California Apparel News

Electronics For Imaging Inc., a printing technology firm based in Fremont, Calif., has acquired Israel-based design software firm Optitex Ltd. for approximately $52.8 million.

Optitex produces 2-D and 3-D fashion design and prototyping software for textile designers, retailers, brands and manufacturers, including Under Armour, Coach, Levi Strauss & Co., Theory, Chico’s, Perry Ellis and Patagonia. With offices in the U.S., Italy, India, Hong Kong and Israel, Optitex has a staff of 100, who will be joining EFI. Optitex Chief Executive Officer Asaf Landau will serve as general manager of EFI Optitex.

“We are thrilled to add the Optitex team and its fast-growing base of industry-leading customers to the EFI family,” said Gabriel Matsliach, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Productivity Software, in a statement. “Optitex technology, combined with EFI Reggiani digital printers, will expand our textile ecosystem and help our customers set new standards for time-to-market, on-demand manufacturing, cost efficiency and automation in the textile industry.”

Optitex will be integrated into EFI’s productivity software business unit. Optitex’s portfolio includes the 3-D Product Creation Suite, the 2-D Pattern Making Suite, the Cutting Room Optimization Suite and the Marker Making Suite.

“We are very excited to join the EFI family,” Landau said. “EFI’s global presence, holistic solution approach, strong professional services abilities, and growing portfolio of innovative textile industry–specific products will be of great benefit to the leading companies we serve worldwide in the fashion, automotive, aerospace and technical textiles industries. I am truly enthusiastic about what is to come for these industries in the years ahead.”

The acquisition expands EFI’s “textile ecosystem” with the addition of Optitex’s position as a 3-D textile design software provider and access to Optitex customers.

EFI develops technology solutions for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles and personalized documents. The company produces printers and inks as well as a production workflow suite designed to streamline the production process. Optitex’s integrated 2-D/3-D digital textile platform is designed to support innovation while reducing cost and accelerating time to market.