Strathdon Investments acquires Meta Technology

Citation

(2000), "Strathdon Investments acquires Meta Technology", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927aab.006

Strathdon Investments acquires Meta Technology

Strathdon Investments acquires Meta Technology

Keywords: Lasers, Guidance systems

Strathdon Investments has acquired a majority stake in Didcot-based Meta Technology, a company that designs and manufactures laser guidance systems that can automate manually controlled welding machines and machine tools.

Strathdon, a venture capital holding company, focuses its investment portfolio on advanced software applied to high technology products in a business environment.

Two key factors that apply when evaluating an investment prospect are:

1. 1.

   a global market potential; and

2. 2.

   a technology, proved in one market, that has potential for wider exploitation in other fields.

Perhaps most important of all, Strathdon also look for a company with a strong management that has a clear vision of where the future lies.

With Meta, Strathdon has identified a company that meets these clearly defined criteria.

Meta already sells its guidance systems in over 20 countries throughout the world. Currently, over 100 are shipped annually. Sales have doubled for the last three consecutive years. To date, virtually 100 per cent of sales have been associated with guidance for welding to automate manually guided welding machines or provide a real-time adaptive control system for welding robots.

However, new markets are currently being investigated that have the potential to overshadow the already impressive results achieved with the welding applications. For example the first systems to guide robot drilling machines have already been installed in Boeing to manufacture aerospace components.

Under the leadership of Mike Wilson, the managing director, and president of the British Automation and Robot Association, the current management team have already evolved the company from a technology- to a market-led company.

Following the acquisition by Strathdon Meta has concluded the take-over of one of its major Canadian competitors. This has redoubled the turnover at a stroke and provides Meta with a complementary product range for Europe and opens up the North American market for Meta products.

For further information contact Meta Technology Limited, 10 Harrier Park, Southmead Industrial Estate, Didcot, Oxon OX11 7PL, UK. Tel: (+44) 01235 512215; Fax: (+44) 01235 512115.