Case maker Incipio buys portable speaker startup Braven

Braven speakers (teaser 001)

Incipio Technologies, the well-known maker of cases and other accessories for mobile products, today announced it is acquiring Braven for an undisclosed sum. If you’re a sucker for mobile accessories, chances are you’ve heard of Braven by now. The company specializes in portable wireless Bluetooth speakers and was the first to produce a portable HD speaker / speakerphone that doubles as a cellphone charger.

The Irvine, California based Incipio hopes to broaden its portfolio by adding Braven’s popular wireless speakers to its lineup…

Incipio, which at CES 2013 unveiled its NFC-enabled iPhone case, confirmed the transaction in a blog post affirming the company will continue to maintain the Braven brand as a separate product line.

“The Braven portfolio of products will continue to be available through Bravenm’s growing sales channels and customers will see new Braven products launching in the coming months,” Incipio assured.

Incipio’s lineup includes mostly protective cases and accessories so Braven should help Incipio’s branching out with its rich portable speakers offering.

Braven (Old is New drawing 001)

The transaction marks another sign of consolidation seemingly taking place in the accessory industry. Back in June, we reported that Logitech had acquired TidyTilt maker TT Design Labs.

The privately held Braven was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Provo, Utah. The emerging accessory maker will continue creating a diverse product offering under its own brand, benefiting tremendously from Incipio’s network of 40,000 partner retail locations worldwide.

Here’s the incredibly rugged Breaven BRV-1 speaker facing off a Hummer H2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQqdeGPywhQ

Our own Jim reviewed the Braven 600 portable speakers made from anodized aluminum and walked away quite impressed. He specifically deemed the system great for office or desktop music experience thanks to quality build, 15+ hours of playback, crystal clear sound and of course easy streaming via iOS or a Bluetooth audio enabled laptop or desktop computer.

As for Incipio, you may want to check out iDB’s review of the Atlas waterproof case (which comes backed by a water damage warranty), the NGP case which hugs your iPad mini and the DualPro case with silicone core for the iPhone 5.