home for what we’ve got to offer.”
Coulthard revealed that the two companies have been working together for the past few months on Esko Visualizer, a product that combines elements of Stonecube’s PrintDevizor and Esko’s ArtiosCad.
Esko Visualizer is scheduled to start shipping in July, in both PC and Mac Universal Binary versions.
Carsten Knudsen, president and chief executive of Ghent-based Esko, said: “Having the first joint product out such a short time after the acquisition illustrates the strategic and developmental synergies between our two companies. We are very happy to welcome the Stonecube staff into the growing Esko family.”
ESKO/STONECUBE
Esko
Headquarters Ghent, Belgium
Turnover £87m (€127m)
Employees 730
Stonecube
Headquarters Bristol
Staff 6
Esko to launch packaging design tool after Stonecube acquisition
Packaging pre-press specialist Esko is gearing up to launch a new packaging design product, following its acquisition of software developer Stonecube.
