Sooloos will continue to operate offices in New York City, while founders Enno Vandermeer and Danny Dulai will remain on board.
As a result of the acquisition, Sooloos products will be distributed via Meridian’s network of specialist distributors, dealers and custom integrators, with the Sooloos brand and identity to be retained. US distribution will be co-ordinated by Atlanta-based Meridian America, while export markets will be served by Meridian Audio from its Cambridge, UK base.
Established in the early 1980s, Meridian is responsible for a number of technological innovations, including the world’s first ‘audiophile CD player’ and integrated CD/DVD, AM/FM/DAB home entertainment sound systems.
Sooloos’s product range, meanwhile, includes the ControlOne, a 17in touch-screen music server.
Meridian CEO Tim Ireland (pictured) told II that he was “delighted” by the acquisition because “the two companies have such aligned values, but have hardly any technology or distribution overlap. It’s a great business move for Meridian to acquire Sooloos, and great for consumers that they are now both in the same stable.”
Peter Wellikoff, COO of Sooloos, added: “We’ve successfully established Sooloos as the most technically advanced and sophisticated innovator in this still very young media server and systems sphere. Now, under the Meridian corporate umbrella, we gain advantages in global market access, as well as a network of engineering and technology resources that are unequalled anywhere.”
