PARIS, FRANCE: LEDGER and LACROIX have decided to join forces to produce a key component of the world’s best-selling cryptoasset wallet, LEDGER’s Nano, a news release said.

LEDGER is a world leader in securing digital assets, and LACROIX is the French leader in industry 4.0.

The current situation in relation to the democratization of cryptoassets, as well as the exponential growth in demand for LEDGER’s hardware wallets – more than 3 million units have been sold to date and 15% of digital assets worldwide are protected by a LEDGER key – have called for a change in production capacity for the Tech unicorn.

Since this summer, the PCBAs (electronic boards) for LEDGER security keys have been manufactured in France by LACROIX, and in the following months produced at the LACROIX Group’s brand new production site in Maine-et-Loire, which is called Symbiose. This is an electronics factory of the future that meets industry 4.0 standards, is environmentally friendly and is designed to help its employees thrive.

LACROIX’s experience, expertise and production capacities should enable LEDGER to continue to scale and accelerate its production, while guaranteeing safety and production quality.

This unicorn company, created in 2014, and the family-owned, quoted SME company, whose story began in 1936, are two very complementary incarnations of French success stories that have an international reach. The combination of the expertise and intelligence of these two companies, which are members of French Tech and French Fab respectively, is a demonstration of the strength and agility of the French entrepreneurial landscape.

More than a partnership, this is an association between two companies that are at the cutting edge of their industries, both rooted in French territories and in global markets, in the service of innovation.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance & Industry, with responsibility for Industry Minister, said, “Following on from the French President’s presentation of the France 2030 investment plan, the agreement reached between Ledger and LACROIX illustrates the renewal of our industrial policy, and our ambition to accelerate the industrialization of any start-ups that are highly technological in nature in France.

It also demonstrates the synergies between established groups and emerging players, which we wish to encourage. In addition, I see this collaboration as an initial result of the support provided to the LACROIX factory 4.0 project by France Relance, which, through innovation and investment in the production tool, demonstrates the relevance of choosing Made in France, both economically and in terms of industrial resilience.”

Cédric O, Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications said, “This partnership is emblematic of the new position of French Tech in the French economy. Over the course of just a few years, start-ups have become drivers of growth and job creation across the country, just as Ledger has become in Vierzon. While the ecosystem only had 3 unicorn companies in 2017, it now has 19, including Ledger in recent months, and French Tech is expected to exceed the €10bn that it raised in 2021. These exceptional results are due, on the one hand, to the creativity of our entrepreneurs, and on the other hand, to the constant support that the Government has provided to these strategic players for innovation and French sovereignty. I welcome the partnership between Ledger and LACROIX, as it allows two worlds to come together, growing both French Tech and Industry 4.0 at the same time.”

Vincent Bedouin, CEO of LACROIX, stated: “We are delighted that LEDGER has chosen LACROIX to support them in the production of circuit boards, which are a key component of their Nano cryptoasset wallet. Within the French electronics sector, we have great skill combined with remarkable technologies. Maintaining innovation in the design and production of electronic assemblies requires ethical collaborations and sources of value.

By partnering with LEDGER, a French Tech unicorn that is growing fast, we are sharing something that is more than just a partnership through our common vision: an open and innovative collaborative model. This is what the alliance of French Fab and French Tech is all about.”

Pascal Gauthier, CEO of LEDGER, stated: “At LEDGER, we are pragmatic. It is our duty, as we are developing a giant company of the future. We did not, therefore, have any great difficulty in choosing to partner with LACROIX for the production of our electronic boards, which are key elements in our flagship product, the Nano S and X.

In fact, we chose LACROIX because we are convinced that they are capable of providing safety, agility, quality and volume. This is essential at the critical stage of development that we currently find ourselves in, and given the rapid expansion of our market alongside the growing adoption of cryptoassets around the world.

I am pleased that we can also find synergies between French Tech and French Fab, and thus demonstrate the ability of French companies to be at the forefront of industry and technology.”