Lectra, the French specialist in solutions for the fashion, automotive, and furniture industries, has announced it is strengthening its alliance with Caron Technology. The company has acquired a majority stake in the Italian firm Caron Technology, with which it has collaborated for nearly two decades. The transaction is intended to deliver a unified and comprehensive range of cutting-preparation systems for soft materials.
Specifically, Lectra acquired 70% of Caron Technology in a transaction finalised in August for €1.9 million. The financing structure also includes an option enabling Lectra to increase its stake to 100% by 2029. Founded in 1993, the Italian company brings the group specialised technical expertise spanning the design and assembly of spreading machines, feeding units, roll loaders and cutting tables.
“For many years, Caron Technology has been a trusted industrial partner for Lectra,” adds Maximilien Abadie, Lectra’s deputy chief executive officer. “This reinforced alliance consolidates our offering by adding recognised expertise in cutting preparation, with Caron Technology’s equipment ideally complementing our portfolio and our know-how in support of the connected cutting room of tomorrow.”
For fashion manufacturers, fabric spreading and feeding are a strategic stage prior to cutting, directly impacting overall cutting-room productivity. Integrating Caron Technology’s equipment into the French group’s ecosystem should enable Lectra to meet operators’ performance requirements more effectively. This pursuit of synergy is part of the industrial development strategy championed by Lectra.
“This new milestone marks the culmination of many years of fruitful collaboration with Lectra,” says Giulio Gallo, managing director of Caron Technology. “We share the same commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service. Together, we will be able to accelerate the development of our solutions and extend their reach to a wider range of manufacturers.”
Since 2018, Lectra has pursued an active acquisition strategy. This has led, in particular, to the acquisition of Belgian competitive analysis specialist Retviews in 2019, US industrial specialist Gerber in 2021, the French marketplace management tool Neteven in the same year, the traceability specialist TextileGenesis in 2022, and the marketing platform Launchmetrics in 2024.
With 2,800 employees spread across more than a hundred countries, Lectra currently has production sites in France, China, and the United States. The company, which is listed on Euronext, generated turnover of €507 million in the 2025 financial year. The segment of its business relating to SaaS (software as a service) now accounts for €89 million in turnover.
