Lectra (EPA:LSS

Euronext Paris Euronext Paris, formerly known as the Paris Bourse (), is a regulated securities trading venue in France. It is Europe's second largest stock exchange by market capitalization, behind the London Stock Exchange, as of December 2023. As of 2022, th ...

) is a technology company with headquarters in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France. It operates in 59 countries with 59 subsidiaries. Lectra specializes in

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...

software and

CAM Cam or CAM may refer to: Science and technology * Cam (mechanism), a mechanical linkage which translates motion * Camshaft, a shaft with a cam * Camera or webcam, a device that records images or video In computing * Computer-aided manufacturin ...

cutting-room systems for industries using soft material such as leather and textiles. The company develops software, hardware, consulting and associated services for organizations in industries including fashion and apparel, automotive, furniture and others.

History

Lectra was founded in 1973 by engineers Jean and Bernard Etcheparre. Their first machine enabled a piece of clothing to be cut in all sizes from a cardboard pattern. The company launched its first

systems for apparel making in 1976. Venture capitalist André Harari met the two founders and raised the capital needed to implement Lectra's business development plan. In 1980, Lectra established its first foreign subsidiary in Germany, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the United States in 1982. By 1986, Lectra was the world's leading CAD and CAM systems provider and the company had its initial public offering the following year. After financial troubles in the early 1990s, the company was recapitalized by Daniel and André Harari. In 2014, Lectra partnered with

ESCP Europe ESCP Business School (; ) is a French business school and ''grande école'' founded in Paris and based across Europe with campuses in Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid, Turin, and Warsaw. Established in 1819, it is considered the world's oldest busi ...

to establish a chair in Fashion and Technology on its Paris campus for fashion and luxury sector innovation research. In November 2017, Lectra joined with ESTIA, JPS Conseil and the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation to launch the Biarritz Active Lifestyle Integral (BALI) Chair.

Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan is an American business consulting firm. It offers market research and analysis, growth strategy consulting, and corporate training. It has about 45 offices in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe; the principal office is in Sa ...

recognized Lectra with its 2017 Global Product Leadership award for the Versalis LeatherSuite. That same year, the Industry of Future Alliance awarded Lectra the Showcase for the Industry of Future Alliance. Lectra announced the acquisition of Italian company Kubix Lab in January 2018.

Overview

Lectra develops software, hardware, consulting and associated services to a broad array of major markets. Lectra is an industry-leading company in integrated technology for industries using soft materials, including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags) and furniture, as well as a wide range of other industries such as the aeronautical and marine industries. Lectra has over 24,000 clients in over a hundred countries including companies such as

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

Hermès Hermès International S.A. ( , ) is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, silk goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Since the ...

and H&M. Lectra initially launched its Modaris software in 1984. Its onscreen pattern modification and design systems are widely used in the textile industry, including fashion schools and colleges. Vector, Lectra's fabric-cutting technology, was introduced in 1993. The company first launched its product life-cycle management (PLM) software in 2006. It manages the life cycles of products and collections through software from planning, creation and product development to production. In 2011, Lectra launched its leather-cutting technology Versalis for the automotive, furniture and fashion industries. Versalis, the fastest leather-cutting solution in the industry, replaces leather-cutting typically done by hand with software and machinery that automates the process. Lectra announced it was to embrace Industry 4.0 concepts in January 2018.

References

{{Authority control Companies based in Paris Companies listed on Euronext Paris French companies established in 1973