Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation announced it has acquired 100% of the issued shares of UK-based media technology company HIVE, strengthening its capabilities in media playback and control for immersive and fixed-installation environments.
The acquisition represents another step in Panasonic’s transformation from a hardware-focused manufacturer into a broader visual solutions ecosystem provider. Through the deal, Panasonic is expanding beyond projection and display hardware into software, workflow, and integrated media-delivery solutions.
HIVE will continue operating as a standalone and vendor-neutral business. Panasonic said it plans to support HIVE’s ongoing growth while maintaining the independence and openness that have defined the company’s market position. Existing customers and partners using HIVE technology alongside projector and LED display brands other than Panasonic will continue to receive support.
Media servers are increasingly important in immersive environments and large-scale visual installations because they help manage playback, synchronization, and control of content across multiple displays and surfaces. By acquiring HIVE, Panasonic broadens its role across more of the customer workflow, including content playback, control, deployment, and operation.
HIVE’s BeeBlade platform is built on the Intel Smart Display Module standard, enabling direct integration with projectors, direct-view LED display systems, and professional displays.
Panasonic said the acquisition aligns with its MEVIX visual solutions brand strategy, which focuses on supporting customers across the full visual workflow rather than only at the hardware endpoint.
The company also views the media server market as a significant growth opportunity due to increasing demand for immersive attractions, museums, themed environments, and permanent visual installations. HIVE has established a strong presence in this market through its compact, scalable, and SDM-native architecture combined with an open ecosystem approach.
According to Panasonic, combining HIVE’s media control architecture with Panasonic’s projection and display technologies is expected to create customer benefits such as greater deployment flexibility, smaller infrastructure footprints, fewer external devices, simplified cabling, and more streamlined installation and operation.
HIVE’s technology has already been deployed in major projects worldwide, including the BBC Earth Experience, the National Museum of Qatar, and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel exhibition. The company has also received multiple international industry awards for its BeeBlade platform and media control ecosystem.
KEY QUOTES:
“This is a strategically important step for Panasonic as we continue to evolve our business beyond a hardware-oriented model toward broader visual solutions and workflow value. Under MEVIX, our visual solutions brand, we have been clearly articulating our commitment to contribute to customers across the total workflow, not just at the hardware endpoint. This acquisition is a major step in that direction and an important step forward in growth guided by the spirit of the MEVIX brand. HIVE brings proven expertise in media playback and control, and when combined with our projector and display portfolio, we believe it can create meaningful customer value through simpler deployment, greater flexibility and a better end-user experience. At the same time, we fully respect HIVE’s position as a standalone business open to working with the wider market, and we look forward to the synergies from HIVE’s continued growth also creating value for Panasonic.”
Yousuke Adachi, CEO, Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation
“We are inspired and honoured by the opportunity to work with Panasonic, while continuing to grow HIVE as an open and independent ecosystem. In nature, the most powerful systems are interconnected, adaptive and free to evolve, a philosophy that sits at the heart of HIVE. This partnership gives us the scale to accelerate our vision while preserving the openness and platform-agnostic approach our customers rely on. I would also like to thank my co-founders, Dave Green and Trey Harrison, and our incredible HIVE team, whose belief and dedication mean we move into this next chapter together.”
Mark Calvert, Co-Founder And CEO, Hive Media Control Ltd.
