Bose acquires Skullcandy, to give the brand access to its audio tech

Bose, one of the most well-known names in the world of audio, has acquired Skullcandy. The company says that this acquisition will help it reach new audiences through the Skullcandy brand. While Skullcandy will get access to Bose's audio expertise and tech in future devices.Skullcandy will remain a separate brand under Bose as part of the acquisition, with freedom to develop its own products and identity.. It will also remain based in Utah’s Park City in the US, where it was founded in 2003.The companies did not disclose the financial or other terms of the transaction.Skullcandy products to get Bose techBose plans to invest in growing Skullcandy by providing it access to technology, resources, global distribution and commercial relationships. “Skullcandy is an established, thriving brand, and together we see tremendous opportunity to create new products and experiences and reach more consumers around the world,” Bose CEO Lila Snyder said. “We believe this is a win for Skullcandy and our fans,” Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow said. “ Joining Bose gives us the opportunity to make those experiences even better by bringing more of their audio expertise and technology to our products, and it opens up even more ways to take Skullcandy further.”Skullcandy is known for its connection with board sports, action sports, athletes, and music. This is expected to give Bose reach to new customer segments. The acquisition follows a multi-year partnership under which Skullcandy incorporated Sound by Bose technology into its earbuds and headphones. The collaboration brought Bose technologies, including head-tracking spatial audio and active noise cancellation, to products such as the Skullcandy Crusher 1080 ANC headphones and Method 360 ANC earbuds.Bose acquired Skullcandy from a fund managed by Connecticut-based private investment firm Mill Road Capital Management.This is the third acquisition Bose has made this year. Earlier this month, the company acquired Firelight Technologies, the maker of interactive audio software platform, FMOD. Bose also bought out StreamUnlimited Engineering, a connected audio platform and solutions provider, in June. The same month, the brand announced that it was setting up its own content studio, Bose Studio, and record label, Bose Records.Skullcandy also expands Bose’s audio portfolio. In 2024, Bose acquired high-end audio brand McIntosh and its subsidiary Sonus faber.- Ends