Lectra, a French software and equipment company best known for its leather cutting solutions, will acquire a majority stake in fashion data consultancy Launchmetrics, the companies said in a statement Tuesday.

Lectra will pay around $85 million for 50.3 percent of the company with plans to acquire the remaining shares by 2030 in 5 annual tranches at prices adjusted for growth. The total acquisition price is forecast between $200 and $240 million, the companies said.

Launchmetrics rose to prominence in the fashion industry as Fashion GPS, a platform that helps PR teams manage samples and invitations, before rebranding following a merger with data start-up Augure. The company went on to become a key reference for media monitoring and social listening through its flagship metric, Media Impact Value, as well as by acquiring rivals in key geographies including Italy’s DMR and China’s Parklu.

Launchmetrics is expected to report 2023 revenues of around $45 million and an adjusted EBITDA of around $5 million, the statement said.

Lectra was a pioneer in using CAD (computer-aided design) systems for the garment industry in the 1970s before branching out into solutions for furniture and automotive manufacturing. The company reported 2022 revenues of €522 million ($572 million) and has a market capitalisation of over €1 billion on the Paris bourse.

Lectra said the acquisition fit with a strategy of expanding its presence in fashion by addressing “additional strategic links in its customers’ value chain.”

For Launchmetrics, joining forces with Lectra will “accelerate the development of its offering on a global scale,” chief executive Michael Jaïs said. “The alliance...will enable us to enrich our respective offers with even more artificial intelligence and complementary data – both product and marketing – to provide our customers with a unique value proposition.”

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