Wearth Group | April 2025 | Conicio Design & Engineering
Wearth Group | in dévelopment
Innovation—Wearth Group acquires design agency Conicio
A merger with meaning
The design and engineering agency Conicio is now part of Wearth Group.
The Annecy-based firm, renowned for its expertise in industrial design and product engineering, Conicio strengthens our innovation offering and supports our ambitious development strategy.
In the almost 15 years since it was founded by Vincent Schmitt in 2011, Conicio has forged a strong reputation for itself on the French industrial stage. The agency supports its customers throughout the industrial creation process, from the initial product design right through to industrialization
The team is formed of designers and engineers who work closely with a wide variety of businesses, including those in the industrial and medical sectors, IoT (Internet of Things) firms, sport and leisure companies, and education providers.
Conicio now employs about 10 people, and since it was founded, has supported 200 projects to industrialization, demonstrating its ability to transform innovative ideas into tangible, high-performance products.
The merger arose following a meeting between Laurent Gasiglia, CEO of Wearth Group, and Vincent Schmitt, Conicio’s founder.
Both share strong business values and a common vision of an industrial model that combines performance, responsibility, and a sense of purpose.
Objective: to make Conicio Wearth Group's preferred research, development and innovation unit.
Industrial design at the heart of our strategy
At Wearth Group, we have always considered industrial design to be a core driver of performance and innovation. For more than a decade, this expertise came from EDDS Design, a Lyon-based agency the group previously acquired.
The acquisition of Conicio is a strategic step in our development, with EDDS Design merging with Conicio under a single identity. This simplifies our structure while bolstering our innovation and industrial design offerings.
The aim is to make Conicio into Wearth Group’s primary research, development, and innovation hub. Vincent Schmitt remains in charge of the merged entity, and his goal is to make it a leading player in industrial design to better serve our customers, but also bolster French industry’s competitiveness, including through strong eco-design practices.
Accelerating ecological transition
Wearth Group’s acquisition of Conicio also forms part of our deep-rooted commitment to ensuring that industry protects the environment. Conicio is renowned for its eco-design practices, which seek to minimize the environmental impact from the earliest stages of the product creation process.
This strategic approach requires detailed consideration of the materials and manufacturing processes used, resulting in sustainable, efficient products that protect ecosystems.
This positioning is directly aligned with Wearth Group’s goal as a purpose-driven company whose business model is built around the environment and sustainable innovation.
A strong ambition: doubling staff numbers and achieving international reach
Joining Wearth Group gives Conicio crucial support in terms of financial, technical, and human resources.
As a result of the merger, the agency is able to continue and accelerate its development: Vincent Schmitt is clear that he intends to double Conicio’s staff numbers.
At the same time, the agency will be able to develop a wider scope, strengthening its presence across France while preparing for an international expansion. It also has plans for potential external growth in the medium term to further expand its fields of expertise.
Independence and continuity for Conicio
Conicio will retain all of its operational autonomy and will continue to serve customers beyond Wearth Group’s scope. The agencies based in Annecy and Lyon will remain operational, working as closely as possible with their customers, with the same quality standards and long-term support that have become their trademarks.
Vincent Schmitt said, “We’re so proud to be joining Wearth Group. This merger is a major opportunity for Conicio to continue its development while remaining faithful to our values and the drive for innovation that has always been our hallmark. We share an ambitious goal with Wearth Group: making industry innovative, sustainable, and deeply human-focused.”
Laurent Gasiglia is clear on the strategic importance of the acquisition: “Industrial design is a crucial area of expertise for our group. With Conicio, we’ve gained considerably greater ability to innovate while taking our environmental and social commitments even further.”
This new chapter once again speaks to the group’s desire to develop a responsible, high-performance industry model that is committed to making sustainable progress.
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