LUXEMOURG / FRANCE, MARCH 9^th, 2026 — Alpha Private Equity, a leading pan-European private equity firm,  announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 100% of its stake in Vervent Audio Group (“Vervent”) to Barco, the global technology company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium. The transaction marks a successful exit for Alpha and represents a strategic step for Barco as it expands its capabilities in premium audio and further strengthens its positioning as a fully integrated audiovisual solutions provider.

Headquartered in Saint-Étienne, France, Vervent is a premium audio group with a long heritage in designing and manufacturing high-end audio systems under its globally recognized brands Focal and Naim. The group offers a broad portfolio including premium loudspeakers, immersive and active audio solutions, headphones, studio monitors and automotive OEM audio systems, complemented by a growing custom installation and home theatre offering. Vervent benefits from a strong international footprint supported by an extensive retail and distribution platform, including more than 80 premium boutiques and thousands of points of sale worldwide, providing a powerful go-to-market platform and strong brand visibility in the global premium audio market.

Barco, headquartered in Kortrijk (Belgium), is a global technology company leading in visualization, networking, and collaboration solutions. Its innovative technologies drive advancements in the healthcare, enterprise, and entertainment markets. The company employs more than 3,000 people worldwide and is listed on Euronext (BAR). Barco reported sales of €964 million in 2025.

The acquisition represents a strategic expansion for Barco, enabling the company to complement its expertise in visualization, networking and collaboration technologies with Vervent’s leadership in high-performance audio. Together, the combined capabilities will support the development of integrated audiovisual solutions across enterprise, entertainment and residential environments.

Alpha partnered with Vervent to support the company’s transformation into a leading global premium audio platform and to accelerate its international development. During its ownership, Alpha worked closely with the management team to strengthen the company’s strategic positioning, expand its global presence and enhance its operational capabilities.

A key strategic focus during Alpha’s ownership was the implementation of a global retail strategy aimed at increasing brand awareness and expanding Vervent’s reach among luxury and lifestyle customers. By leveraging the group’s unique ability to develop integrated audio solutions — combining the loudspeaker expertise of Focal with the electronics capabilities of Naim — Vervent enhanced the customer experience through the expansion of its network of premium boutiques and immersive retail concepts.

Alpha also supported a strong pipeline of new product launches, enabling the company to expand its portfolio across high-end home audio systems, headphones, custom installation solutions and automotive OEM audio technologies. These initiatives further reinforced the global positioning of the Focal and Naim brands as reference names in premium audio performance and design.

In addition, Alpha worked alongside the company to strengthen the management team, bringing additional international expertise and strategic leadership to support Vervent’s continued growth and global expansion. Operational optimisation was another key pillar of Alpha’s value creation strategy. Together with management, Alpha implemented initiatives aimed at enhancing manufacturing efficiency, improving supply chain capabilities and scaling global distribution, providing Vervent with a robust operational platform to support its next phase of growth.

With the support of Barco, Vervent will benefit from a highly complementary technology ecosystem and global commercial reach. The combination of Barco’s visualization and collaboration technologies with Vervent’s high-end audio capabilities is expected to unlock new opportunities in integrated audiovisual solutions, further accelerating the company’s development across professional, residential and automotive markets.

ABOUT VERVENT

Vervent Audio Group is a global player in the high-end audio market operating two leading and complementary brands: Focal, a French designer and manufacturer of speakers, and Naim, a British manufacturer of electronics audio equipment. The group has over 40 years of experience in the design and manufacture of high-end audio equipment such as home or professional studio speakers, headphones and car speakers. With its three production sites located in France and in the United Kingdom employing nearly 430 people, the group benefits from a unique integrated know-how in product development, ranging from R&D to the launch and marketing of finished products.

ABOUT ALPHA

With over €1.5 billion in assets under management, Alpha is a major investor in Europe in the mid-market segment. In over 35 years of existence, Alpha has carried out more than 150 deals (notably in France, Italy, Germany, Benelux and Switzerland). Alpha invests across all sectors and focuses on continental Europe through its local teams in France, and Italy. Alpha supports entrepreneurs by accelerating their development projects through an active support policy, particularly in external growth project mainly as a majority shareholder. In France, Alpha is invested in Vervent Audio Group, Marvesting and Feu Vert Group. For more information, please visit www.alphape.com.