Leading digital-cinema company Barco acquired 61% of the shares of projectiondesign, a Norway-based projection technology company, from private-equity fund Herkules Capital. The remaining shares are held by minority shareholders.

The transaction advances Barco’s strategy to expand into the mid-segment of its target markets and to strengthen its leading position in high-performance projection technology.

Projectiondesign develops and manufactures compact projectors for a variety of professional markets including training and simulation, visitor attractions (museums, theme parks, etc.), scientific visualization, collaboration rooms and control rooms. The compact projectors are equipped with high-quality optics, high resolution and LED illumination, and feature quiet operation. The company custom designs and develops all optics, hardware, software and industrial design for each projector model in-house.

Founded in 2001, projectiondesign is headquartered in Fredrikstad, Norway, and has 17 international offices. It employs about 200 people and achieved sales of approximately €57 million in 2011.

“Projectiondesign is a very well-respected leader for projectors in the below-10k lumens range for professional markets. The company enjoys an enviable reputation for combining innovative technology with leading design,” commented Eric Van Zele, Barco’s CEO and president. “This investment clearly underscores our determination to pursue global growth in all mid-segment markets. With projectiondesign, we will expand our portfolio to offer state-of-the-art solutions for the simulation, virtual reality and corporate AV markets as we continue to leverage our global sales coverage and our channels in Asia and Latin America in particular.”