Cognex to acquire Moritex

Cognex Corp., a leader in industrial machine vision, has agreed to acquire Moritex Corp. from Trustar Capital, a private equity affiliate of CITIC Capital Holdings Limited, for ¥40 billion (approximately $275 million), in an all-cash transaction. Moritex is a leading global provider of optics components with a strong presence in Japan.

“At Cognex, we provide manufacturers with the most advanced machine vision solutions. We have long admired, and sold, Moritex optics components as an important element of what we do,” says Robert Willett, president and CEO of Cognex. “We often note that machine vision functions like the eye and brain of a human: Cognex vision systems are akin to the brain, and Moritex optics, the eye. Bringing these complementary technologies together will streamline the solution we provide our customers, enabling a more advanced and integrated offering. Expanding into the optics components segment with this acquisition will increase our served market and deepen our penetration of the Japanese machine vision market.”

Moritex has established a reputation as an industry leader providing high-quality, standard optical components over its 50-year history. The company develops and sells high-accuracy solutions for equipment manufacturers in a wide range of industrial markets.

“We are excited to join Cognex as we work towards our mission to provide the best optical solutions for our customers. Combining our best-in-class optics components with a global machine vision leader will create new opportunities for growth,” says Takao Sato, CEO, Moritex. “This acquisition will position us to deliver our solutions to Cognex’s broad customer base, providing a more comprehensive machine vision offering. We remain committed to proactively serving and supporting our customers around the world.”

Willett continues, “Moritex will be Cognex’s largest acquisition in our 42-year history. We are highly selective in evaluating potential acquisitions. Moritex exceeds our selection criteria based on its strategic fit, reputation, growth prospects, culture of innovation, and financial profile.”

Moritex is expected to contribute 6% to 8% of Cognex’s revenue, and the acquisition is expected to be accretive to GAAP EPS in 2025.

Moritex is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, with a global footprint of manufacturing facilities and administrative offices. It employs approximately 500 people.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.