Kudelski Group adquiere NexGuard Labs

This transaction expands Kudelski's portfolio of end-to-end content protection security solutions.

The Swiss group Kudelski has announced the purchase of 100% of NexGuard Labs (previously owned by Civolution), specializing in digital content watermarking solutions. This transaction expands Kudelski's portfolio of end-to-end content protection security solutions, enriching the existing offering for content owners and pay-TV operators.

NexGuard Labs, headquartered in the Netherlands with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dubai and Rennes, France, offers a broad portfolio of digital watermarking tools to help media content owners and distributors protect their rights and manage their assets.
With a turnover of $90 million and more than 50 clients worldwide, the Kudelski group has three decades of experience in content protection for pay-TV operators and content owners.

André Kudelski, CEO of Kudelski Group, acknowledged that “the acquisition of NexGuard further strengthens our content protection offering and represents a key milestone in the execution of our growth strategy in the security area.”

Digital watermarking is a key component in the content protection chain, helping to prevent illegal sharing and ensuring full traceability of content. The use of this technology has become an important requirement for content owners, especially in relation to 4K and High Dynamic Range or live distribution of sporting events. It also helps pay-TV operators ensure that content is not distributed illegally.

The technology developed by NexGuard does not harm the viewer experience and is robust against serious content degradation. This purchase will now strengthen Kudelski's watermarking technology, anyMARK, and will be available on all of the group's digital television products.